On 11th February 2019, I was at a bar somewhere in Yaounde, using my phone to watch the Presidential Speech. In the bar, there was allot of noise coming from one end, and from their articulate English pronunciations, you could tell these were anglophones possibly internally displaced. Despite their noise, i still managed to go through the speech. And after that, i sat at my corner, digesting the "somewhat disappointing speech". Then something came up, one of the guys got so drunk, that he unzipped his trouser, pulled out his prick and was peeing by the pillar inside the bar. The whole bar was in shock. I immediately left.
That experience was more traumatizing to me than the presidents un-hopeful speech, and i wonder if i can ever forget. On my way back i couldn't help but think, If these are the Youths of Cameroon, then is my fight for the past 6 years as a youth activist worth it. Then i started having flashbacks of the wonderful things that were finally beginning to happen in the North West and South West of Cameroon before the present crises degraded into an armed conflict.
In Buea there was Silicon Mountain, a group vibrant young tech and entertainment entrepreneurs, employing their skills and talents to transform their lemon into lemonade. Artists like Mr Leo were succeeding to gain a national audience something which no Anglophone Artist had ever done; BBC was interviewing the founder of Njorku who was helping young Cameroonians from all nukes and cranes to find jobs through his online platform. Every week there were meetings and seminars on how to get things moving. Youthled Restaurants were becoming a thing. and etc etc
In Bamenda, Zita Light, was succeeding to organize full events for local artists at the then newly built Blue Pearl Hotel. Dogstar had just released a patriotic song titled my Bamenda; Charly B, stunned us with a ravaging hit song ( Love na love) and So many NGOs worked tirelessly daily to provide innovative solution in areas where the government was short.
Somewhere in Kumbo, was I and my friends among whom Joybert and Basil, i will like to use as example. I was running a small NGO from a very old building, with mission to promote youth activities in the locality. We had a music studio and each day, the place will be filled to the brim, not only with young aspiring musicians, but those who wanted to see the process. We organized events, from entertainment to seminars. We worked with old and young and began collaborations to bridge the age divide within the Division. We partnered with schools, and gave more life to socials. We helped young people build CVs, Volunteer, Write business plans and project proposals and some even gained funding from elites and diaspora who saw our seriousness.
Joybert told me over and over again, that his dream was in Kumbo, and he never saw himself anywhere else in the world. I Shared the-same point of view, in fact, Basil and I were hoping to take over the Kumbo Council very soon, and bring about changes that will be more youth and business friendly. By 2013 i had bought my SDF members card, and was ready to learn from the system, despite its somewhat unfriendly youth setting.
Basil with no formal training in Agriculture, had just started a feed store, and also brooded and fattened chicken. All the mothers around Tobin and even afar preferred to buy brooded chicks from him because he was very good at it and his after sales service was just so amazing. In no time he became more than the community veterinarian. This is someone who studied economics in Soa and after graduation decided to return home and build on his passion.
Every month, Joybert's program trained about 40 youths locally and a couple more in several countries through its online platform. he even had an amzing project, to help rural women get micro loans through mobile money which was beginning to gain ground. ( BTW: we launched a GoFundMe for it and had Zero Donations from Diaspora) but hat never stopped us. Volunteers came from abroad and the US Peace Corp was ready to assist.
Wen the crises just started, i was invited for a job that permitted me to travel across Africa and still be able to be in Cameroon every month, so i accepted. Each time, i was back in Cameroon, i'll visit Bmenda. late 2018 i decided that i was done touring and needed to sit and build. In september, i went to Kumbo to visit my mom, and ended up staying for 1 month because of ambazonia lock-down. After that, I decided to be in bamenda, but all potential business partners had escaped. Consequence, i'm now an IDP in Yaounde.
Joybert is also and IDP in Yaounde even if he is doing well there. He had earlier moved to Buea, then it became hostile too. Basil is till in Kumbo, but his shop is locked for more than 6 months straight, though he manages to sell from home.
As a young man who was showing signs of positive leadership, everyday i receive phone calls from friends, relatives and especially the youth we used to work with seeking aid, but how can i help when im currently finding it difficult to help myself.
I dont even want to talk about the loss of relatives, and resources due to the ongoing war. And one thing is for sure, we are not alone. i can give hundreds of examples of young people who's lives have been ruined because of the escalation of the crises. My inbox is always full with those asking how to get Ghana Visa.
I talk with one anglophone after another, on ground zero as IDP and except they are hypocrites then I'd say most if not all want a solution and not a war. But my Question is, has the quest for independence not killed a generation that would otherwise have been thriving? A generation that finally understood that the solution was them and not the government? A generation that already found ways to outsmart the system?
I'm just thinking aloud.
That experience was more traumatizing to me than the presidents un-hopeful speech, and i wonder if i can ever forget. On my way back i couldn't help but think, If these are the Youths of Cameroon, then is my fight for the past 6 years as a youth activist worth it. Then i started having flashbacks of the wonderful things that were finally beginning to happen in the North West and South West of Cameroon before the present crises degraded into an armed conflict.
In Buea there was Silicon Mountain, a group vibrant young tech and entertainment entrepreneurs, employing their skills and talents to transform their lemon into lemonade. Artists like Mr Leo were succeeding to gain a national audience something which no Anglophone Artist had ever done; BBC was interviewing the founder of Njorku who was helping young Cameroonians from all nukes and cranes to find jobs through his online platform. Every week there were meetings and seminars on how to get things moving. Youthled Restaurants were becoming a thing. and etc etc
In Bamenda, Zita Light, was succeeding to organize full events for local artists at the then newly built Blue Pearl Hotel. Dogstar had just released a patriotic song titled my Bamenda; Charly B, stunned us with a ravaging hit song ( Love na love) and So many NGOs worked tirelessly daily to provide innovative solution in areas where the government was short.
Somewhere in Kumbo, was I and my friends among whom Joybert and Basil, i will like to use as example. I was running a small NGO from a very old building, with mission to promote youth activities in the locality. We had a music studio and each day, the place will be filled to the brim, not only with young aspiring musicians, but those who wanted to see the process. We organized events, from entertainment to seminars. We worked with old and young and began collaborations to bridge the age divide within the Division. We partnered with schools, and gave more life to socials. We helped young people build CVs, Volunteer, Write business plans and project proposals and some even gained funding from elites and diaspora who saw our seriousness.
Joybert told me over and over again, that his dream was in Kumbo, and he never saw himself anywhere else in the world. I Shared the-same point of view, in fact, Basil and I were hoping to take over the Kumbo Council very soon, and bring about changes that will be more youth and business friendly. By 2013 i had bought my SDF members card, and was ready to learn from the system, despite its somewhat unfriendly youth setting.
Basil with no formal training in Agriculture, had just started a feed store, and also brooded and fattened chicken. All the mothers around Tobin and even afar preferred to buy brooded chicks from him because he was very good at it and his after sales service was just so amazing. In no time he became more than the community veterinarian. This is someone who studied economics in Soa and after graduation decided to return home and build on his passion.
Every month, Joybert's program trained about 40 youths locally and a couple more in several countries through its online platform. he even had an amzing project, to help rural women get micro loans through mobile money which was beginning to gain ground. ( BTW: we launched a GoFundMe for it and had Zero Donations from Diaspora) but hat never stopped us. Volunteers came from abroad and the US Peace Corp was ready to assist.
Wen the crises just started, i was invited for a job that permitted me to travel across Africa and still be able to be in Cameroon every month, so i accepted. Each time, i was back in Cameroon, i'll visit Bmenda. late 2018 i decided that i was done touring and needed to sit and build. In september, i went to Kumbo to visit my mom, and ended up staying for 1 month because of ambazonia lock-down. After that, I decided to be in bamenda, but all potential business partners had escaped. Consequence, i'm now an IDP in Yaounde.
Joybert is also and IDP in Yaounde even if he is doing well there. He had earlier moved to Buea, then it became hostile too. Basil is till in Kumbo, but his shop is locked for more than 6 months straight, though he manages to sell from home.
As a young man who was showing signs of positive leadership, everyday i receive phone calls from friends, relatives and especially the youth we used to work with seeking aid, but how can i help when im currently finding it difficult to help myself.
I dont even want to talk about the loss of relatives, and resources due to the ongoing war. And one thing is for sure, we are not alone. i can give hundreds of examples of young people who's lives have been ruined because of the escalation of the crises. My inbox is always full with those asking how to get Ghana Visa.
I talk with one anglophone after another, on ground zero as IDP and except they are hypocrites then I'd say most if not all want a solution and not a war. But my Question is, has the quest for independence not killed a generation that would otherwise have been thriving? A generation that finally understood that the solution was them and not the government? A generation that already found ways to outsmart the system?
I'm just thinking aloud.
This is an awesome article.. If only Cameroonians were good at reading, then this would go a long way..But all hope is not lost as long as there's life.
ReplyDelete