By Mboh Promise
Still in her 20s, Awa Emilienne’s story is already reshaping the conversation around food, health, and entrepreneurship in Cameroon.
Born and raised in Santa Subdivision of the North West Region, Emilienne is the founder of E-Love Natural Juice, a small but fast-growing initiative that produces fresh, natural fruit juices in the nation’s capital, Yaounde. With a degree in Economics and Management from the University of Yaounde II, she once dreamed of becoming a manager in a large company. But after graduation, as job opportunities failed to materialize, she turned to something that started as a side hustle during her university days—making juice.
In 2023, with only 10,000 CFA Francs in savings, she began walking the streets of Yaounde, carrying her juice in a small bucket, offering cups to passersby. Her parents were against the idea at first, worried that she was wasting her education. But Emilienne persisted, improving her recipes through training, and slowly earning loyal customers.
She later got proper training and certification in natural juice production from the Cameroon Youth School Tech Incubator, and the Fruit Business Academy in Yaounde.
Today, she produces a variety of juices – pineapple, watermelon, grapes, carrots and others from fruits, all without added sugar. The young entrepreneur makes a living from the initiative and also looks after her family. Her juice has been served at the National Day of Canada, celebrated in Cameroon in 2022, 2023, 2024, the Cameroon-Israeli HiTech conference 2023, the International Women in Entrepreneurship day 2024, Cameroon conference on branding and packaging and others.
Beyond profit, she sees her work as a mission: advocating for healthier lifestyles and reducing the risks of non-communicable diseases, NCDs like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are claiming hundreds of lives in Cameroon each year.
“I believe natural juice without sugar is medicine to the body.This is my way of fighting against NCDs. It is not just about money—it’s about saving lives,” says Emilienne.
From side hustle to social mission
What makes Emilienne’s initiative stand out is not just the hygiene and quality of her juices, but also the delivery services she offers and her willingness to empower others. In less than two years, she has trained over 200 young people in Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, the UAE, Italy and beyond to produce natural juices. Many of them, especially less privileged youths, have gone on to launch their own businesses.
“By training others for free, I feel I am contributing my quota to Cameroon’s economy,” she explains. “I want people to understand that they can make money and at the same time promote healthy living.”
Her story comes at a time when health advocates and organisations like the Reconciliation and Development Association, RADA are intensifying calls for stronger policies against sugary drinks and unhealthy packaged foods in Cameroon.
The Bigger Picture: Sugary drinks and NCDs in Cameroon
While young entrepreneurs like Emilienne champion natural alternatives, the market is still flooded with cheap, sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods. These products, though convenient, are heavily blamed for the rising tide of NCDs.
The World Health Organisation, WHO has consistently warned about the dangers of unhealthy diets. In 2016, WHO identified them as the leading risk factor for NCDs globally. By 2022, WHO estimated that at least 74,000 Cameroonians die each year from NCDs.
The statistics are alarming. According to a 2024 survey by the Reconciliation and Development Association, RADA, which specializes in NCD advocacy, at least 50% of Cameroonians consume more than three cans of sugary drinks a week. In urban areas, about 60% of residents eat unhealthy packaged foods daily. These products are often high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, but low in nutritional value.
“People don’t always realise that what they consume daily can kill them slowly,” explains Dr. Clarisse Mapa, a public health specialist. “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are all linked to diets rich in sugary drinks and processed foods.”
RADA Steps In: Advocating for policy change
Against this backdrop, RADA has been pushing for change. In April, 2025, the association held a one-day advocacy training in Yaounde, bringing together journalists, experts, and civil society leaders. The focus was to launch a campaign urging the government to increase taxes on sugary drinks and unhealthy packaged foods from the current 25% to between 30% and 40%. The issue has also been tabled at the parliament, awaiting the passing of legislation.
“We must address this problem as an urgent call to action. To combat NCDs, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, we need to tackle the issue from the source. Higher taxes will discourage consumption, and force manufacturers to reformulate their products with healthier ingredients,” Says Ferdinat Sonyuy, CEO of RADA.
Professor Ndamsa Dickson, a development economist, and lecturer at the University of Bamenda argued that tax policies should not only discourage harmful consumption but also subsidise healthy alternatives. “Fiscal measures can be powerful tools for behaviour change,” he said.
Dr. Mapa reinforced this point, noting that once consumers become aware of the health dangers, industries will have no choice but to adapt or lose their market share.
For RADA and health advocates, increasing taxes is only part of the solution. Raising public awareness is equally crucial. The goal is to empower individuals to make better food choices, and in doing so, reduce the burden of NCDs on families and the healthcare system.
This is where stories like Emilienne come in. Her small juice business may seem far removed from high-level policy debates, but in reality, they are deeply connected. By producing and promoting natural, sugar-free juices, she embodies the change that health advocates want to see across Cameroon.
“When I train young people, I tell them this is not just about making juice. It’s about giving people healthier options,” Emelyan says. “We are in a country where people die daily from preventable diseases. We can make a difference.”
Challenges Ahead
Yet, her journey has not been without challenges. She still struggles to obtain certification for her business, citing long and costly procedures. Poor electricity supply in Yaounde also means that fruits sometimes go bad before she can process them. Despite these obstacles, she is determined to press on. Her dream is to one day open a fruit juice bar—a space where families can gather to enjoy fresh fruit juices and fruits, free from artificial sweeteners.
For small entrepreneurs like Emilienne, the lack of affordable certification limits their ability to scale up and reach wider markets, including export opportunities. She believes government subsidies for certification could make a huge difference.
“I feel my market is limited because I don’t have certification,” she admits. “If authorities could reduce the cost, I would be able to expand and even sell outside Cameroon.”
There is also the broader issue of affordability. For many low-income families, sugary drinks remain cheaper and more accessible than fresh fruit juice. This makes it harder for businesses like E-Love Natural Juice to compete.
Looking Ahead: A Healthier Cameroon
Despite the obstacles, Emilienne is not giving up. Her persistence mirrors the determination of organisations like RADA that continue to press for systemic change. Together, they represent two sides of the same fight: one from the grassroots, the other from the policy frontlines.
Both recognise that tackling NCDs requires not just awareness but also structural reforms in taxation, certification, and support for healthier businesses. If these efforts succeed, they could usher in a new era where healthier choices become the norm rather than the exception.
For now, Emilienne continues to carry her message in every bottle of juice she sells. “I see my initiative as a movement,” she says. “Someday, I want every household in Cameroon to prefer natural fruit juice over soda. That will mean lives are being saved.”
Her dream of opening a natural juice bar may still be in the making, but her story is already proving that with vision, resilience, and the right policies, a healthier Cameroon is possible.
