Chepele restaurant boss donates relief items to IDPs, orphans in Douala.

The humanitarian gesture saw Chef Chepele visit the Meinrad Hebga Orphanage in Bonaberi, as well as IDPs in Ndobo, Douala VI Subdivision, where he distributed essential commodities including rice, cooking oil, vitamins, soap, salt and flour, among others.

On the sidelines of the donation of food items, the chef also organised a live barbecue for the beneficiaries at both locations, using his culinary skills as a symbol of love, solidarity and fraternity.

Speaking to The Guardian Post, Achu Valery said the initiative was inspired by his personal experience as a victim of the Anglophone crisis, which forced him and his family to flee Bamenda in 2017.

“I celebrated my birthday on January 25, and the only thing that came to my mind was to reach out to persons in need, especially Internally Displaced Persons of the Anglophone crisis,” he said. 

“Having lived through the repercussions of the crisis, I understand the challenges IDPs face—community integration, language barriers and lack of basic necessities. Visiting them is my way of showing that they are not forgotten,” he noted

Chef Chepele also visited an orphanage hosting persons living disabilities, noting that the joy and smiles on the faces of the children after receiving the items left him fulfilled and encouraged to do more.

One of the beneficiaries, Mbangwe Victorine, a mother of six who has been displaced since 2018, expressed gratitude for the gesture. Widowed by the conflict, she now hawks fruits in Douala to support her family.

“I am very happy to meet Valery because he brings us hope and reminds us that all is not lost,” she said, adding that: “When I arrived in Douala, I had nothing, but today I am surviving little by little. His visit shows that some people still care”.

Chef Chepele currently runs a restaurant in Logbessou, Douala, which many patrons describe as a cultural and tourist hub due to its diverse traditional menu and serene environment. However, according to him, the journey to success was far from easy.

“I used to run a snack bar in Bamenda and was a major supplier of Guinness products,” he recounted. 

“The crisis drained everything I had. At some point, I couldn’t sell up to seven bottles a day. Threats and attacks forced me to flee with my family,” he disclosed

He explained that it took him over three years to rebuild his life in Douala. 

“I started by cooking for friends and family. My wife and mother encouraged me to turn it into a business. I began with one traditional meal every Saturday. Today, I cook and sell almost every other day, thanks to God,” he said.

According to Valery, the outreach was also intended to inspire displaced persons to remain hopeful. 

“Even away from home, you can still make lemonade out of lemons. Douala has been kind to some of us who arrived with nothing but dreams,” he noted.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3693 of Wednesday February 04, 2026