Training center

AWOLI B.A-BA Baker's Academy in Douala Cameroon

We train young men and women to become bakers. With the knowledge they acquire, they should be able to set up their own business as bakers. Small loans are intended to make it easier for successful graduates to become self-employed. After all, it is often only small amounts that are needed to take the decisive step out of poverty. In addition, the use of locally available materials is a particularly important aspect of the concept. The vocational bakery school in Cameroon is also intended to help strengthen the existing employment and social structure with craftsmen and small farms in order to prevent further migration, especially of the younger generation, to the so-called European paradise. The training company is intended for young people between the ages of 15 and 29, who are trained here so that they can then run their own bakery or pass on their knowledge. To support the project on site, technicians and master bakers from Germany regularly come to share their knowledge and skills on a voluntary basis. Cameroon is now a republic after decades of German, British and French colonial rule, and President Paul Biya has been in office since 1983. The capital is Yaoundé, located in the mountains of central Cameroon, while the largest city and economic center of the country is the port city of Douala. The climate in Cameroon varies greatly according to the country’s enormous north-south expanse. From humid and tropical in the rainforest areas of the south to pleasantly warm in the wet savannahs of the so-called grasslands in the west to the extremely dry Sahel zone in the far north of the country.
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The training

Duration
3 years, free of charge

Conditions
Age between 15 and 29 years
A guarantor
No flour dust allergy

Documents for the application
Medical certificate
Curriculum vitae
Localization plan (residence)
Cover letter
2 passport photos
Certified copy of birth certificate or identity card
A practical and written entrance test must be passed in the selection procedure.

The team

The start in 2011

Report by master baker Friedemann Weber

Master baker Friedemann Weber, member of the master baker examination committee of the Mannheim Chamber of Crafts, reports on his experience and his stay at the training center for bakers in Douala.

Due to my previous experience in Togo, I was asked by Mr. Dikanya Mbakok to support the project of a training center for bakers – craftsmen in Douala.

Before I went on site, I had to clarify a few issues:

1. how are the premises, machinery and equipment available, also with regard to hygiene requirements?
2. what materials are available on site?
3. what is the competitive situation, as the project is expected to be self-financing in the long term?
4. what prior training can be expected from the apprentices?
5. what is the situation regarding the economical use of energy (electricity, gas, oil, wood)?

According to my observations, in most African countries there is probably neither state nor professional vocational training and therefore no qualification in the sense of final examinations or diplomas. I therefore had the task of imparting basic knowledge and skills to 5 young people who already had some knowledge of baking. There were considerable deficits in the technical equipment, but some things worked quite well, such as baking doughnuts in an excellent local palm oil. For other ingredients such as margarine, chocolate products, dairy products, etc., we have to rely on inferior imported goods, which are also far too expensive. Since only light wheat flour is available, the selection of baked goods is naturally very small.

Due to the French colonial period, the baguette is clearly the calling card of a bakery in Cameroon. Working with dairy products failed as both quark and grated cheese were unaffordable. There were promising attempts to expand the range with pretzel rolls.

My theory lessons, which had to run without the obligatory textbooks, were really successful. At the end, all the apprentices were able to calculate and convert their recipes, name the dough yield and flour composition and demonstrate some general knowledge of economics and politics. The excursion to the “Grand Moullin de Camerun”, which operates according to European standards, was very important. This experience has given our apprentices a great deal of understanding of the most important material in the bakery. Their expertise will continue to promote and support the project.

For the immediate future of the project, consideration should be given to how the technical equipment can be improved. Of course, the low price level is a decisive factor for progress, especially in oven technology. Conventional wood firing is inexpensive, but does not allow any temperature control or monitoring. I am also of the opinion that the quality of the products can be improved via the technical standard and thus better added value can be achieved. As a result, the social standards of employees can also be improved. The latest feedback from Cameroon is encouraging: the bakers have been able to further improve their quality and run the bakery largely independently.