Sunday, March 08, 2009

Trip to Cocoa Farms in Matoh-Kumba, Cameroon - 21 feb to 22 feb 2009

Recently, myself and a partner in Switzerland( Sebastian Schmid), decided to do some market research in the farming, processing and exporting of cocoa from Cameroon. This initiative came upon me while I was on my way back to Buea from the ICTAfrica2008 conference (here). I was sitting in the bus and wondering why I export software codes(programs) from AfroVisioN Group to Europe while my classmates, brothers and sisters in my village work in Cocoa farms and I could help them export their produce and help improve their living standards.

Question was : Churchill you are exporting software (outsourcing), why don't you also export agricultural produce just like you do with software ???

Well Sebi is a great Swiss social entrepreneur, a friend and a partner. When I told him my plans he was interested and we planned a trip to visit the farms in my village and see how we could be a part of their farming process.

Well the pictures below will give you a glimpse of our trip:

Below is Sebi in a cocoa farm and my uncle in the background


Below am feeling like a great farmer


Below: At my uncle's place in Matoh - Kumba. preparing to visit the farms


Below: on the way from Kumba to Matoh (45mins drive ) - African car (a full blog post is required)


Below: on our way from Kumba to Matoh, we had to step down for car to climb

Below: on our way back from Kumba to Buea, I had "nose bleeding" too much noise I hit in Kumba at bus station


Below: Catholic Church Kosalla Kumba - while we were walking to get a taxi from the Theological Seminary

Below: Matoh is a realy nice village with students coming back from school ;)


Below: road to the farms - 20mins walk from the village

Below: At the Theological seminary where we lived with Christoph and his wife Cornelia(in pic below)


Below: buea before our departure

Below: At Christoph's place - Christoph hosted us in Kumba after we got back from Matoh. Realy cool guy and he is Pastor and lecturer at Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kumba. He also gave me some paino lessons that night. He is a geek on the paino ;)


Below: Sebi sharing some drinks with my uncles at a village bar, while we were expecting a car to pick us back to Kumba from Matoh


Below: Sebi with my two uncles


Below: This is where I grew up and spent most of my early holidays


Below: this is my background and I miss this life


Below: on the road to the farms, Sebi was tired but he says I was tired not him


Below: trying to be happy with a cocoa pod


Below: This is the source of the chocolate you eat, so respect it


Below: Sebi what are you searching for ??

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Q: Churchill you are exporting software (outsourcing), why don't you also export agricultural produce just like you do with software ???

Re: I prefer that you export software than agricultural produce. Software brings more money than agriculture products. And don't forget that african need some foods to eat. Stop exporting food while people are dieing of hunger

Mambe Nanje said...

ok thanks Joel, I have heard you and to tell the truth my long term goals is to keep the produce here in cameroon and sell in other forms, but when you start you need to make profits. so I head where the profits at and what the people are already use to before taking them to what I want ;)

Anonymous said...

Great pic descriptions...nice to see were u grew up

skyllie said...

I enjoyed seeing where you grew up

viagra online said...

I have heard you and to tell the truth my long term goals is to keep the produce here in cameroon and sell in other forms, but when you start you need to make profits.