The Bepanda Multipurpose Center (CMB) in Douala approved a budget of 130 million CFA francs on April 16, 2025, during the inaugural session of its board of directors, signaling an intent to amplify its response to increasing social needs. Established in 2016 and formerly co-managed by the Douala Urban Community (CUD) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (Minas), the CMB now operates with autonomous legal status while maintaining close ties with its overseeing bodies.
Douala Mayor Roger Mbassa Ndinè, who also serves as president of the board, reiterated the CMB’s mission to "become a hub of innovation, an incubator of dignity, a catalyst for human and community change." Annually, the center provides support to street children, youth and adults with disabilities, orphans, and individuals facing severe hardship.
Through vocational training, reintegration programs, and structured social support, the center strives to restore dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency among its beneficiaries. In 2024, leveraging an initial subsidy of 100 million CFA francs from the CUD, the CMB commenced its operations and generated 25.3 million CFA francs in internally generated revenue, demonstrating the viability of its integrated social action model. This performance underscores a developing dynamism, now positioning the center as a strategic instrument for socio-professional integration and empowerment within Douala.
Center officials stated that the ambition for 2025 is to broaden its impact by serving more beneficiaries, offering more training opportunities, and fostering increased partnership synergies. Mayor Mbassa Ndinè stressed the importance of ensuring vulnerable populations are not marginalized. “We want to include them, train them, teach them a trade so they can become autonomous,” the Douala mayor affirmed.
Frédéric Nonos