Yaounde, Cameroon Report of what it's like to live there - 09/22/11
Personal Experiences from Yaounde, Cameroon
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, second African city.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Wash. D.C. The trip goes through Paris, which isn't such a hardship. It's a long (7 hours) flight overnight from Yaounde, or you can travel through Douala, which is 4 hours drive.
3. How long have you lived here?
One year
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Government
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Embassy housing is very close to embassy. I walk to work.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Groceries are reasonable to expensive, and not always available. Produce is expensive.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Excellent surge protectors. We lose power very often, and some days about 10 times in one day. Get ready to hear the hum of a back-up generator wherever you are!
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Fast food? Ha. There are plenty of restaurants - $20 for a nice meal roughly.
5. What kinds of organic, vegetarian and allergy-friendly foods are available, such as organic produce, gluten-free products, meat substitutes for vegetarians, etc?
As soon as I figure out how to say that in French, I'll ask someone! I hear that the local produce has a lot of chemicals on it. I grow my own vegetables, and gardeners are so cheap that there's no reason not to.
6. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Mosquitoes are around, especially if you go to a restaurant for dinner and sit outside! Bring bug spray in your purse when out at night.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Through US Embassy.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Help is cheap and good.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
I haven't seen any. The US Embassy has a decent gym and ASOY (school) has a pool and tennis courts.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Never been crazy enough to try that here.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Yes, but I don't know which.
6. English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost?
The newspapers in English or French are so slanted that they are worthless.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You need some French in this "bilingual" country unless you happen to travel to the sliver of it that is English-speaking.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
There are some sidewalks but many areas without. Sadly, it's a poor country so you see a fair number of disabled Cameroonians (injury or treatable conditions) and they are well treated.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
The US Embassy staff is not allowed to take buses or taxis, or drive between cities after dark. Trains are basic but OK.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Four-wheel drive is handy for potholes, but not necessary. Streets are fairly narrow. Traffic is manic so leave your 1952 Lincoln at home.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Slow and expensive.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Get one. Any land-based service here, meaning phone, water, and electricity, is shaky.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No.
2. Quality pet care available (vets & kennels)?
Our UK vet is good but has a primitive facility. Kennels = your maid or gardener.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Work for an non-governmental organization, or sit home and knit.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Forget shorts and mini-skirts for adults. My high schooler doesn't get funny looks for her American teenage wear, though.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Just the big difference between the incomes of expats and the average Cameroonian. That creates incentive for robbery. There are guards at all houses of any worth, basically.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Malaria. There's a French-run clinic that is OK. This is not the place to have an emergency in, however.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Usual stuff for Africa - taxis that should have been scrapped decades ago, belching smoke, and trucks doing the same. It's not horrible.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Lots of rain, including some amazing thunderstorms, but what gets on your nerves is the number of consecutive gray days.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
American School of Yaounde (ASOY) - the school is very small and the campus badly laid out with somewhat shabby buildings. BUT this year the school spent money raising salaries and has some excellent high school teachers. They offer many more AP classes than you'd expect. Classes are small and that's great. My high schooler has one class with only three students and another with four. The school board hired an architect who created a surprisingly good plan to re-arrange the buildings, and build new ones. If this 3-5 year plan goes forward, the school facilities will be very nice. First to be built would be a semi-open air amphitheater, to us instead of the basketball court now used for plays and assemblies. On the negative side, there are few clubs or after-school activities because there aren't that many students.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
I think ASOY is fairly accomodating, at least unofficially. I'm thinking of the case of a hyperactive boy who has been creatively handled.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
At ASOY
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Fairly small.
2. Morale among expats:
Good, but not great. There's a mass exodus in the summer of unemployed spouses and kids.
3. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
For embassy folks, you can forge one but you do get the fishbowl effect.
4. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Singles, especially women, will die a slow social death. At the US Embassy, the Marines create many activities (and you can be old and still fit in fine!), including happy hours and intermural type Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. There's a club scene of sorts and some good restaurants, but not a lot of choices. Men can date beautiful Cameroonian women, but I don't think it's as easy for expat women to find Cameroonian men they want to date. For American Embassy folks, there's stuff to do together including well-organized weekend trips, but it gets tiring doing things with the same people.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Homosexuality is illegal here, and results in prison. Don't even think of acting in a manner that can be interpreted as homosexual. Sorry.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
People seems pretty low-key about other people's religions. Racial? There aren't enough of any minority (including whites) to be an issue.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The scenery is beautiful. While the buildings in Yaounde are generally ugly or squalid, the surrounding mountains with lush vegetation make up for that.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Get out into the country. But take your own toilet paper and be prepared to be flexible.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Beautiful fabrics.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Saving money; experiencing Africa - which is mind-opening the first time around; people who don't sneer at your lousy attempts to speak French.
11. Can you save money?
Yes, but the trade-off is that it's boring here.
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Heavy winter gear, but bring more long-sleeved shirts and sweaters than you'd expect to need.
3. But don't forget your:
Ability to relax and realize that things move very slowly here and often in a completely illogical method.
4. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
5. Recommended movies/DVDs related to this city:
6. Do you have any other comments?
It's not Cape Town nor Nairobi, but it's not Bangui or Libreville either. Somewhere in the middle for African cities; you can forge a pleasant life here.
