In the past years, I have intentionally started to pay close attention to my circle of friends, because I felt the growing need to surround myself with people that truly know me, that I can trust, that can have each other’s back and that we can grow together. Beyond these reasons, time and attention are…More
My Adventures in Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, my forever love (Part 1)
I can’t remember the exact moment that pushed me toward the decision to visit Zimbabwe. Since 2021, I have made it my mission to explore the Southern Africa region. A friend of mine, who carries Zimbabwe and Malawi in his bloodline, only deepened my curiosity to visit. And if you don’t already know, let me…More
Stories of Conflict and Reconciliation: Stop in Chad
“It is my village…Look what they are doing to us. They’re still killing us.” The first time I landed in Chad was in May 2016. The breeze felt different, yet familiar. Seven months later, I was working in humanitarian affairs in the Wadi Fira region. I coordinated a secondary education program for Sudanese refugees in…More
Why Africans Pay More to Travel Across Africa
Everything started the day I decided to plan my second trip to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Holding a Cameroonian passport, I was shocked to discover that I was not eligible to apply for the KAZA UNIVISA — a combined travel permit that allows visitors to explore all three countries for a flat fee of just…More
Côte d’Ivoire: The Legacy of Artisans and the Loss of Identity
In December, I walked into the Artisanal Centre of Abidjan with a clear intention: to speak with artisans about art, memory, and their possible connections to reconciliation. What I encountered instead was the first quiet contradiction of the place, there were more sellers than artisans. The consequence was immediate: fewer creators to engage with, fewer…More
Cameroon: Because Oppression Always Reaches an End
“We, the people of Cameroon, proud of our linguistic and cultural diversity, an enriching feature of our national identity, but profoundly aware of the imperative need to further consolidate our unity, solemnly declare that we constitute one and the same Nation, bound by the same destiny, and assert our firm determination to build the Cameroonian…More
One and the Same Nation: A Reflection on Cameroon’s Promise
“We, the people of Cameroon, proud of our linguistic and cultural diversity—an enriching feature of our national identity—but profoundly aware of the imperative need to further consolidate our unity, solemnly declare that we constitute one and the same Nation, bound by the same destiny, and assert our firm determination to build the Cameroonian Fatherland on…More
My Adventures in Southern Africa: Zambia, My Difficult Love Story
Zambia is the country that made me believe that immigration offices are accountable, and I will tell you why. After touring more in West and East Africa, I decided to start discovering the Southern Africa region, and Zambia was my first choice. In June 2021, I concretized my decision by applying for a tourist visa,…More
Tourism, Accents, and the Colonial Hangover
Throughout my childhood, the only profession I knew—and perceived—as having requirements about how you should sound versus how you actually sound was journalism. In most French-speaking African countries, national news anchors always sounded “French.” Not because of their reporting style or content, but because of the sound of their voice—their accent. That was my earliest…More
Discovering South Sudan: My First Encounter with the Last Born of Africa
Have you ever heard of a city nicknamed “Sunny Town”? Well, let me introduce you to Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, the last born of Africa. And like many last borns, it tends to give a high fever to its parents and siblings. I landed in South Sudan in November 2023, after paying…More