ASSPRODEC graduates 40 buyam-sellams in STEM education.

It was presided over by the global president of the association, Dr Fotabe Elmine.

According to ASSPRODEC, the programme is aimed at equipping individuals, mostly women in the informal “buy and sell” sector with digital and financial skills to help them improve their businesses and access new markets. 

The initiative forms part of activities organised by ASPRODEC during the period marking International Women’s Day on March 8.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Dr Fotabe said the association was created to encourage dignified and sustainable economic opportunities for women and girls.

“You would agree that if you look around, many women are involved in work, but much of which is not decent. Not by choice, but sometimes by design or by misfortune. Many years ago, I saw women being victims of human trafficking and very indecent work sometimes, and I thought: why not bring women together and educate them on dignifying alternatives? That’s why ASPRODEC was created,” Dr Fotabe said.

According to her, the Buyam-Sellam STEM School was launched on February 11, coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

She said, the first group of 40 participants from Yaounde immediately began training and completed the programme before their graduation ceremony.

Dr Fotabe further explained that the training focused on helping traders use every day digital tools to improve their business operations.

“You’ll realise that everyone today has a phone, but most women do not use their phones for anything beyond communication. We thought: why don’t we help these women to use their phones as tools to do better business?” she stated. 

Dr Fotabe added that the objective was not only financial improvement but also improving the quality of life for participants.

“When we can get to a digital way of doing business, stress is reduced, women can take better care of their families, they can live better lives and contribute to the economic development of Cameroon,” Dr Fotabe said.

Training focused on digital, financial skills

The national president of ASPRODEC, Dr Patricia Ngum, said the initiative targets the largely informal “buyam-sellam” sector, which she described as an important but often underestimated part of the economy. 

She explained that the programme sought to integrate elements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics into everyday trading activities.

“Every buyam-sellam is already a mathematician because they calculate costs, profits and balances every day,” Dr Ngum said.

For more than two weeks, participants attended online evening sessions where they learned how to use their mobile phones to promote their products, organise customer groups, take professional photographs of goods and track stock levels. 

They were also trained on financial record-keeping, calculating interest and managing daily sales, especially for perishable goods such as vegetables and fruits.

Dr Ngum said the programme was designed to reduce business losses and help traders adapt to the growing digital marketplace.

“This is the first cohort and we started in Yaounde because it is the administrative headquarters of Cameroon, but the plan is to extend the programme to all ten regions and even to other countries where ASPRODEC is represented,” she said.

Mentorship, virtual market platform

Beyond the training, ASPRODEC has established a digital platform known as the “Bush Market”, which brings together traders who have completed the programme. Dr Fotabe said the platform will allow graduates to continue receiving coaching and mentorship.

“We put all the women we train in that virtual environment and continue with training and mentorship every day to ensure that the things we have taught them are put into practice,” she explained.

The platform is expected to connect traders from different regions of the country and support business growth through shared knowledge and networking.

Laureates laud initiative

After receiving their certificates, some graduates said the training had already changed the way they manage their businesses. 

One laureate, Stella Akwa, who runs a home-based spice processing business, said the programme helped her improve her communication with customers and market her products more effectively.

Another laureate, Magha Ernestine, said the training encouraged traders to keep proper financial records rather than managing their earnings informally.

“I used to spend my profits haphazardly, but the STEM school has taught me to keep a ledger for every franc earned,” the trader said.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3727 of Tuesday March 10, 2026