On communication
By Rachel Gilbert After one week of orientation with UTAMTSI in Bafoussam, a city in the West region of Cameroon, I am reassured that communication skills are without fail the most important of all....
View ArticleThe Uphill Battle for Organic Ag
Hippies. Farmers markets. Whole Foods. For many Americans, the term organic brings to mind specific images. In Cameroon, the concept of “organic agriculture” or l’agriculture biologique, is still...
View ArticleFair Trade 101 // Part II: The Impact
Fair Trade 101 is 3-part series that aims to explore the true meanings of Fair Trade, its impact in the global market, and Fair Trade label interpretation. Part I: Fair Trade 101: Three Names, Three...
View ArticleFair Trade 101 // Part III: Interpreting your Fair Trade label
Fair Trade 101 is 3-part series that aims to explore the true meanings of Fair Trade, its impact in the global market, and Fair Trade label interpretation. In Part I: Three Names, Three Meanings, we...
View ArticleEM® Technology: An organic panacea?
In the past couple months, we have been getting acquainted with EM®, a product that is heavily used here chez GIC Sondason. We spray it on crops, we feed it to livestock, we use it in the bathrooms to...
View ArticleRoots’ Radio Debut
The time had finally come for Roots’ solo radio debut. I had been on the radio twice before, both times to accompany Christophe, the GIC Sondason employee in charge of the weekly radio show. Every...
View ArticleFondjomékwet’s Cabbage Patch Kids
Manual labor has never been my forte. Now, it’s my job. Every week, in addition to the English classes at Fondjomékwet high school, I have become somewhat of a “Manual Labor” supervisor. At the high...
View ArticleFrench and Farming in Fondjomékwet
In my constant battle to learn French, farming is the latest challenge. In Fondjomékwet’s school garden, the language barrier between the students and me is a multi-layered issue. First and foremost,...
View ArticleBioLife in Bafoussam
Welcome to BioLife, the new hot spot for “bio” products in Bafoussam. Utamtsi and GIC Sondason have finally opened a store in Bafoussam that will now serve not only as an office space but also as a...
View ArticleSpring Break ’13
Roots’ Spring Break 2013, although certainly no Cancún or Miami, was a welcome change of pace. Our break was timed to coincide with the Easter break that most primary and secondary schools in Cameroon...
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