“I Have Always Been Voting, Yet My Votes Have Always Been Stolen. But This Time I Believe I’ll Win ” Mah Kingha cries out

At dawn this October 12, 2025, the atmosphere around Government School Buea Town though timid, was charged with anticipation. Amongst the early voters, stood Kingha Shee Eps Tahla, a farmer and trader whose journey to the polling station was not only a civic duty, but also an act of courage and conviction. In Buea Town, a community long trapped in conflict, uncertainty, and hardship, her decision to vote tells of her yearning for change, and hope that this election could mark a turning point.

For Kingha, participating in elections is not a new feeling, but her past experiences never met her expectations. However, this year, she is positive and optimistic.

“I came here to vote and like you saw I have already done so. It is not my first time, I have always been voting but it’s like my votes have always been stolen. But this time around I’m positive and I believe that my candidate would win, so that my children would return back to school, everyone will be free and I’ll go back to my farm to cultivate, sell and make money,” she states.

Mah Kingha is just one of the many Cameroonians in the conflict hit region whose lives have been shaped by years of instability, economic decline, and lost opportunities, yet who still hold on to the idea that change is possible through the ballot box. Behind her optimism lies the story of survival and perseverance.

“I’m a farmer. I grow vegetables, cocoyam with other food items and sell here at Buea Town market. But business is too slow. At times you come to sell but no one is willing to buy. Even the few who come forth pay relatively very low. So I end up selling cheaper because I need the money to cater for my children given that my husband is not employed. In fact I can say no one in my house is employed, everyone is only struggling. I have five children of my own and three others who are here with me for studies because of the crisis,” she explains

Despite going through these rough times, Kingha Shee refuses to surrender. According to her, voting represents the hope that her children might one day return to classrooms, that her family will know stability, and that her labor will finally be rewarded

“I’m here because I’m positive that if I vote, things will change for the better. That way, my children who are not going to school will resume and their seniors will get jobs because I provide for them too. So by coming here to vote, I’m positive that things will change and my children will have jobs, that way the burden on me is reduced” she says confidently.

Kingha’s story is one amongst thousands, hoping for change after this election, not only for political leadership but for renewed confidence in the future. Her experience reflects the resilience of women, who continue to sustain their families despite adversity.

Kingha Shee Eps Tahla’s participation in this year’s election is more than a single act of voting, as the ink on her thumb stands as a testament of her declaration of the change that she seeks, and a statement of endurance, faith, and the unyielding will of Cameroonian women who carry the weight of families and communities on their shoulders. For Kingha and many like her, casting a ballot is not just about choosing a leader, but about reclaiming the possibility of a better life.

By Nai Vonna Nubeh