Techies Connect' Brunch Ndere

Grateful and Emotional — this is how I feel after the very first edition of the Techies Connect' Brunch, Ngaoundéré Chapter. Picture this: 5 years ago, as the newly appointed Head of Engineering at Ejara, I had to build our tech team from scratch. I had studied in Cameroon and spent almost 7 years working as a Software Engineer across several companies. Yet, when it was time to hire, I couldn't find the profiles I needed. We had the funding, excellent working conditions, great career perspectives — everything to attract talent. But the talents were nowhere to be found. Most people I knew had left the country. There I was, supposed to prove I could run an engineering team, yet unable to find a single local profile. We ended up staffing the team with remote consultants. And I felt it deeply — what a shame to be building what we envisioned as Cameroon's first unicorn, without being able to say it was built by Cameroonians. My pride was touched. But I swallowed the bitterness and focused on results. Fast forward to 2024. I reconnected with a few techies I knew, shared my frustration, and realized they had similar struggles. Just like that, we agreed on the urgent need to map the talent landscape, discover what solutions our people were building, and connect our energies. That's how Techies Connect' was born — first for networking, then for building, promoting the ecosystem, and creating lasting impact on talents and businesses. The beginning of what will soon be the biggest network of tech professionals in Cameroon and beyond. So, why the emotions? Every Brunch has been an amazing experience, full of incredibly talented techies. But this Ngaoundéré chapter hits different. September 2025, Yaoundé. We host a Techies Connect' mini-conference. Among the attendees, a guy residing in Ngaoundéré — visiting Yaoundé, invited by a friend. He came, participated, and was genuinely moved. A few days later, back home, he reached out: "I truly enjoyed the event. I talked to fellow techies here in Ngaoundéré and we all feel the same — how can we start a local chapter?" One thing is building something. Another is having people believe in it enough to recommend it. But having a complete stranger to your environment embrace the vision and carry it further than you ever expected? That is the ultimate validation. Today, I'm not just happy because I had great food and met extraordinary people in Ngaoundéré. I'm happy because this is a new milestone for our community. Many more are coming this year — but they're all fueled by this one: him believing in Techies Connect', and today, seeing the first edition successfully completed. Congratulations to the entire organizing team of #TCBNdere Edition 1 — you did an incredible job. If you're not with us yet, your place is among us. Join Techies Connect' Brunch and let's build the ecosystem we deserve, together.