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“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways--either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
Page 3 of the coffee dyed, hand stitched UnCovered Zine - this time what armory is at my hero's disposal as she journeys forth.
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
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Every chapter of life brings new opportunities for growth and self-discovery. 🌸 Embracing the journey of becoming the best version of myself, one step at a time. 💖✨
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Portrait of Christine Banlog in front of the small produce stand she runs near her home.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Christine Banlog chooses potatoes from a whole-sale market.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
I was walking through Berlin
the streets whispered in frost,
each breath a ghost,
each step a quiet thought of home.
The cold spoke to me,
not in words,
but through a single leaf,
trembling,
clinging to its fate.
It was made of many branches,
woven like bars
a prison of beauty,
fragile and true.
And I saw myself there,
an immigrant soul,
rooted and reaching,
learning how to bloom
through the cold.
Have you ever felt like it?
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Christine Banlog walks past large sacks of potatoes at a whole-sale market.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: An entrance to Sandaga market, a busy whole-sale market where merchants sell produce to be taken and sold in smaller local markets, corner stands and shops around Douala. The market women who do this are known as “Bayam-Selam” (buy 'em, sell 'em) and are crucial to the economy and food security of the city.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
I guess everybody would agree, after the olympic games, that the bear that Napoleon spoke of, is today completely awake. Not only it is this value, being awake, but gradually being more self conscious what gives an inner strength.
Supongo que todos estarán de acuerdo, después de los juegos olímpicos, que el oso del que Napoleón habló, está hoy completamente despierto. No sólo es este valor, sino el ser cada vez más consciente de sí mismo, que da una fuerza interior.
See where this picture was taken / Ver dónde se hizo esta foto [?]
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Portrait of Christine Banlog in front of the small produce stand she runs near her home.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Series of slow, ritual movements----photographed at Heritage Park ---celebrating Calgary Chinatown's Centennial
This morning I was feeling particularly depressed about things after another lonely night and some really crappy dreams. Out of nowhere my mind conjures up these images of hopes and dreams being flushed in the toilet and I set off to make it a photographic/
weird reality. Not really liking the result I walked off and went to read a book.
I swear to God not 30 minutes later my 11yr old son comes in and announces to the room, "Did someone lose their hopes & dreams? Because uh.. I found them, they're in the toilet." Hahahaha
We busted up laughing so bad, tears were pouring down my face.
He walks off and comes back a few seconds later and said, "Mom, I wasn't about to fish those out of the tank, so I'm sorry, but I peed on your hopes and dreams and then flushed them down the drain."
Ooooh my g*d.. both of us laid on the bed in each others arms and scream laughed nonstop for the next 20 minutes straight LOL His entire chest was soaked in my tears. When I recovered enough to speak, I told him it's okay... that is all they were really worth anyway and I'll get new hopes and dreams somewhere else :) lol
THIS is the defining moment that helped me to move forward today and to keep breathing... and because of it, I present to you my toilet shot. For better or for worse LoL this is my life. Someone call Roto Rooter.
This photo made Flickrs interestingness page for April 9th
The sweet fragrance of Young Living's Inner Child essential oil blend may stimulate memory response and help reconnect with the authentic self, which is one of the first steps toward finding emotional wellness and balance. Sponsor ID 1069994
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Photos: Christine Banlog carries produce to the small stand near her home where she sells later in the day.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Christine Banlog carries large produce sacks up the crowded stairway at the entrance to Sandaga market.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Portrait of Christine Banlog in front of the small produce stand she runs near her home.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Fruits and vegetables meant for sale at Christine Banlog’s neighborhood produce stand are stored in a makeshift container made of old fan blade covers.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
You have to find it yourself, no one can do it for you. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong places. How is it that one can enjoy hours of solitude, and yet suddenly feel lonely in the company of others?
Christine Banlog has been a market woman for 22 years. She is now 64, widowed, and raising her three grandchildren in Nyalla, a locality in the city of Douala, Cameroon.
In 2011 Christine’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, leaving her with three girls, the youngest being only a week old at the time. Today her granddaughters are 17, 12 and 7; and they motivate her to keep going.
Christine’s day starts early, at 5 a.m., as the neighbourhood mosque announces its morning prayers.
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and known for its whole-sale and retail markets. Christine belongs to the Association of Market Women (ASBY), a national network of women who buy various goods from whole-sale markets and sell them in smaller markets. Locally, the market women are called “Bayem-Sellam”. Since 2014, UN Women has supported the Association by providing financial support and various training sessions for women entrepreneurs.
Every morning, Christine rushes to different markets to pick up produce—some specialize in potatoes, others are known for their plantains or fresh vegetables. She buys her produce and loads up the sacks on a motorbike-taxi to take them to the Nyalla market by 7 a.m., where she has a stand. The early hours are the most profitable time to sell, and the market closes by 3 p.m.
For Christine, 3 p.m. is too early to stop working; she has four mouths to feed and her oldest granddaughter is registering for the public-school examination this year, which will cost her 22,000 Franc. “I use the income to pay school fees even though it’s very difficult; money is not enough,” she says.
After the market closes, she sets up a small stand near her home to sell the produce that’s left.
Every month, on average, Christine makes about 30,000 Franc. She started her business with a capital of 50,000 Franc. However, the profit margins vary by the season. In the potato season, she could make 40-50 per cent profit sometimes.
Since joining the Market Women’s Association last year, she has started growing her business. The Association has provided her with training on life skills and how to manage her finances better.
“Yes, the training has helped me improve my business skills. First, they taught us how to handle the capital, plan expenses and then calculate the profit,” she says.
This year, money is tight. During the recent elections she was not able to keep her usual market hours. Some of the market women, like Christine, are also members of political parties who involve them in campaigning, cooking food for campaign rallies, etc.
When asked about her biggest challenge, Christine talks about the red dirt road that leads to her home.
“The first problem is access to road,” she says. “The roads are bad, during rainy season the potholes are full of water. Because of the road, I fell from the bike and sprained my ankle in October.”
Christine doesn’t have insurance, so if she cannot make it to the market one day, she incurs losses.
Access to credit is another challenge for her. “I want to buy a container to store goods. It costs 300,000 Franc to buy a locally made container,” she shares. If she has access to credit, she can buy this container and minimize her daily transportation cost to buy and sell goods and also the time it takes to go back and forth. With some credit, she can grow the business.
At the end of the day, Christine goes home to cook dinner.
“The market woman’s house doesn’t lack food,” she says, grinning. “Whatever’s left over, comes home and we eat that.”
Today, she will make a soup out of smoked fish and dried okra.
Pictured: Christine Banlog sits at the family gravesite adjacent to her home and remembers her daughter who passed away.
Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
My New Tattoo on my Left Calf. Japanesse Kanji symbol "Inner Strength" done by Jessie at "In the Blood Tattoo and Rock & Roll" on Carson St, Pittsburgh. It is hard to see but the top portion of the symbol is dark purple faded into black, bottom is black faded into light blue (Mackenzie chose the blue). After getting this I dont think it is done yet, I want smaller symbols on either side of Balance and Power and would like to include piece somwhere but havent decided on this.
Was supposed to have this done Friday but my previous pictures depict the other work I had done that night, instead Melissa treated me to this Saturday Night (I think she felt sorry for me). Oh and yes it has taken me 3 days to process this since I am working with limited mobility of my right hand at the moment.