Instead of being limited to dance and football, the festival expands activities to include youth training, which speaks volumes about its vision of development
At the heart of the 4th edition of the Bia So Mengong festival, the socio-professional integration of young people occupies a prominent place. After a workshop on cocoa cultivation led by Essiane EFA the day before, July 22, 2025 was devoted to rural entrepreneurship with a focus on the creation of a cassava plantation.
Led by Mr. Youmbi Blaise of the National Employment Fund (FNE), the workshop brought together about thirty young people around a practical diagram called "Steps in creating a one-hectare cassava plantation". The objective: to start from the concrete and transmit directly applicable basics.
The discussions made it possible to identify the key steps:
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Choice of land: favor nitrogen-rich and well-irrigated soils. Tithonia indicates good ground for maize, while the presence of sissonghos is favourable for cassava.
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Clearing and cleaning: about 160,000 CFA francs to be expected. The workshop emphasized the importance of understanding local constraints.
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Preparation of the soil: ploughing and treatment, with or without kitchen ash depending on the condition of the land (150,000 CFA francs).
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Purchase of cuttings: 30 CFA francs per unit, or 30,000 CFA francs per 1,000.
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Sowing: 10,000 CFA francs.
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Maintenance: two successive weedings estimated at 60,000 CFA francs each.
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Strip the cassava stems of their heads: final step before harvesting.
Emphasis was also placed on the importance of grouping together in GIC (Groupement d'Initiative Commune) to pool efforts and maximize gains.
In terms of reception, the testimony of Danielle, a participant, says enough about the role of these trainings: "Bia So Mengong makes a big difference. Instead of being limited to dance and football, the festival expands activities to the training of young people, which says a lot about its vision of development.
When I look at the quality of the knowledge offered and free of charge, I can only express my gratitude to the promoter Prof. Bélinga and encourage the efforts for rural development that The Belinga Foundation is doing.
In Mengong, culture and economy now go hand in hand, and the land is becoming a real lever for the future of young people.
Bia So Mengong Festival - Where Dreams Became Reality!