A New Step for City of Ubuntu Cameroon
One of the next major focuses of City of Ubuntu in Sanki, Cameroon, is the development of a local transformation unit for agricultural products. The goal is simple but powerful: instead of selling raw products directly after harvest, more value should be created locally through processing and transformation.
This step is an important milestone for the long-term vision of our association. By transforming products directly on site, we can strengthen local economic opportunities, reduce dependency, and help finance both the association and its social projects in a more sustainable and independent way.
Investing in Local Processing
To make this possible, important first investments were already made last year. A multifunctional drying machine (dehydrator) was purchased, which can operate with charcoal, gas, or electricity depending on local availability and conditions. In addition, a mill was acquired to support future processing activities.
These tools now allow the team in Cameroon to begin practical experimentation and gradually develop products that can be stored, transformed, and sold beyond the harvest season.
First Mango Drying Trials Begin
This week, the Cameroon team around Fabrice in Sanki, together with Armand Blaise, who coordinates activities from Yaoundé, came together for the first field trials in drying mangoes.
Mangoes are abundantly available during the mango season from April to July, when they are sold everywhere at very low prices. Outside of the season, however, mangoes are rarely available in transformed forms such as dried fruit, jam, or other preserved products. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity: by preserving fruit during harvest season, products can still be enjoyed and sold throughout the year.
The atmosphere during the first trials was full of motivation and experimentation as the team tested the first batches and discussed future possibilities for production and distribution.
As Fabrice shared afterwards:
“We have started to dry the mangoes. Our vision is to dry fruit and sell them when they are not in the market (out of season). We will also dry plums and pineapple. For the taste result, we will ameliorate it gradually, until we reach our taste goal of 9.5/10!”
A Vision Growing Step by Step
What may seem like a small first experiment is in fact part of a much bigger vision: creating local structures that combine sustainability, entrepreneurship, and social impact.
The transformation unit is intended not only as an economic activity, but as a practical example of Ubuntu in action — strengthening communities through cooperation, innovation, and shared responsibility.
We are excited to follow the next steps of the team in Sanki and look forward to seeing how these first mangoes become part of a larger journey toward local empowerment and sustainable development.