In Yaounde, churches and prayer grounds open at 6:00 a.m. daily.

Since Ash Wednesday last February 17, Christians in Cameroon have been observing the period of lent. Midway into lent, many Christians are improving their relationship with God through intense prayers, fasting and abstinence. Lent is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The purpose of Lent is to prepare the believer through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self denial ahead of the annual commemoration of the Holy Week marking the Death and Resurrection of Christ, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter which is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Yaounde, the number of people who flock into the Mvolye prayer ground increase daily. One of the Christians, Maggie M. said she did not begin the lent season seriously because of some family problems but she has decided to make up now for the time wasted. She said in her parish, she attends church service in the morning and Stations of the Cross in the evenings as from 6:00 p.m. At the St Kisito Parish in Mvo-Mbi yesterday, the atmosphere was calm. Few Christians were seen in the church grounds as many had since retuned home after the morning mass.

The story was similar at the Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in down town Yaounde. Most of the Christians seen there were booked for counseling. One of the Christians who asked for anonymity said her relationship with God is personal. "I cannot expose the way I communicate with the Lord. Everybody has his own way of observing lent," she said. Rose Eken Mabene, on her part said, she is not able to fast during this period because of ill health but she prays more and belongs to a church association which is more involved in humanitarian activities.

Some Christians however are nonchalant as far as lent is concerned. One Christian, "Mystère D", a musician, said he has not been able to observe lent this year because he has concentrated much on his musical career. He said he is a gospel singer and intends to come out with an album for the Holy Week. As for Cedric Mete, another Christian, he said he was not prepared for lent so he is not carrying out any spiritual activity. "I did not take the ash on Ash Wednesday to start with but I go to prayers in the mornings and evenings," he said. He however believes that during this period, he will be reconciled with God. In most of the parishes visited, the priests were busy with counseling and could not be contacted.