I understood the value of my country when I left

Bernard Flot is an 18-year-old Cameroonian from a small village in the North of the country called Kaele. He represents Cameroon’s diversity since he belongs to the Peul and Haoussa ethnic groups. At a very young age, he had to leave for Douala to escape the fighting in his region.

Relaxing on the fine sandy beach in Cameroon with Bernard and talking with the locals

Bernard, first, wants to take us to the fine sandy beaches and coconut trees of Cameroon. Ideal for tourists! “You have to go to Kribi beach” in the South of Cameroon, where life is good, he advises! However, Cameroon is not only about idyllic beaches, tropical forests and incredible biodiversity; its population also makes it rich. The Cameroonians will welcome you warmly, happy to make you discover the treasures of their country. ” Cameroonians know the value of foreigners,” exclaims Bernard. They are very festive people who like to get together and dance the night away!

But Cameroon is also about football! The country has already won 5 CAN (African Cup of Nations) tournaments, becoming second in the world rankings after Egypt. His favourite player? It is Samuel Eto’o, a famous FC Barcelona and Chelsea Football Club striker.

But what language is spoken in Cameroon? Bernard warns us: “in Cameroon, you will not speak English or French, but FRANCA”, also called Cameroonian Pidgin. Franca is the local slang, mixing English, French and Creole. There are 280 spoken languages in Cameroon, so Franca facilitates interaction and national unity. For example, you will no longer say “I have to go” but “je dois go” or “ge yamo” to say “I love”: an excellent way to improve your English and French simultaneously!

Taste Cameroon with Bernard

In Cameroon, we eat well, and there is something for everyone!

Many dishes come to his mind, but he particularly recommends Eru. It is a vegetable soup made of Eru leaves (gnetum leaves). We simmer Eru with spinach leaves, palm oil and meat. Pomme Pilée is also a typical Cameroonian recipe. After crushing the apples, you must cook them with red beans, peppers and condiments specific to Cameroon, advises Bernard! To accompany all these dishes, Bernard suggests drinking Tapioca. It’s a sweet drink made with curdled milk and Tapioca (cassava flour); you can even add peanuts! Sautéed rice and kneaded banana (cooked with peanuts and mackerel) are also “a must” in Cameroonian Cuisine! His favourite dish is undoubtedly Taro. Taro is a plant in Cameroon that you can cook with Magi cube, oil, yellow sauce and beef! Enjoy your meal!

Bernard, the sheep fights and his dreams of being an artist 

When asked about a happy memory in Cameroon, Bernard is undecided. He has good and bad memories of his country, “my youth was both happy and not happy”, he nuances… However, he remembers some games with his friends in the village, especially sheep fights! Not recommended for animal welfare, this game allows you to simultaneously work on speed and agility! Bernard says he “understood the value of his country when he left”.

In the future, he would like to make movies, to become a great actor. But he also loves painting and writing. He wants to write stories, a story: his story. He will return to Cameroon when he becomes a “great man”. His project is to build orphanages in Nigeria, Cameroon and Madagascar to prevent other young people from going through what he has experienced.