Arts

Before pressing the shutter: how one photographer captures Mali’s humanitarian crisis

Meet Malian photographer Tiécoura N’Daou, whose exhibition “Mali: Personal Perspectives on the Humanitarian Crisis” recently concluded in Berlin. This week’s feature also shines a spotlight on Yaoundé’s young bakers, who are reimagining bread using locally sourced flours.

In Mali, over 6.4 million people currently rely on humanitarian aid and protection. Among them, more than 400,000 have been internally displaced—many of them women and children—while 1.5 million face a severe food crisis. Another 1.5 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. Behind these statistics are real lives: displaced families, aid workers, and communities struggling to survive.

To draw global attention to this overlooked crisis, seven humanitarian organizations—including Action contre la Faim—collaborated on an exhibition featuring the work of Tiécoura N’Daou. A Mali-based artist, educator, and researcher, N’Daou’s photographs offer intimate, firsthand perspectives on the human toll of the conflict. His images do more than document; they challenge viewers to reflect on the weight of each frame before it’s captured.

Baking innovation in Yaoundé: celebrating local flours

The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the air in Yaoundé, but this time, it carries a deeper meaning. The city recently hosted a competition for the best artisanal baker, organized by the Service d’Appui aux Initiatives Locales de Développement (SAILD) in partnership with the Association Citoyenne de Défense des Intérêts Collectifs (ACDIC). The goal? To showcase bread made from locally sourced flours, turning tradition into a tool for resilience and sustainability.

Photography and local flours highlight Mali and Cameroon stories