Cameroonian Female Bloggers on the Go

From education through health, fashion, art and culture to women’s empowerment Cameroonian women are telling the stories of their lives on the web. For instance, Betty who lives in Manchester, England blogs about her preganancy at Betty’s Pregnancy Diary. At week 34, she ponders on the consequences of the current credit crunch in world markets:

I decided with the credit crunch looming over our heads like bomb sirens, it’s no time to be frivolous. Mind you, the sound of my teeth noisily crunching away on Maltesers like they are going out of fashion is the only sound more overbearing than the credit crunch round here! I have decided to be very organised with my baby shopping. Instead of going all out on mad shopping sprees, I’ve sat down and painstakingly drafted lists and budgets. I’m getting so good at balancing the books; I think I could give the Chancellor of the Exchequer a run for his money.

In relation to parenting, Mabi’s World discusses the challenges facing grandparents who have to take up full responsibility for their grand children:

In many homes and communities, grandparents have always helped to look after their grandchildren. They are so happy that they travel long distances to be part of the action. Some grandmothers have had to travel abroad to “babysit”. However, for a growing number of grandparents, the brief visits to welcome the new-born baby have now been replaced by the responsibility of providing full-time child care, while Mom and Dad are busy at work.

This relatively new blogger also posts health advice on managing typhoid fever and draws from her late father’s personlity to declare teachers as leaders in commemoration of World Teachers’ Day on 5 October:

My father, Ntunibu James Azefor, was a teacher. One, whose leadership qualities still call for celebration today. His students still remember him as a selfless, respectful and determined person, devoted to the cause of sharing knowledge. Every one of his former students I meet has a story of how he influenced their lives. They describe him as a good teacher whose diligence, vision, attentiveness, and passion to teach and share knowledge enabled them to achieve success and reach great heights. In InterAction parlance, he would be described as “enabling others do great work”. That is leadership.

Mabi azefor Fominyen is a journalist, radio and TV presenter with Cameroon's state-run broadcaster (CRTV), who is interested in family, leadership, gender and women’s empowerment issues.

Speaking of women's issues, Rosemary Ekosso bounced back this September after a dip. She is not pro-polygamy and she is clear about it when she reacts to a BBC report on a man who married 86 wives in Nigeria:

There is no valid excuse for polygamy in today’s world, and we know it. Let us stop pretending to protect the interests of women in such situations when we know full well that we are only thinking about preserving the status quo either because it does not impinge on our lives or because it is to our advantage.

But one of her readers had a different point of view and had the following words for Rosemary:

Did the women tell you it is unfair to them?Did they say anything about being forced into it? They choose the lifestyle they want and we have no right to impose our notion of what we believe to be the “ideal” marriage scenario on them. That would be trampling on their freewill as humans.

On the artistic side of things, Dulce Camer who describes herself as “a young Cameroonian trying to live out her dreams”, interviews Anrette Ngafor, a trendy 32-year-old up and coming Cameroonian female photographer with great ambitions:

My goal is to have my own label, own company, own business and own studio one day. Not long from now this should happen as I am working towards that and I hope to achieve it and make my dream come true.

Style and fashion is also a point of interest for Germany based singer, song writer and media designer – Menoosha. In The Pink Post – she tackles the issue of weaves that do not enhance the beauty of African women:

My dear Afro Sisters! Here is my solemn petition for a BETTER TREATMENT FOR OUR HAIR!!! Whether straight, curly, kinky, fake or real, PLEASE!!!! let's TREAT OUR HAIR SHAFTS FAIRLY!!!! LOVE YOUR HAIR, AS YOU LOVE YOURSELVES!!!!

Finally, Bamenda Babe’s at My African Father blog provides a few recipes from Cameroon. After living for years in the USA, this blog is the lady’s way of connecting to her roots and one way is by cooking Cameroonian dishes:

Making kohki-corn here in the USA is quite an acrobatic feat. Where does one find the plantain leaves to use for wrapping up the kohki into bundles for steaming? And before this–before all else–where does one find the kind of corn that works? The corn sold at stores here is too soft, contains too much water, and is way too sweet. Are there any fresh cocoyam leaves around here?

11 comments

  • akwe

    What a nice one to look at what some female Cameroonian bloggers are writing about.!Go on guys.I am happy the women are doing just great as well.

  • Hello Akwe,

    Women in Cameroon often complain that their voices are not heard. attempts have ben made through programming and pages in the media to give them such space. But nothing can liberate these voices as the blogosphere. It is their stories, it is their views, it is their space. ou can feel them, you can see what they want to talk about. More Cameroonian women and Cameroonians as a whole need to take the advantage of this new media to make their voices heard across the planet. Let’s encourage more Cameroonian women to write. Don’t you think?

    George

  • […] Voices in its post Cameroonian Female Bloggers on the Go adds Betty’s Pregnancy Diary, Mabi’s World, Rosemary Ekosso, Dulce Camer, Menoosha and […]

  • Anonymaus

    You forgot one who has been present on the blogosphere longer than some of the named http://www.kamerstories.blogspot.com

  • A fellow blogger let me know that I had been mentioned here and I just wanted to stop and say “Thank you.” It has been good to also get links now to other female bloggers from Cameroon. You are so right, blogging for me (for women) is a wonderful way to create a space where I (we) can talk about the things most relevant to my life (our lives). It is how I reach in and take hold of the things I love and respect. It connects me to my humanity, to what deeply matters to me, and in doing so, I feel a powerful connection to the humanity of my people, even though I am so far away from them. I really appreciate the gift and freedom to write. I am thankful for it every single day.

  • I looked at a few of their blogs and they are actually pretty good.

  • I would love to chat with other women from Cameroon. Please feel free to contact me anytime.

  • Hey, thanks for checking the blog and talking about it. I hope I am doing my bit to represent Cameroon (My beautiful Pays) and it’s Paysans!
    One love to all
    Dulce
    xxx

  • ngum

    hey george,

    nice work. keep on keeping tabs on us. you’re always welcome to drop a line or two at dulce camer.

  • Michelle

    I think it is great that Cameroonian women voices are heard. Make your voice known in order to reach the masses whose voice has been silenced.

    Silence is acceptance. Press on to greatness!

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