GEF's Outlook

Hysacam in Niamey: Exporting Savoir Faire?

Cameroon is commerating 50 years of sovereignty this year. In that time there are many individual Cameroonians who have become leading lights in their areas of work and interest in Africa and internationally but not as many businesses from the country have gained ground out of its frontiers.

It was therefore surprising to see garbage vans in Niamey the capital of Niger bearing the: HYSACAM which is the french acronym for "Hygiene et Slubrité du Cameroun" (Cameroon Hygiene and sanitation company).

The garbage disposal outfit has, however, been present in Niger since 2006, according to the company website.

To say the least, HYSACAM is not the most popular company in Cameroon.  Its services do not cover the national territory and are often decried. Could they really do a commendable job elsewhere in the world?

Niger's paper eating goats

I noticed that inhabitants of Niamey ate a lot of grilled goat or sheep meat. A friend invited me to one of these joints where I savoured African-style barbecued goat.

Since I was in Niamey to cover the food crisis which also involved a deficit of 16 million tonnes of fodder for livestock, I couldn't help asking what these particular goats had been eating to be so fleshy and juicy. Most animals I had seen at a local livestock market in Niamey were lean.

As we drove back to the hotel, I stumbled on this scene of goats rummaging through trash heaps and selecting the "sweetest" bits of paper and paper bags.

Click here to read the rest of the story and watch the video of paper eating goats....

Welcome To Belem for the World Social Forum

By George Esunge Fominyen

After a gruelling journey that took us exactly 24 hours – we made it to Belem Para in Brazil. We late into the night of the 25th or early in the morning of the 26th January 2009. At the Belem airport it was getting really social. A band was on site spewing some very South American tunes and a two dancing couples paced to their music. That should put a smile on the faces of the  hundreds who were waiting for their luggage – having crossed oceans, forests and icecaps to attend this World Social Forum in the middle of the Amazon.

Do watch excerpts of that welcome dance!

Welcome to Belem - George Esunge Fominyen

Beachside Wrestling in Tourist Haven called Mbour

Bomb Scare at Douala Airport?!

George Esunge Fominyen

Rather unusual occurrences have been replete in Cameroon in 2008. The most recent is this reported bomb scare on an Air France flight on the night of Monday 22 to Tuesday 23 at the Douala International Airport.

A Very Long Layover - Nightmare at the Douala International Airport

In my last post, I was ranting about the follies of African Airlines. I thought I had seen too much. Lies! The following ordeal experienced by passengers on transit in the busiest airport in Cameroon (my country) and narrated by Alexis Grant blogging at Inkslinging in Africa beats everything I have encountered.

Douala airport officials are known for demanding bribes from foreigners trying to leave the country.But two South African men I met in the airport while waiting for my flight told me a story that trumps all the rest.