Here are 4 things every Cameroonian must know before traveling overseas

By Ngala Hansel

You’re probably a young Cameroonian reading this. You most likely have your GCE Advanced Levels or perhaps a degree, but finding a job has been an almost impossible feat. You’ve applied for all manner of jobs imaginable and even tried competitive entrance examinations into various institutions but somehow, you’ve never quite been selected.
As the weeks turn into months and then into years, your patience wears thin and you know that if you must make it in life, you have to find a way to travel out of Cameroon.
You contact your dad or some uncle and they manage to get in touch with a “njangi” and raise some money for you. It is the family’s last savings, perhaps the amount is FCFA 2 million and part of the family plot had to be sold for the money to be complete.
You consider traveling to the US via Mexico, but then it’s too dangerous and besides, you’ll need about FCFA 6 million for that. Your family cannot do anything more because their all and all is the FCFA 2 million they have raised.
You consider all your options and figure that Dubai, Saudi Arabia, is your best bet. You contact an agent and make plans to travel by month end.
This hypothetical scenario is exactly how the lives of most Cameroonians look like. Many are frustrated with the high rate of unemployment in Cameroon and the result has been mass exodus to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and a good number to the US.
However, these journeys are not quite safe. Here are a few things to factor in before you make plans to travel overseas or abroad:

1) Life is not a bed of roses:
You may see pictures of your friends who have traveled to Dubai or the US or Germany and fancy them but living in these advanced economies requires a lot of hard work. Some of them can work for even work 12 hours a day just to be able to pay their bills. This means that every single minute of their time has to be spent wisely for them to be productive. In Cameroon, the tendency is that we have so much free time that we don’t even realize it. Everything in these countries is like clockwork: You have to be up at a particular time and make breakfast; you have to catch the bus or train at a particular time; you have to be at work at a particular time etc. So everything has a dominos effect on the other.
2) Life is very expensive
While it may be easy to simply think that working out of Cameroon will give you money, you should consider that money does not have as much value out there as given the high cost of living. You are better off simply saving whatever you earn back home in Cameroon. This means, you can only go there on target, earn whatever you can and return home to set up your business. Unless you are a specialist in the US or Europe who earns hundreds of thousands of dollars, you might end up coming back empty-handed to Cameroon. So do well to spend wisely and live within your means.
3) Racism is a reality
It is easy to think of the little tribal issues we sometimes have in Cameroon as serious, but until you come face to face with a white person that sees you as a little less than a monkey, you may not understand what racism truly feels like. Arabs too can be racist and some Cameroonians who have lived in Dubai have shared their experiences how they have been singled out by Dubai police and handcuffed before an investigation into whatever alleged crime was conducted. African girls too have told of racist experiences and sexual abuse at the hands of their Middle Eastern employers. Some have had their passports confiscated and have been repeatedly exploited sexually. These are not usually the norm but a reality to be prepared for. Often times, African governments do not do much to protect these African nationals who are mistreated or taken advantage of. So be prepared to endure instances of racism –both subtle and overt.
4) You will miss Cameroon in ways you never believed
Even if it is just the food, the weather or the ambiance of being home in Cameroon, homesickness will definitely set in at some point. It is worse for Cameroonians who travel to countries and cities where they do not interact much with other Cameroonians or Africans. If you travel to Canada for example and happen to live in a small city, the likelihood is that you may not live close to or even know any other Cameroonians or Africans and this could take a toll on your mental health as you would feel lonely and depressed sometimes.
You would also have to take a lot of Cameroonian food, spices with you because food out there would be what you are not used to and would also be freaking expensive.

All in all, it is good to make plans as young Cameroonians but it is good to make wise decisions too and remember that when it comes to investing, no place is better than Cameroon regardless of the litany of problems we may have as a country. At the end of the day, no place is better than home.