Their near absence in the capital city “spoils” the holidays for some kids.
Amusement parks are very important for children, especially during holidays. But in Yaounde, they are scarce and rather neglected. They are about three well known children’s leisure facilities in the capital - at the Yaounde Conference Centre, Mahima Supermarket, Elig-Essono and behind the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms near the Central Market. During the week, all three are not so active, obliging children to visit only on Saturdays and Sundays to have fun.
When Cameroon Tribune visited the leisure facilities on July 26, 2016, only the ones at the Yaounde Conference Centre and Mahima Supermarket, Elig-Essono, were open. The one at Elig-Essono is not as big as that at the Conference Centre, but children enjoy going there. Despite its beauty, there are not many things with which children can distract themselves. The various elements found there are a swimming pool, slider, merry-go-round, “Toboggan” and the “Balansoir.”
“They are very clean and really attractive for children,” the founder of the park, Surey Kumar Singh, explained. “Children who come to the park enjoy the games. The park is only operational on Saturdays and Sundays and children arrive mostly at 11 am. The entrance fee is 1,000 Frs, but with that amount, you cannot enjoy everything. The merry-go-round is more expensive, but at the end, children are always happy and satisfied when they go out from here,” Kumar Singh said.
Despite the fact that there are few amusement parks in Yaounde, children are not happy during week days because most of the parks are not open. Yaounde kids are tired of going to the zoo because during school time, excursions are organised by various institutions. As a result, they have become too familiar with animals in the Mvog-Betsi Botanic Garden. Due to scarcity of parks, children queue up to wait for their turn on the slider or merry-go-round. At the end, the long wait frustrates some even before they have the chance to enjoy themselves.
