Shanta Sih
Living has indeed become expensive and difficult to maintain a steady livelihood. Every day, Cameroonians decry rising prices of basic needs.
“Medium size Ovaltine used to cost FCFA 2000 but now sells at FCFA 2800. Milk usually sold at FCFA 2300 now costs 3000. The price of the bigger size of Ovaltine has changed from FCFA 5500 to 6500,” a consumer, Mrs. Eposi lamented.
Not only house rents and bills have increased, not only the grave increase in the price and scarcity of cooking gas and other food items but also the horrible price increase of Ovaltine and milk accompanied by the crucial reduction in the quantity.
Not only have the prices gone up, but the quantity is also embarrassing,
“We all could manage with the price and get used to the changes but the quantity being reduced is what we cannot understand. I bought the bigger size Ovaltine, got home, opened it and it looked like someone consumed half of it already, but it was still sealed. I really cannot understand what is happening to Cameroon anymore. Do we have to beg on the streets or travel of the country to survive?” a Buea-based parent, Pa Besong a farmer narrated his ordeal using Ovaltine.
Other consumers think that having good quality at affordable prices is just a basic demand that must be fulfilled.
“If we cannot get jobs in the civil service, if we cannot even be able to meet up with the terrible increase in house rents, if we are unable to even travel out of the country for lack of finances, please let us at least be able to feed. Soon everyone will have to look for an alternative to gas because we cannot buy gas at FCFA 15000 a month…still buy half milk and Ovaltine at that new price. Something should be done because Cameroon is becoming unbearable for everyone in all the towns, not just Buea or Douala” Gloria a fresh graduate said.
Ovaltine and milk are rich in calcium and vitamin D but have now become hard to buy for low-income earners. One serving of Ovaltine mixed with 8 ounces of skim milk has 31% of the DV for calcium and 19% of the DV for vitamin D (1, 2), experts have said. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong bones and help prevent osteoporosis, a disease that causes thinning and weakening of bones.
