In Kartoua, a remote village in Cameroon's Far North region, women are not just storing millet -- they are storing hope. Through a women-led cereal bank, they are turning vulnerability into strength, and solidarity into survival.
At first glance, Kartoua may seem like any other rural village in the Mayo-Danay division. But this border community, vulnerable to seasonal floods and food insecurity, has become the stage for a quiet revolution led by women.
Twelve women came together to form the Soubota Common Initiative Group (GIC). Their mission: to fight food scarcity by creating a cereal bank that buys millet and rice at low prices after harvest, stores them, and resells them during the lean season at affordable, community-friendly rates.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"When we started, many didn't believe in us, especially the men," says Ahmadou Sergeline, a mother of nine, farmer, and president of the Soubota women's cereal bank. "But over time, as they saw how we were helping the village, everything changed. Even my husband now supports and advises me."
From scarcity to sustainable strategy
"When the floods hit, millet became impossible to find," Sergeline recalls. "But thanks to the Red Cross support, we had 20 sacks ready. Every morning, women would line up with small bowls, buying just enough to feed their children."
The support came at a crucial time. The Cameroon Red Cross provided the women's group with 20 bags of millet, along with training in stock management and basic accounting.
"Before, we didn't keep proper records. Now we have ledgers for everything -- what comes in, what goes out, and what belongs to whom. People even entrust us with their own cereal bags, which we store safely for a small fee."
Equity first: feeding the most vulnerable
"We made rules to protect the poorest," explains Sergeline. "We limited purchases to four measures per household, and we refused to sell to wealthier buyers just looking for bargains. We know our community. We know who truly needs help."
Grains are sold directly at the warehouse, always below market prices. This solidarity pricing ensured that widows, the elderly, and female-headed households could make it through the lean season with dignity.
The initial stock was only the beginning. Revenues from the first sales were used to purchase 45 new sacks of rice, allowing the cycle to continue. After sharing the dividends from the sales, the group decided to reinvest all profits into the next round of cereal purchases.
"We put everything back into stock because we saw that demand was even higher than expected," Sergeline explains.
Normally, profits would be transparently allocated to different committees responsible for various activities:
- 50 per cent to the management committee (day-to-day running of the GIC),
- 30 per cent to the community hygiene committee,
- 20 per cent to cereal restocking.
But in a strong show of collective responsibility, the entire committee agreed to reinvest their shares, strengthening the group's next cycle.
More than grain: a space for growth and leadership
Cereal banks like the one in Kartoua are one of many initiatives supported by the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, predictable, and long-term funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.
In this case, the Cameroon Red Cross also works alongside the Soubota Common Initiative Group to support their activities, with the French Red Cross teams also working as an implementing partner.
For Sergeline and the women of Kartoua, the cereal bank has become a safe space -- a platform to learn, grow, and lead.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"When we meet, we don't just talk about millet. We talk about running our households, educating our daughters, strengthening our marriages. I have seven girls. I want them to see that women can lead too."
The training and engagement provided by Red Cross teams empowered the women not only technically, but also emotionally and socially.
"They didn't just bring us grain. They brought us respect. They listened to us. They saw us not as beneficiaries, but as partners."
"It wasn't just food. It was dignity," adds Marie, a grandmother who bought grain from the cereal bank during the lean season. "I didn't have to beg. I bought what I could afford, and I fed my grandchildren."
"We are asking for more support," Sergeline says. "Not just for us, but for the whole village. The needs are huge. But the solution is here -- it just needs to be strengthened."
Her dream is clear: to ensure that no family goes hungry during the next flood or lean season. In the hands of women like Sergeline, a sack of millet becomes a shield against hunger, a symbol of dignity, and a seed for the future.
