Bryan prepares pancake inside his enclosed campus stall, where walls and a covered workspace help shield food from dust and open-air contamination.
by MBASSO VIOLET LALE
On many Cameroon university campuses, fast food vendors operate in tight, improvised spaces and food hygiene is rarely the first thing on a customer's mind. But for Bryan, a pancake seller whose stall sits tucked inside a narrow, enclosed shop on campus, keeping his food safe is a daily priority. Unlike vendors who set up open trays under trees or along dusty corridors, Bryan has adapted his workspace to reduce contamination risks. Its stall walls contain the cooking area, limiting exposure to wind-carried due to, a persistent threat in dry-season campus environments. Supplies are stored on elevated shelves, and his worktop keeps ingredients off the ground."I know students come to me because they trust what I sell. So I make sure everything is covered, everything is clean. Dust is my biggest enemy but with how I've arranged my space, it doesn't win". Bryan, says. His setup is not perfect the space is cramped and aging but it reflects a broader trend of informal vendors taking hygiene seriously without formal infrastructure or institutional support. As universities grow and student populations expand, the conversation around campus food safety becomes increasingly urgent. Vendors like Bryan show that good hygiene practice does not always require a modern kitchen sometimes, it just takes intention.
