SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT : Riz Mémé and Olam Agri place mothers’ mental health at the heart of a gathering in Douala

In an elegant setting in the heart of Cameroon’s economic capital, the Akwa Palace Hotel hosted a gathering designed as a moment of relief for women often constrained by the demands of daily life. The initiative, led by Riz Mémé, a brand of Olam Agri, is part of a proximity-based communication strategy in which the brand seeks to go beyond a purely product-driven approach to engage in social and community well-being issues.

At the center of the discussions were two key themes: the mental health of working mothers and self-empowerment. Led by clinical psychologist Marie Nadège Biloa and Rachel Mfondi, Director of the Women’s School at the Tyrannus Institute, the talks highlighted a largely silent reality: mental load, the difficulty of balancing professional and family responsibilities, and the need to preserve personal identity while managing multiple roles.

Participants engaged in open discussions, enriched by personal testimonies. Many described experiences shaped by social pressure and the simultaneous management of family and professional responsibilities. In this context, the event served as a platform for expression, far from traditional institutional formats, with a clear intention to create a space for listening and recognition.

For the organizers, this initiative goes beyond a one-off celebration. “Supporting mothers means investing in the long-term well-being of families,” said the Managing Director of Riz Mémé at Olam Agri Cameroon, emphasizing the central role of women in the social and economic stability of households.

The day was also marked by moments of conviviality : a poolside brunch, personalized gifts and honorary distinctions were presented to participants. A carefully designed experience, where sensory elements—particularly dishes based on rice—were used as a lever to strengthen emotional attachment to the brand.

Beyond the event itself, Riz Mémé seeks to anchor itself in a broader corporate social responsibility dynamic within Africa’s agri-food sector. In a market increasingly structured around values such as proximity, well-being and inclusion, food brands are multiplying community initiatives to strengthen their social legitimacy.

At the end of the gathering, participants described the experience as “meaningful and liberating,” stressing the importance of such spaces in recognizing the role of mothers. For Olam Agri, this initiative reflects a broader strategy : aligning its brands with concrete social issues while strengthening its image among urban African consumers.

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Esther Grâce

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