Rachel Yaoudam (4th R) poses for a group photo with members of her organization during an agricultural training session in a field in Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region, Cameroon, on Oct. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu)

In a quiet village in northern Cameroon, a group of women gather around baskets of sweet potatoes, peeling, drying, and grinding them into enriched baking flour.

It is a rare scene in the country's northern regions, where more than 80 percent of people depend on agriculture, yet years of conflict between government forces and Boko Haram militants, coupled with worsening humanitarian crises, have left the sector struggling to recover. For women and girls, the toll has been particularly severe.

Among those determined to help them rebuild is Rachel Yaoudam, who two years ago founded Sahel Solidaire'24, a non-governmental organization that supports and empowers women in disadvantaged communities and conflict zones in Cameroon.

"Helping women to transform sweet potatoes into flour is part of my project. I want to see every woman and girl happy," said the 34-year-old woman who supervised the potato transformation process in Ngaoundere, the main town of the mountainous Adamawa region.

Born and raised in Moskota, a small village in the country's Far North bordering Nigeria -- a region often targeted by Boko Haram -- Yaoudam knows hardship firsthand. She was once kidnapped by armed men and later released after a ransom was paid.

Growing up in a male-dominated society where many believed a woman's place was at home, she faced immense challenges.

"We used to take long walks to fetch water. We had limited access to basic needs, and the constant struggle to survive in a place often forgotten by the rest of the world," recalled the mother of two.

Education, she said, felt like her only hope.

"My father, a teacher, never let us forget that. He would tell us, 'Go to school, learn, read, and one day you will change the story of our family and our village,'" she said.

Taking her father's advice to heart, Yaoudam pursued her studies abroad and later worked with several international organizations, including the Economic Community of West African States. Today, she is an international actress, teacher, and passionate advocate for women's empowerment.

The organization she founded now stands at the forefront of efforts to promote social and economic equality for Cameroonian women, particularly those in the Far North, where Yaoudam has witnessed with her bare eyes the hardships and inequalities they endure.

"We provide support for agro-pastoral projects, legal rights awareness on gender based violence, income-generating cooperatives, scholarships for children, and mentoring in sewing and information and communications technology for women, and advocate for women's rights and promote women in peacebuilding," Yaoudam said.

Yet beyond its programs, what members value most is the organization's role as a safe space -- a place of comfort, solidarity, and personal growth for the women it serves.

"One key factor is that women feel supported by fellow women," Yaoudam said.

What began as a small initiative to tackle gender inequality and empower women has grown into a symbol of resilience and renewal. "More than 25,000 women and men have been directly impacted, and more than 200 children have received scholarships in just two years," she said proudly.

As the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women opens in Beijing, China, on Oct. 13, Yaoudam said she hopes the gathering will shine a spotlight on advancing gender equality and empowering women across Africa.

Rachel Yaoudam (C, striped shirt) speaks during a training session with members of her organization in Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region, Cameroon, on Oct. 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu)