A note from the author

My name is Samuel Nanje Flourish, son of Late police inspector Daniel Iyase Nanje a free born of Big Bekondo. When I was just four years old, my father went on retirement. His last station was at the Bamusso police post. After his retirement we moved to the village where I started pursuing my primary education. I can say that I was the son of my father’s old age. He loved me so much and did his best to make sure that I get educated.

My father loved writing and storytelling. Most often in the evenings he would call me up and will start telling me the history of our beloved village. I was so young back then and could not grasp the things he was telling me. I can remember words like Te, Messe, Kombe, etc but did not fully understand what they meant. My father passed on in the year 2002 and since then I have been busy with many assignments being a pastor and a missionary.

Lately God started urging me to write about our history. This is certainly not the first of my writings as I have published about five books already. As a pastor I was only interested in gospel literature. I never knew that I will be asked to write about our history. I therefore left Douala where I was doing missionary work and came back to the village to write the book. Searching through my father’s personal writings I got a lot of information. Talking to some elders and notables in the village also helped me a lot.

 The book’s title was derived from the fact that the village of Big Bekondo is surrounded by Hills and Valleys. Researching on our history has made me to discover a lot of things about our people. They where great hunters and warriors. I’ve also discovered that many aspects of our rich culture have changed with the passage of time. I can’t say that I have covered every area. Maybe, one day some other person may be able to come up with our complete history.

I sincerely want to thank His Royal Highness Chief Dr. Blessed Okole Ndokpe for granting me the permission to go ahead with this work. I am not a historian. I’m only a pastor. But I pray that as you read through this book, you will learn something new about our great community.

 

Forward

Pastor Samuel Nanje Flourish is an ordained Pastor of CITY OF LIGHT INTERNATIONAL and a son of the soil of Big Bekondo. He lived most of his life in Big Bekondo and interacted with elders and especially his father Late Pa Daniel Iyase Nanje who gave him the inspiration to write this book.

Pastor Nanje has done a great job writing a book titled, “people of the hills and valleys.” This book outlines a brief history of where we come from. It also highlights our lineage, chieftaincy, customs, traditions and some historic sites and elites of Big Bekondo.

Pastor Nanje has taken the lead in documenting what he learnt from his father and elders of the village. This is going to be the first of the full documentary of our village and I am encouraging our sons and daughters to write more and document our rich culture, diversity and history.

 

Chief Dr. Blessed Ndopke Okole

Chief of Big Bekondo

 

Bekondo anthem

 

Bekondo, Bekondo,

Mboka eyasu ya nyanga,

Bekondo mboka eya,

Ote mba nyabele.

 

Bekondo libe la iya,

La nyangi na mokolo,

Bekondo njiko kunde ndaba,

O winda tete na winda.

 

Tata Obase wa lolingo,

Lomeya Bekondo bosasa,

Mboka ya liali,

Mboka ya tute,

Bekondo mboka eya

 

Chorus

Bekondo mboka eyasu ya nyanga,

O Bekondo mba nyabele,

Bekondo mboka eyasu ya nyanga,

O Bekondo mba nyabele.

Introduction

 

Bekondo Kondo means hills and valleys. This was the original name of what is now known as the Great Bekondo community. This community is made up of four villages namely;

Big Bekondo

Three corners Bekondo

Mofako Bekondo

Metoko Bekondo

The mother village Big Bekondo is situated some 18 km from Kumba the chief town of Meme Division in the South West Region of Cameroon. This land has as its main features hills and valleys with some streams dotted here and there. The reason these people chose to live around these features is not well known but some suggests that the features served as hide outs from enemies and slave traders.

The people of Bekondo were part of the OROKO (BAREKA) ethnic group that lived along the coasts of Cameroon hundreds of years ago. They belong to the Bantu group widely known as SAWA. During the time of slavery, the people started moving inland in an attempt to escape from the slave traders who found it easy to access these coastal lands with their ships. Some left and settled in Congo Brazzaville and other regions south of Africa, while others moved to other inland regions of Cameroon. Those that left from the MOUNGO region journeyed right up to the Mamfe area where there was a separation. As they were scattering each group of people going their separate ways, the Mbonge tribe who now occupy a greater portion of the Meme Division moved further inland and arrived at a place they named MBONGA METEKE around the MENGE River. Mbonga Meteke is said to be the first and oldest village of the Mbonge tribe.

From Mbonga Meteke, the group that later came to be called Bekondo took their journey and discovered a special area to build their village Called FANGA which is a small hill near Matoh village. They did not end here, their journey continued.

This book is the story of these great people, their journeys, challenges they faced and how they came to their present settlement.

Kali Iyamba the great hunter

 

CHAPTER ONE

KALI IYAMBA THE GREAT HUNTER

 

A people’s journey in search for settlement is quite often very challenging. Battles will need to be fought and won before a territory can be taken. The winner takes it all including those they fought to become their slaves or subjects. Journeying through the dense forests in those days in search for settlement was very risky for the people of Bekondo as these forests were infested with wild animals. The people fought with wild beasts such as tigers, pythons, leopards, cheetahs, wild pigs etc. These animals attacked the people during the day as well as in the night seasons. In moments like these God always has a way of saving his people. He raised one in their midst who became a great hunter like NIMROD of old (Genesis 10:9). His name was Sie Kali Iyamba. He was a very skillful hunter who had mastered the lifestyles of all the wild animals that inhabited the virgin forests at the time. He could tell their traces and even smell their presence. One shot from his spear was enough to bring down a tiger or a lion. He was the best in his time and so the people relied on him for protection as well as for the supply of fresh meat. It was said that he had some spiritual powers which he used to track down his targets. He was also very skillful in setting animal traps. Such skills are still present in the village today.

The first permanent settlement of the Mbonge people was at Mbonga Meteke, a village that’s still in existence today. It’s the oldest of all the Mbonge villages. From here they started spreading. The Bekondo people moved and settled in Fanga. Actually, they had not yet acquired the name Bekondo by this time. They were just known as a group of the EFENJA FENJA clan. Another group of the EGBANDI NGBANDI clan left and settled in what is now known as Mbonge Marumba, a village which serves as the headquarter of all the Mbonge villages. This is where the paramount chief of the tribe resides. Actually, the paramount chiefdom was at Big Bekondo but for reasons that will not be forwarded in this publication, it was moved to Mbonge Marumba.

The EBOLO BOLO clan moved to their present location now known as NGOLO BOLO. Others left and settled in different places like DISONI, MOFAKO BUTU, BIKOKI, etc.

With Sie Kali Iyamba and his group of hunters (hunters also doubled as warriors) leading them, the people started the cultivation of cassava, cocoyams, plantains, bananas, etc at their first settlement. Cash crops like cocoa and coffee were not yet common, these only came later during the German annexation when some found themselves working in CDC plantations. The men would do the clearing while the women were responsible for the planting. Like Sie Kali Iyamba, most young men also got involved in hunting even though he was the most prominent of all the hunters. Livestock farming including pigs, fowls, goats, sheep and dwarf cows was common. The dwarf cows disappeared with the passage of time because they were destructive to cash crops like cocoa and coffee.

After staying and cultivating their crops for some time, Sie Kali Iyamba soon realized that the place was no longer conduisive for the people. This could have been as a result of a threat from an enemy since there were many intertribal wars in those days or it could be that the land had become too small and narrow due to increase in population. The Bekondo people are naturally very fertile. Hardly can one find barren wombs in the land. Or maybe another reason for a resettlement was that they were just looking for a better place. Whatever the reason could have been, Sie Kali Iyamba made a good choice to relocate the people. As a hunter, he always journeyed to far distances in search of game. When he therefore arrived at the present settlement, he discovered that the land was also very fertile. He then went back and informed the people that he had found a better and safer place for them. So, after harvesting their crops that season, the people set out towards their new found land which seemed to be their promised land at the time.

They left Fanga hills in two groups. This could have been as a result of a leadership tussle as will be seen later in chapter three or it could be that they wanted to occupy as much of the explored land as possible. The first group led by a certain Elombe left and settled at the MABUMBA HILLS and the second group led by Kali Iyamba settled at TOMBA. Those from Tomba left after some time and settled along the MBULE HILLS and from there due to the influence of the Germans that had colonized Cameroon at the time, they came to their present settlement, were they erected the famous stone altar known in the dialect as WOLE WA IKO which is found in every Mbonge village.

The Mabumba settlers led by Elombe left from there and settled somewhere known as MESSE METUTU meaning BUSH KOLA and from there they joined their brothers at their present settlement. Two groups have converged already. These were the first settlers of Big Bekondo. It should be noted that everywhere they stepped their feet they possessed by cultivating as much of the land as possible. This makes the Bekondo community quite outstanding in the Meme Division with a very large surface area.

When these two groups had converged, they had one EBONDO ITOE as their first chief. Sie Kali Iyamba was not a chief but a hunter and explorer who can be called the founder of Bekondo. Nothing about his personal life has been written anywhere. The wife he married or the number of children he had are not known but this man holds a prominent place in the history of Bekondo.

 

 

 

Kombe, Te, and Meromba groups

 

CHAPTER TWO

KOMBE, TE AND MEROMBA GROUPS

In chapter one, two groups had settled. In this chapter three more groups will converge.

In the days of MOLUKULE chief of NGOLO BOLO, there was war in MBONGE MARUMBA. The Mbonge Marumba people are of the EGBANDI NGBANDI clan which is one of the four clans of the Mbonge tribe. When they arrived at their present settlement, they met the Balondos, another OROKO group in the land, and in order for them to occupy they had to put up a fight. Such wars were not new. They had been since in the Bible days when the children of Israel were moving towards the promise land. In such a scenario the stronger group will have to take over the disputed territory.

While the war was going on, the people of Mbonge Marumba called for backup from chief Molukule of Ngolo Bolo who was also a hunter and a great warrior in his days. When he arrived Mbonge Marumba the battle was won and the land was taken by the Mbonge people. But before getting to Mbonge Marumba, chief Molukule passed by Bekondo to greet his brethren who were very happy to see him. Warriors were highly honoured and respected in those days. Surely some warriors from Bekondo accompanied him to the battle. His visit to Bekondo was not just to greet but it was also a diplomatic one. When he came he made a plea on behalf of the KOMBE, TE and MERUMBA people to be allowed to join their brethren in Bekondo given that they were all of the EFENJA FENJA clan.

This is their story. It happened that during the separation from Mbonga Meteke, these three groups went to different areas for settlement, even though they were all of the same clan. The Kombe people settled around the LOKANDO II area, the Te people settled close to Mofako Butu while the Meromba settled along the Barombi road.

While in their different settlements, a common incident was happening to them. They were being attacked by wild beasts especially the kids. In the night as well as in the day they suffered from these attacks which were also attributed to witchcraft. This caused a lot of fear and panic among the people who chose their respective settlements in order to avoid attacks from neighbouring tribes but are now being attacked by wild animals especially tigers. And since these attacks were attributed to witchcraft it seems their hunters too were helpless and could do nothing to help their people. These brought about a lot of frustration.

Reports of these attacks reached chief Molukule and so he had to intervene in a diplomatic manner to get the people displaced from their various settlements. Even as a great warrior he could not protect these people because he had greater responsibilities in his chiefdom. This was what prompted him to approach the first settlers of Bekondo to invite their brothers so that together they can form one great community. A bigger community will be stronger and more prosperous. The people consented to his request and called their brothers over. The three groups or communities came in different phases.

The first to arrive were the Meromba group who were very few in number. They were the first to start occupying the upper section of the village.

The second group to arrive were the Kombe people who joined themselves with the Meromba people going a little further up town. Their leader was one Etongwe Ndokpe.

The last to arrive were the Te people who occupied the BONYE area.

When these other groups arrived, the village was divided into two main sections for the purpose of administration. The two sections were named ESUNGA MBENGE and ESUNGA LIKO with each section having a quarter head appointed by the chief. Even though many other quarters have been created in recent years, the appellation ESunga Mbenge and Esunga Liko still stands.

 

 

 

 

Chieftaincy disputes and further settlements

 

CHAPTER THREE

CHIEFTAINCY DISPUTES AND FURTHER SETTLEMENTS

 

After several years in the mother village of Big Bekondo, movements continued and other sub- communities emerged.  Some of these movements or migrations was due to chieftaincy disputes that arose in those days. The Bekondo community is the sum total of all these communities put together. Below are the other communities that emerged after Big Bekondo was born.

Three corners Bekondo initially known as BAFA meaning STRANGERS

Metoko Bekondo meaning the migration of Bekondo

Kongo quarters Bekondo initially known as Cardbury and Fry

Mofako Bekondo

 

Big Bekondo is basically made up of two main sections namely ESUNGA MBENGE (LOWER HALF) and ESUNGA LIKO (UPPER HALF). It was agreed that the chieftaincy stool shall be rotative with each section taking turns to host the stool. This they did for the purpose of harmony, peace, unity and progress. However, the much desired and envisaged unity has continued to evade the people because of selfishness, greed, unreasonable ambition and unnecessary hatred. Once one section hosts the stool, that section tends to hold fast to it and would be unwilling to relinquish it to the other.

At the end of the reign of chief Ebondo Itoe, the first ever chieftaincy dispute arose in the land, which led to the migration of some indigenes to what is now called Metoko Bekondo, meaning the migration of Bekondo.

The leader of the group that went to Mabumba hills from Fanga was called Elombe (see chapter one, paragrapth six). After the reign of Ebondo Itoe, Elombe wanted to become the next chief but it did not work well with him given that he was from the lower section like the former chief. From this account one can clearly understand why there was a separation in Fanga hills. It seems Elombe was very power hungry. He wanted to lead by all means. Because it did not work out well with him, he took his loyal subjects and settled in the present Metoko Bekondo where he became their first chief. Chieftaincy disputes in Big Bekondo are not new.

After Ebondo Itoe from the lower section, it was the turn of the upper half to host the stool. Therefore, Numa Itoe became the next chief of Big Bekondo, and after him were the following chiefs all from Esunga Liko; Netongo Okole, Nakoko and Naliomo. Esunga Liko was holding on to power.

When Naliomo became too old and unable to rule, one Paul Nango a Christian also from Esunga Liko, who was supported by a large number of people wanted to take over. Unfortunately for him, chieftaincy in those days was controlled by members of the traditional juju society who like Christians were solidly united. Hence for obvious reasons the juju people refused to hand over the chieftancy stool to a Christian. That was how the stool rolled from Esunga Liko to Esunga Mbenge again. Bea Bito became the next chief. But unfortunate consequences followed. Paul Nango because of his ambition to become chief, carried away a large number of his followers and settled at a place now known as Mofako Bekondo, a few kilometres from Big Bekondo, where he became their first chief.

When Bea Bito became bed- ridden and unable to rule, he was secretly made to handover to Simon Essomba who was also from the lower half. It seems the lower half wanted to get even. Unfortunately, Simon Essomba became an alcoholic and through the influence of alcohol, he signed away three corners Bekondo, hitherto a quarter under Big Bekondo, thereby enabling the creation of a chiefdom there, but it was a chiefdom within another chiefdom (three Corners Bekondo shall be discussed later in this chapter). This act by Chief Simon Essomba caused great trouble in the land. Those from Esunga Liko got angry claiming that they were never involved in the choice of Essomba to be chief, hence they too decided to have their own chief who was to be one Mr. D.O Ndokpe, which those of Esunga Mbenge vehemently opposed. After several petitions had been written to the government authorities, and with the help of the divisional officer at the time who advised Mr. Ndokpe, he (Mr. D.O Ndokpe) declined honourably in favour of one strong united Bekondo and advised his followers to remain calm. That was such a great move. When chief Essomba was abdicated due to his addiction to alcohol, Maurice Ayamba took over as chief. He too was from the lower section.

When the reign of Chief Ayamba Maurice ended, another chieftaincy dispute arose in the land. The two sections each presented a candidate. Esunga Liko presented J.I Okole while Esunga Mbenge presented Mr. Mangola Samuel. This dispute dragged on for quite some time, but with the intervention of some administrative authorities, it was resolved and J.I Okole became the next chief of Big Bekondo. This is a brief profile of J.I Okole when he became chief;

He was 61 years old

Had been employed as a pupil teacher in 1948

Trained as a full-fledged teacher and obtained 2 G.C.E advance level papers in history and geography in 1967

Was headmaster and supervising headmaster from 1959- 1974

Was acting schools manager- Kumba division

Did one-year crash French language course in France in 1962

Was sub- inspector of primary and nursery education from 1975- 1987 when he was retired.

Had one son with a P.H.D in plant protection

Had another under- graduate son in Ife university

Had a graduate daughter from Yaounde university

Had four other children with G.C.E advance level

Had thirteen living children and eight grandchildren

 

Surely, he was the chief that Bekondo needed at the time.

After the demise of chief J.I Okole, Jomo Otte from Esunga Mbenge became the next chief, and during his reign another chieftaincy dispute arose in the land. For reasons that will not be forwarded in this publication, he was ousted and replaced by Okole Blessed from Esunga Liko, who remains chief at the time of the writing of this publication. Therefore, the chieftaincy stool of Big Bekondo is in the following order;

Chief Ebondo Itoe- Esunga Mbenge

Chief Numa Itoe- Esunga Liko

Chief Netongo Okole- Esunga Liko

Chief Naliomo- Esunga Liko

Chief Bea Bito- Esunga Mbenge

Chief Essomba Simon- Esunga Mbenge

Chief Ayamba Maurice- Esunga Mbenge

Chief J.I Okole- Esunga Liko

Chief Jomo Otte- Esunga Mbenge

Chief Dr.  Blessed Ndokpe Okole- Esunga Liko

Today the present Chief His Royal Highness Chief Dr. Blessed Ndokpe Okole has brought new reforms concerning the chieftaincy stool. This he did with the intention to put a stop to the disputes that the village has suffered in the past.

The Big Bekondo constitution has been revised. Article 4 of the present constitution states how a chief is to be appointed.

The throne of the chief of Big Bekondo is not hereditary. The chief must be a son of the land. He shall be of sound educational background, shall be of good character and married. He is selected by a college of kingmakers who are from the fourteen families that constitute the village. Selection is based on MERIT.

The fourteen families are: Elike, Bwema, Bonyo, Motongo, Samboe, Dibanda Koli, Bokutali, Borokonda, Mokunda, Wasa, Bonasoro, Dibokato, Bondongo and Bombori. Each family has a head who will form part of the college of kingmakers in the village. They normally seat together and select the next chief who will be presented to the village for ratification. The village has the final say on who will be their next chief.

 

THREE CORNERS BEKONDO AND KONGO QUARTERS

The great Bekondo people use to buy slaves and since these slaves were from different tribal groups, they were kept in a settlement about one kilometer from Big Bekondo formerly known as BAFA meaning STRANGERS. But today this settlement is known as 3 Corners Bekondo. Another name that was given to this settlement was BOTELE meaning SWAMP. This was initially a land were slaves were kept. This does not in any way imply that everyone residing there is a descendant of slavery because some free borns of Bekondo also decided to settle there. Also, people from different tribal groups who were not slaves took residence there. Presently this community has grown to become a village of its own with their chief, even though the Big Bekondo people are still the landlords. This was one of the reasons why Chief Simon Essomba was abdicated. He was the one who signed away three Corners Bekondo giving them autonomy. This community has become one of the fastest growing communities in Bekondo with a lot of different tribal groups.

In those days when cocoa farming was getting popular, Kongo Quarters named after the Kongo stream was the place were the German colonial government chose to build ovens. These ovens were built by the government to help the farmers to dry their cocoa beans. Initially it was called Cardbury and Fry. These ovens were built some time in 1952. This community was not a place of residence from the beginning. It was used only to process cocoa beans. But when people started having farmlands around the area, some of them relocated there for the sake of proximity. And so, in the process of time the name Kongo Quarters emerged. This small community situated between 3 Corners Bekondo and Mofako Bekondo is only considered a quarter in Big Bekondo.

 

 

 

 

 

Customs and traditions

CHAPTER FOUR

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

 

The Big Bekondo people like every other, have certain customs and traditions that they have upheld since the days of their forefathers. While certain aspects of these customs and traditions been changed or uttered due to modern civilization, there are still some strong aspects that have remained unchanged.

In this chapter, three main areas will be considered.

Death/ funeral ceremonies

Birth ceremonies

Marriage ceremonies

 

1. Funeral ceremonies

Funeral ceremonies were done differently depending on who died and how the person died. The funeral ceremony for a man is different from that of a woman. The funeral ceremony for a first-born child is different from that of a twin. The funeral ceremony of some one who died a normal death is different from someone who committed suicide, etc.

 

1. Funeral ceremony for a man or woman who died a normal death

Before the coming of Christianity, funeral ceremonies were conducted by traditional juju societies. There were no mortuaries back then therefore, corpses were embalmed traditionally and could be kept only for a maximum of two days. There were also no coffins. After the burial there was a ceremony called EYESSE YA DU. During this ceremony, the villagers will gather and will eat and drink. Also, the villagers made sure that foodstuffs and firewood are contributed to the bereaved family. After five days in the case of a man and four days in the case of a woman, there was a ceremony called MASUA. In this ceremony, the villagers contributed money and gifts to the bereaved family. A calabash is broken at the grave of the dead person. This was done with the purpose of disconnecting him/her from the land of the mortals. During the MASUA in those days the bereaved family was not compelled to give a certain quantity of food and drinks to provide to the villagers.

During the burial, if the dead person was a member of an age group, then his/her family will have to provide some foodstuffs for the age group which could be a bunch of plantains and a fowl. In the case of a man who was a member of one or more juju societies, the family will have to pay certain dues to these juju societies. The dues varied from one juju society to another. A lot has changed with the passage of time.

Today when someone dies, a lot is placed on the bereaved family. There are actually some compulsory dues that the bereaved family must pay to the village which sometimes are very burdensome. While some well to do families may be able to meet up with such demands, some poor homes find it very difficult. The men receive twenty bottles of beer, sixty liters of palm wine and five liters of strong drink commonly called afofo. A part of these drinks is sent to the youths digging the grave. The women mourners receive forty liters of palm wine and some liters of strong drink. Here we can see some kind of gender inequality given that the women population is far greater than that of the men. Food and drinks must be provided to the neighbouring villages like; three corners Bekondo, Kongo quarters Bekondo, Mofako Bekondo, Massaka and sometimes Mofako butu.

During the MASUA the bereaved family still has a lot to offer the villagers.

A carton of frozen fish which will be shared among the men and the women. There were no frozen fish in those days.

One hundred liters of palm wine, twenty bottles of beer and ten liters of strong drink for the men.

For the women they receive, twenty bottles of beer, sixty liters of palm wine and five liters of strong drink.

2000 frs is given to the town Cryer to announce the MASUA

Rice too is shared among the men and the women

Given all these expenses, it has become very difficult nowadays to conduct funerals in Big Bekondo. Many farms are being sold because the bereaved families are trying to meet up with such heavy demands placed on them. Many farmlands are now being taken over by strangers who are always willing to buy at any price when they know that the family is bereaved. Strangers are more than willing to assist a bereaved family to bury their dead just with the intention of taking over their farmland.

 

1. The death of a first-born baby (Konja)

When a child who opens the mother’s womb dies, it is buried immediately whether the death occurred during the night or during the day. There are some items that will be used to bury the child and it is a family member that puts the child in the grave.

 

1. Burial of someone who committed suicide or drowned in the stream(ebanja)

When someone commits suicide or drowns in the stream, the person is buried immediately around where he/she died. The traditional rite used to conduct the burial is called DIBUMBA which is done by secret juju people. The DIBUMBA is meant to cleanse the land.

 

1. Death and burial of a twin baby

The traditional rites performed for the death of a twin baby has not changed. It is believed that twin children have their own laws guiding them, therefore, when one of them dies, he/she is buried under a BUMA tree. In the case where a mature buma tree is far, the branch of a young buma tree is cut and planted where the child is buried.

 

1. Birth ceremonies (linyangi, mbanga bua)

This aspect of the tradition is on the decline. In those days when a woman delivers, some of her family members and friends will go to keep her company for a period of time. Their duty will be to feed the nursing mother. She had a basket and a special pot were raw food and soup are put inside respectively. She will be well fed during this period until the child is weaned. In the day when the child is weaned, a ceremony called MBANGA BUA takes place. This is how it goes.

She will be taken to the farm; a bunch of plantain will be harvested and some clusters will be hung around her neck. As she’s returning home, her companions will be singing traditional songs while children will come and be plucking the plantains hanging around her neck. During this ceremony her body is painted with camwood which is reddish in colour. During this ceremony the father of the child provides sixty liters of palm wine and fresh fish.

This is only a summary of what happens during Mbanga bua. A lot of details have been left out. It should be noted that such practices are no longer common.

 

1. Marriage ceremonies

A lot has changed concerning this area too. In those days when a man wanted to get married, the first thing he did was to consider the woman’s family. He looks at the character of the people and how they interact with others in the society. When he is satisfied with what he has seen, he will approach the woman’s family with what was called TUNGE or ESSOSONI. The amount was usually 5000frs. This was like a formal introduction. After doing this, he will have to wait for some time until the woman is ready to be taken to his house. Two envelopes will be presented. One for the mother’s family and one for the father’s family. There was no specific amount required to be put inside those envelopes. It was believed that the bride price of a woman never gets finished.

 At other times when a young man sees a woman he is interested in, growing up in a particular family, he goes to the girl’s family with his own family. The girl’s family will be given a broomstick. This was a sign that they were interested in the young lady. After this, they will return and wait for the young girl to be ripe for marriage, and then the other ceremonies will take place.

Question: Where is the issue of pig, coming from? This was borrowed from the Balue and the Bakossi people. The Bekondo people did not use pigs for marriages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christianity and formal education

CHAPTER FIVE

CHRISTIANITY AND FORMAL EDUCATION

 

The first Christian missionaries to arrive Big Bekondo were the BASEL MISSION sometime in 1947. They were the first to introduce formal education in the land. Classes were holding in the church premises and the Douala language was the language of instruction. In 1949 they officially started a primary school known as the BASEL MISSION SCHOOL and  some years after their arrival in Big Bekondo, the BASEL MISSION was taken over by the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (P.C.C). The school now became the Presbyterian school Big Bekondo, with one Mr. Ejume as the headmaster. Mr. Ejume remained headmaster until January 1975 when Mr. S.N Mesumbe took over the school as headmaster from Tombel Presbyterian school. Mr. S.N Mesumbe remained headmaster until 1990 when he went on retirement. He is still alive. When interviewed by the writer, these were the words of Mr. Mesumbe:

“I arrived at Big Bekondo on the 13th of January 1975 to replace Mr. Ejume as headmaster of the Presbyterian school Big Bekondo. Most of the teachers I met are all dead. I worked in Buea, Limbe and Tombel.

When I arrived, I met the Church functioning very well with people like Elder Jonas Ngando and others actively engaged in church activities. The Church was a Big church and the Big Bekondo community assisted in the building of the church as I was told. It was like a community project.

After my retirement Mr. Okia Charles became headmaster and some few years later the government took over the school. The first headmaster of the school when the government took over was Mr. Mokube Monene.

When I came here in 1975, the school system had been changed to class seven at that time. We were of the standard system. The system now has been changed again to class six and its horrible. Some children who leave primary school nowadays cannot even spell their names or to construct a sentence in the English language. These days even some students from the university write as if they don’t know the difference between capital letters and small letters.

I was the one who sent out the first batch of pupils from class seven. I was told that the school had gone up to class seven but later went down. When I came the graduating class was class four. We had some elderly people here who were so good. But others refused to send especially their girl children to school claiming that they were ripe for marriage. Some even made a mockery of me, that spending money to educate my female children was a waste. Some people who benefitted by sending their children to the school both male and female were, Mr. D.I Nnanje, Mr. Njumba Maurice, Mr. Ituka Oscar, Mr. Z.N Nambangi. These were some of the Bekondo elites who took the education of their children very seriously.

In those days someone will be in class seven and will have his wife in class four. I was teaching both the husband and the wife. I encouraged everybody to learn whether young or old. Most girls ended in class four and after that you will only hear that they are married. But after some years when they saw the children of the elites I’ve just mentioned succeeding, they too started taking the education of their children seriously.

In those days the payment of school fees was also a problem. I was meeting the parents in their houses to ask for fees. Sometimes when I met the fathers they will claim that they cannot pay fees for a child belonging to another family. That children belong to the family of their mothers. After I put pressure, some fathers will reluctantly pay. Some women tried their best to pay school fees for their children because the husbands did not really care.”

From the extract above it can be seen that the Big Bekondo people embraced Christianity and education. Even though Mr. Mesumbe faced some challenges he mentioned he still succeeded. It has always been like that everywhere. Sometimes people find it difficult to accept new ideas even if they are good. Its human nature.

Christianity and formal education has evolved in the land. After the P.C.C, other churches came up and today the land has many of them including; the Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of Christ, Apostolic Church, Full Gospel Mission, Abundant Life of God Mission with Bishop Maurice Billa a son of the soil as founder, Grace Mission, Peace and Life Mission, City of Light International and True Repentance Ministry with Apostle George Mangola another son of the soil as founder who also doubles as the headteacher of the Big Bekondo community school.

Even though some do not yet know the importance of education, others have been very busy educating their children. In fact, a good number of the children have been attending school. The land now counts many certificate holders ranging from the first school leaving certificate to P.H.D.

After the Presbyterian school, other schools came up. A government primary school was created in the upper section of the village since the Presbyterian school was situated at the lower section. This was to give the both sections equal opportunities to have their children attend school. In the days of chief Okole James a government secondary school was created in the land. This was in the summer of 1998 precisely. The school kicked off the following academic year with Dr. Bokwe Samuel Ngoe (now with the ministry of employment and vocational training) as the pioneer principal. He was replaced by Madam Epie Bertha a daughter of the land now with the south west regional assembly. Madam Bertha was replaced by Chief Eseme Mbonji who is now the divisional delegate for secondary education of Meme division. Other private educational institutions have been operating in the land up till this moment. But with the coming of the anglophone crises when schools came under attacks, the village stayed for almost five years without any of the schools operating. Under the leadership of His Royal Highness Chief Dr. Blessed Okole Ndopke, a community school was created, sponsored by the elites. This was a great initiative that was highly welcomed by everyone. Today the children now have the opportunity to attend school again.

Before the creation of a secondary school by the government, parents had to send their children to neighbouring cities to attend school. During the holidays, the secondary school students would organize themselves in a students’ union with Mr. Mosongo Iyase Nanje (presently in Maryland U.S.A) as their leader. Holiday classes were organized and the senior students would teach the junior ones. In the year 1993 the union was restructured and given the name Big Bekondo Students Union (BIBESU) with Mr. Eyakwe Joseph (presently an ordained Reverend with the Presbyterian church in Cameroon) as president. The same activities were going on and cultural weeks were also organized by the students. This was to create a balance. Formal education should not stop the culture. The students needed to be reminded of their culture even though many of them were attending schools far away from their native land.

Impressum

Texte: Samuel Flourish
Cover: samuel flourish
Lektorat: samuel flourish
Korrektorat: samuel flourish
Satz: Samuel Flourish
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 06.07.2023

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Dedicated to my wife Rachel