Babadjou: Food prices on the high end this end of year
Just days to Christmas, many inhabitants of the Babadjou subdivision in the West region say the prices of foodstuff on the markets are still very high.
Cloth prices too are not very friendly especially for the average Cameroonians. This Tuesday December 20th, is the seasonal market day in Toumaka and CNA got in touch with a few inhabitants to know how they are coping with preparations ahead of the December 25th celebrations. Motue Fabien says as the head of his family, it is not easy to satisfy everyone this season:
“I think this end of year is very terrible. The first problem is the prices of goods that have been multiplied. So the first challenge is that of prices and the second problem is that of income. We know the situation in our country now. If the government could see into the matter, it would have been very good. The government should either reduce prices or increase our incomes. Vegetable oil now costs FCFA 1,800, a bag of rice stands at FCFA 26,000 instead of FCFA 18,000 as it used to be. How will we live?”
Sheila is an IDP and mother of two kids living without her husband and she says the little she has will be insignificant for the feast.
“We are trying our best as we face these price hikes. Things are really expensive now like red oil that is being sold at FCFA 1,200 a liter and a cup of rice is now sold at FCFA 125. Despite that, we will manage at our levels”.
“There are many difficulties because everything has become expensive, right up to dresses,” Paulette who is a mother tells us as she busily tries to fill her basket.
“I think this will be the worst Christmas in my home. The worst I’ve ever witnessed” she exclaims.
“A pair of jean trousers that used to cost FCFA 4,000 now has gone up to FCFA 7,000, a basket of tomato has gone up to FCFA 8000. I just bought a bunch of achu banana for FCFA 3,000 because I couldn’t afford rice. So my children will be obliged to eat a bit of achu and a bit of rice,” another woman explains.
“The difficulties I have been facing since preparing for end of year festivities, is what everyone faces. A bottle of refined oil stands at FCFA 1,700. With this, where are we heading to? It’s not easy at all,” another lady says.
She says her children will b eobliged to wear the smae dresses she bought during last year’s christmas.
“I’m lucky that my kids’ dresses last year are still intact and some of them will were the same dresses. I don’t think I will succeed the feast this year but I have no choice than support the burden”.
Despite these difficulties, most of them remain positive, christmas will not be completely bad.
“No matter how hard it is, we have to push on,” says Motue Fabien – an opinion supported by Paulette.
The Christmas period is a period for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and some religious leaders say Christians should focus more on the reason for the season and less on food nad clothing.
