The cosmogony of the people of Douala and their economy were formerly based on the element of water. Due to the urban settlement initiated at the end of the 19th century by the Germans who conceived the city as a port facility, the original connection with the water source has been lost. Although until this day, the harbour remains a major asset for the economic capital of Cameroon, the river and its geniuses are still very present in the rituals, particularly during Ngondo, a yearly celebration of the Douala people, which takes place in December at the edge of the Wouri.
Douala has the privilege of being an equatorial city, a city that receives vast amounts of water from precipitation and irrigation. What should be an advantage becomes a nuisance. Indeed, every year, during the monsoon season, the numerous neighbourhoods located in the lower areas become submerged in water. Paradoxically, there is a permanent deficiency of drinkable water. The public network of water distribution, badly maintained and often failing, serves only a minority of city dwellers. The greater majority, who live in the disadvantaged and very precarious neighborhoods, have to find alternative solutions to have access to water (wells, drillings, emergent natural sources). This causes serious public health problems, particularly due to the lack of a main drainage system which causes the the soil to become badly polluted.
Didier Schaub, artistic director of Doual'art
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