Yaounde, Cameroon Report of what it's like to live there - 03/28/10
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. I've lived in Cairo, Egypt and Tallinn, Estonia before this.
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?
We live in IL, and fly from St. Louis to Chicago to Zurich then on to Yaounde. Total trip with layovers is over 24 hours. Other flights go through Paris or Brussels.
3. How long have you lived here?
Since August 2008.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Husband is with the US Embassy.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We live in a large duplex (5 bedrooms, 6 baths)only 5 minutes from the US Embassy. Walking time is 20 minutes. All of the expat houses and apartments I have seen are enormous. Depending on traffic, you can be in downtown Yaounde or the American school in 10-15 minutes. However, when traffic is bad or if the main highway is closed because the President or First Lady have a motorcade travelling through town, expect to be in your car for a very long time. In those cases, it can take a couple of hours to drive 5 miles.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Expensive, expensive, expensive!There are a number of decent grocery stores that offer a variety of European brands of foods and fresh produce, but it is very costly because most everything is imported. Milk is not fresh, it is UHT.For the comfort foods and familiar brands of toiletries and such, the US Embassy has a SMALL commissary, and things on the shelves there are all too frequently out of date. However, the commissary does provide a shipment of frozen foods and another shipment of dry goods once a year that they open up to the embassy community. You have no idea what a morale booster it is to be able to order Digiorno pizzas and Kraft cheese and chicken nuggets!
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
More pool toys.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Fast food restaurants do not exist here, but there are a good number of pizza places, coffee shops, Oriental, and other restaurants available. All are expensive though. A milkshake at the coffee house down the street is about $7 and a meal for our family of 6 at the Chinese buffet is over $200.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Malaria-bearing mosquitos are a huge problem, and I personally know of several people in Yaounde who have become ill while I have been here. The houses also frequently have ant infestations.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
The US Embassy's diplomatic pouch. Cameroon does have a postal service that is fairly reliable for outgoing letters though. My daughter visited a post office down the street on a toddler group field trip and mailed a post card to her grandparents in FL that arrived in only a week. I wouldn't trust the national system for anything more than letters.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Readily available and quite cheap. My housekeeper works 5 days a week for about $200 per month. It is not unusual for one family to have a housekeeper, nanny, driver, cook, and gardener.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
The US Embassy has an excellent gym and pool, as does the Hilton Hotel and Club Noah. ASOY's rec center offers 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?
They are not widely used or available here. Only 2 local grocery stores have card readers, although the Hilton and some banks offer ATMs.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
There is an English-language international church that meets at the Hilton Hotel. Other local churches offer some bi-lingual services. You'll find Protestant, Catholic, and Mormon congregations, as well as mosques in the city.
6. English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost?
Most of the newspapers and magazines I've seen are in French. Subscribe to your favorites if you can. Satellite TV is readily available and the US Embassy provides AFN to its employees.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
It's pretty necessary, if only to be able to get meat from the market, read food labels, and communicate with the hairdresser. French tutors are easy to find and the US Embassy offers free classes to employees and EFMs on-site.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Everything would be difficult here if you have physical disabilities. The houses and apartments all have staircases and split-level floor plans, there is no handicapped parking to speak of, elevators are virtually non-existent, and the sidewalks are in as horrible condition as the roads.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Safe?Not really. The US Embassy provides a staffed motor pool to give you rides wherever you need to go just to keep you out of the taxis and buses. I do know friends who will take taxis, but only if they specifically tell the driver not to take on more passengers (common occurance) or if they know the driver personally.
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?
Big, rugged SUV with good road clearance a shocks. The roads here are terrible and they only get worse during the rainy seasons.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
High-speed internet is actually good quality here. For a little over $100 per month, Creolink will give you high-speed, VOIP, and satellite TV.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Cell phones are widely used and readily available here. Most people use prepaid cards.
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)?
There is an excellent American vet who works under the radar. She was a God-send when my Yorkie broke his leg in September. Kennels don't exist. Most families who need vacation pet care just have their maid or friends watch their animals. There is also an excellent groomer who will come right to your house with very little notice.
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?
I don't know, but I have noticed that many of the restaurants and stores I frequent are owned by expats. Most of my working friends have jobs at the embassy.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Cameroonians tend to dress nicely wherever they go. Expats can get away with being more casual in town, but dress up at work.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Yaounde is designated as a high crime post, but in the daytime I have never felt unsafe. However, I do know of families from other embassies who have had their homes broken into, one of those families on numerous occasions. There's a reason that the houses all have high walls, razor wire, and 24-hour guards. But if you don't do stupid things, you're basically safe.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
The US Embassy has a well-staffed Health Unit with a FS nurse and a local nurse. You go there first with all your little emergencies and family illnesses. Other expats use a French doctor. Serious problems and childbirth have to be handled via medevac. There is at least one good German-trained dentist and she did a great job when my oldest son broke a tooth playing basketball.
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?
Usually good, although during the khamseen season on the Sahara, a couple of really strong sand storms can actually float dust down over this section of Africa that will cloud the sky for days.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Summer all year round. For two years straight my family has spent New Year's Day at the pool at the US Embassy. There are two rainy seasons and two dry seasons, each lasting about 3 months.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
I have 3 children in the American School of Yaounde (ASOY), covering elementary, middle, and high school ages. My oldest son will graduate this year in a senior class of about 20 students. He has a mild learning disability and I have been very pleased with the counseling and accomodations that have been made for him. The high school offers a good range of AP courses, though it is not an IB school. All of the grades throughout the school have small class sizes (usually under 15 students per grade) and the teachers give a good amount of one-on-one time to the kids. Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, ASOY will have a new director, so expect some changes from the current status quo. Other families enroll their children in a French elementary school with an excellent reputation.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Handicapped children, no. None of the schools here have facilities anywhere near able to accomodate children with physical handicaps. As I mentioned above though, ASOY does have a fledgling learning resources program for children with learning disabilities.
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?
Preschool is available at ASOY and at the French school, but it is quite expensive. There are also a couple of decent local daycares that friends of mine use on a drop-in basis. My toddler daughter has thoroughly enjoyed the very active expat playgroup scene, sometimes going to friends' houses with me or often with my housekeeper.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
ASOY has an active, competitive sports program offering soccer and swimming teams for all grades, boys and girls, plus a middle and high school program also offering basketball. There is a Cameroon baseball league, but it isn't well organized and has not had much success getting off the ground. You can find red clay soccer fields on nearly every street corner to watch local pick-up games.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
The diplomatic and NGO community is good-sized and you'll meet a lot of people if you have kids at ASOY.There is also a very large community of American and European missionaries.
2. Morale among expats:
Hard to gauge. The friends you make become close and you learn how to help each other through the various stages of culture shock. I suppose morale can be affected by how easily you are able to communicate with folks back home and if you can receive packages in the mail. Expats either absolutely love it here or absolutely hate it. You don't find many people in the middle.
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?
Movie nights, dinner with friends, weekends at the pool at the embassy or ASOY, a lot of nights with my older kids' friends in my living room eating my food.
4. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Families with small children who are easily amused do well here, but I can't answer to the singles or couples scene. However, families with teens find it very difficult to stay satisfied. There are just so few outlets for teenagers outside of the club scene. The school does a good job of offering sports and after-school activities, but when kids want to go out and socialize on weekends, it is mostly at each other's homes or a local coffee shop because there are no malls or movie theaters or the like in town. But if you have adventurous children who love the great outdoors, then this isn't such a bad spot.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
The local women do not get treated well by local men, but I have not had any bad experiences myself.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
For Thanksgiving, our family spent the weekend with missionary friends in the NW province where I visited an excellent teaching hospital staffed almost fully by American doctors.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
If you want to work on your golf game, this is the place. There is a lovely course that runs up the mountainside right behind the US Embassy that offers 18 holes and a driving range where you can take lessons. You can either purchase a membership to the club a year at a time, or just pay as you play. It is also interesting to take a day trip to visit a local pottery school or shop in the crazy markets. Yaounde has a city zoo and there is a gorilla sanctuary just outside of town.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Very talented local artists, African crafts and fabrics, well-made shirts and dresses from tailors, and trips to the beaches or up north.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Year round summertime and the chance to spend good quality family time with your children. It's also a wonderful opportunity to see Africa in the raw.
11. Can you save money?
Good grief, not unless you are just extremely disciplined in your finances.
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
If it were just my husband and I, or us with our 2 younger children, sure. You do learn to relax here. Having Westernized kids in middle and high school has made this a very difficult post though.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Snow clothes, although keep a coat on hand in case you have to travel during the winter into the States or Europe.
3. But don't forget your:
Pool toys, a good camera, bug spray, and a sense of adventure. Also ship in your car parts that you think you will need.
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?
I would never tell families with older children not to come here. For one thing, it makes things all the more difficult for the teens who are here to not have a lot of choice in the friends department. Teens can survive if they are able to think outside the box when it comes to social entertainment. They can also do very meaningful volunteer work with missionary organizations. But you do have to know that if you aren't used to Africa, Cameroon can feel very isolated. Culture shock can hit you hard and if you don't have the support you need to get through it, you will be miserable.
