COMMERCIAL BUSES A STARTING POINT OF SOCIAL CLINICS

In most parts of Cameroon travelling in a commercial bus is an opportunity to get lessons on one’s sexuality, STIs and sexual and reproductive health. Once I boarded a commercial bus from the capital city Yaounde to Bamenda during which I witnessed with keen interest the lessons that were given on these buses. During an eight-hour journey in this commercial bus, we had six hawkers who took turns advertising their products to us, the travelers. What was so common among this group of marketers was the fact that they each had at least a product or two which they claimed treated one or two STIs as well as help in proper functioning of one’s sexual organ. I was particularly captivated by the eloquence with which these guys danced through medical issues by using heavy medical and biological terms, which left us convinced they are sure of what they say. Their lectures were highly animated with passengers posing different worries, claiming it was on behalf of a friend or a relation. After this interaction, sale of the products began. Some of these products include: African panaxia, Ginseng powder, king seed, lion kola, ‘lotionlistic’ just to mention a few.

Amazingly, people bought the same product for the treatment of at least five or more diseases. I observed with disbelief the vulnerability of most passengers who bought products from such sources saying they are going to help a neighbor, relation or a friend. In order to clear my head of some issues concerning this action, I decided to talk to some of those who bought. The first person I talked to, an undergraduate student confessed that “I know some of these things are fake but it is better than going to the hospital to be arrogantly interrogated by medical personnel." The second person, a young girl apparently suffering from an advanced stage of infection with discharges, said “the way this guy explained the manifestation of the disease it is just like we live together because that’s exactly what I am going through. I believe his medicine will solve my problem.” The third, a young girl, told me she had been to the hospital and was diagnosed with Chlamydia. When I asked why she bought the product instead of following treatment prescribed at the hospital she said, “it is very expensive auntie”. Finally I spoke to one of the vendors about the product which he attests to be effective. He went ahead to say, "if I have money today it is thanks to products for the treatment of STIs because people are suffering. Auntie don’t mind when people are claiming they are buying for others they usually call back to buy more.”

This experience left me with a burden in my heart. I could not stop wondering how ignorance has made many vulnerable and helpless while enriching the heartless. Furthermore if elderly people can be suffering from such ignorance, then what is the situation of the young who rely on these elders on such issues? I asked myself, how could I use this situation to replace ignorance with knowledge? Instead of allowing crooks to use those bus services to sell fake drugs, I could design a program to be put in place to educate the public on SRH issues. Moreover, the large number of people traveling in these commercial buses from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations could serve as a good sensitization place to open conversations on SRH issues, which will reduce ignorance and spread knowledge in different populations and locations.

I envision a community where as a starting point for social clinics, we can use these commercial buses to share basic information on SRH issues which will go a long way to better the knowledge of many on the issues. Carrying out interactive discourses on these commercial buses on specific days to treat topics ranging from anatomy and physiology of the sex organs, types and sources of common infections, location of treatment centres and more would greatly reduce ignorance and misconceptions thereby increasing awareness as well as saving many from infections, unwanted pregnancy, crude abortions, sexual abuse and early motherhood. It is against this observation that I told myself that commercial buses are a good social clinic for proper orientation and counseling on SRH issues if well exploited.