What if laundromats became an alternative to the imperative issue of job creation?
Next to the laundries at hand, the Yaounde Urban Community (CUY) is active in multiplying so-called modern laundries almost everywhere in Yaoundé as well as the private ones. The motives behind this initiative are many, including the imperative of creating jobs for young people, the cleanliness of cars in the city of Yaounde. "These laundries were built, arranged by the government delegate to help young people who were already in these different places so they can work in downhill conditions and out of precariousness," says a CUY official . It is through the strict and rigorous organization of it that we can certify the merits of this manager's explanations. This is characterized by the registration of the washers with the managers of the latter. These managers take care of the good conduct of the washers and its operation. Other points of commercial activity are created around the laundries: catering where rent is derisory having a social character. Here, the remuneration, unlike other non-modern laundries, where sometimes located next to the rivers where young people are both employers and employees, varies according to the laundries, the size of the vehicle and personalities. At this level there can only be a leader in charge of discipline. For individuals, the payment is made per daily percentage for some and monthly for others. The young person can have 40%; there someone can at least end up with 50000 per month. These youths do not have to wait for public service recruitment and sit in an office to support themselves. This activity is not without difficulties. They are sometimes accused of robberies where they must restore the lost object even not being responsible. Others find that washing cars is a humiliation where they face all kinds of insults and mockery. Health also suffers because hands soaked in the water all the time cause flu, cough, etc.
