Mamfe Central Hauls $10,000 for 2013 Development Conference

The event was scheduled for Saturday March 2, and billed as a fundraiser dinner but turned out to be much more. The folks of Mamfe Central Washington came out elegantly and in style to support a cause and enjoy exquisite fine cuisine.  Within the atmosphere, there was sense of optimism, pride and hope for a better and rejuvenated Mamfe metropolis. This hope rest on prospects of a vibrant economy, and the rebirth of Mamfe as a commercial hub. We could see this happening once the ongoing road projects are completed in the division. But there is also a sense of hope that although small in numbers, the Mamfe Central community has an opportunity to contribute in the development of its division by investing in the education of the future generation.

Before we get into the details of how a small group could haul close to $10,000 on a winter evening for development, let’s look at how it all unfolded. The Tambe’s – Mirabel and Manfred are an exemplary young and hardworking couple in the community. You will never notice their presence until they fling open the doors of their quiet and beautiful residence as they did on this special night.  Indeed, everyone, I mean everyone was invited to Bristol wood terrace and if you missed the event, then regrettably you will have to wait until history repeats itself and in life sometimes, those occasions are rare.  Once ushered into the basement where the action was set to take place, you could smell the aroma of the cuisine at the stairs. The white clothe table settings was reminiscent of a fine French restaurant. Indeed, it was nothing short of Mamfe Central elegance – after all, the Mamfe Central folks always remind us they hold the keys to good life in Mamfe.

Chief Samuel Etchu took charge of the musical controls. He ushered us back to the good old days when he played the role of DJ and entertained the community at large. It seemed, the Chief never lost that mida’s touch as he supplied the vibes with a repertoire of selections of Manyu genres. It is the more reason, we have come to know the Mamfe Central Chief as one who carries a trademark of versatality and he sure did not disappoint.

Our host Chef Mirabel Tambe kept us wining and dining all night long. There was plenty to eat and drink – even if you had to do three rounds like I did. How could a Manyu event be deprived of Eru and plenty of particulars, Koki and all the fine dishes only bachelors could dream of.  Many thanks to the supporting cast of Mamfe Central ladies and Mirabel’s, mom – the one and only Dr./Mrs. Mary Tabot who prepared special take home dinner platters for high donors. Did I forget to mention the man of the house, the ever smiling and gentle Mr. Manfred Tambe –better half of Mirabel. Manfred was the maitre D, stocking the dinner tables with fine wines, whisky and beer. When I left the event at 1 am, the tables still had bottles standing; and I kept thinking maybe the cold winter now makes us drink less.

It finally came down to business and the raison etre for the event. Sesekou Dr. David Tambe (MEDWC USA Coordinator) flew in from Dallas Texas and delivered a pointed presentation of the goals of the 2013 Mamfe Central conference and MEDWC accomplishment since 2003. The audience was engaged and took part in a Q/A to know more especially with the prevailing standards of education in the division.  Perhaps the most touching and heart-rendering part of the program was watching images of little boys and girls standing in queue at the 2008 Eyumojock conference to receive scholarships. You could sense the joy and relief in these young people - knowing the larger community other than their parents cared and was there to support them to achieve their dreams.

As the night wore on, the audience dug deep into their wallets and contributed without reservations. The haul for the night was close to $10,000 with a late announcement from MECA Dallas of a contribution of $1000. With enthusiasm and renewed interest, the Mamfe Central conference will reach its goal of $15,000 before the conference doors open in Mamfe on March 22, 2013.

Given the resounding success of the dinner fundraiser, we learned one thing from the Mamfe Central community. Although development can sometimes be a game of numbers, what counts is commitment and the belief that every one of us can make a difference if we try. The Mamfe Central Washington community did more that try on a solemn quiet evening; they hauled $10,000 for development with the support of their patron Attorney William Tabot and Ms. Mercy Mokwonye (Fundraiser chief lady). As we left, Mirabel and Manfred were ever so present giving hugs, parting good bye and thanking us for coming. In the end, we thank our host the Tambe’s for the hospitality and opening their doors to Manyu with joyful abundance.

Mamfe: Acute water crisis blamed on outdated infrastructure. By Simon Etta

A Christmas vacation in Cameroon is never complete without breathing the dust and sometimes five hours or more driving to Mamfe. The journey is often less tedious and void of Police and Gendarmerie check points if you happen to use private instead of public transport. Based on past experience, I will advise you to avoid the later if at all possible. If unlucky to meet an overzealous officer, your vehicle could be grounded for hours and even towed if the driver refuses to settle…. Thank God, on this sojourn, we hired a private Toyota Carina and eventually made it from Kumba to Mamfe after eight hours. The journey took a bit longer because of two flat tires. The first occurred around Konye. The tire repair guy had it fixed and upon installation found another puncture he could not mend – neither did he have a new tire for sale.  I asked him what was the alternative, and he responded he could get it repaired the traditional way. I looked at the guy sternly and told him to do whatever it takes. At this time we had wasted almost two hours in Konye. He then said he will pour some garri inside the tire and that will seal it after a few minutes. I gave him the green light trusting his ingenuity and craftsmanship. Behold it worked and we took off happily. However, his engineering only lasted less than an hour before we heard an explosion and had to use our last spare tire.

We got to Nguti before nightfall and had to make a decision whether to use the Obang road or the old road which according to informed sources has since been graded.  A decision was made to take the Eyang/Bakebi route knowing if hell breaks loss, we could catch a nap at Sesekou Ebini or Akwo’s Acha Mgbe and enjoy some delicious goat pepper soup and fresh palm wine at either village. We hunkered down the dusty winding road with deep potholes. You have to be an experienced driver to ply these roads even during the dry season. It is very easy to get blinded with dust from passing vehicles and finding yourself in a ditch on attempt to escape a pothole. Since nightfall was fast approaching, we met very few vehicles on the way and finally got to Bachou with a sigh of relief. Driving from Bachou to Mamfe town made a big difference; it clearly spelled the difference a good road makes as the rest of our journey took us less than thirty minutes.

We happily arrived Okoyong on our way to Mamfe town and drove past the newly built Council offices between Okoyong and Badi Bridge. The building is quite impressive and worthy of a Municipality with two giant statues depicting “the hard working Manyu woman with a load on her head carrying a baby on the back”. The statue reminded me of our mothers, and how they toiled for us carrying cassava just to make sure we went to school. The other statue represented an Ekpe masquerade, the unquestioned symbol and pride of Manyu governance and authority that has held the culture together for centuries.

The euphoria and excitement of finally arriving our beloved Mamfe town was suddenly short lived.   We noticed everywhere was dark and very little social activity in town. It dawned on me before asking anyone that there was no light in the City. I proceeded to my family abode and before I could ask for water to take off some of the dust, I was told they haven’t had running water in over a month. I then reflected on my childhood and asked myself, when this cycle of suffering will come to an end for our people. How could they live for a month with no running water? I grew up bathing and drinking the cross river due to acute shortage of pipe borne water. After all these years, uncountable years, nothing has changed. The old song keeps playing itself over and over again like a dream, no electricity, no water and thus no economic activity in Mamfe town.

During the rest of my stay in Mamfe which lasted three days with family and friends, I made an attempt to discuss the water crisis and to find out what the authorities have done. According to the local inhabitants, the water company has not been able to solve the problem and it may take several more months. They have been told the cause is due to ageing infrastructure of the water pumping equipment that has been in existence since independence.  The question is why has this equipment not been earmarked for upgrade or gradual replacement?  I equally made an attempt to visit the Mayor’s office to inquire why the council cannot take over water distribution in Mamfe. I was merely told it was impossible because the water in Mamfe has been privatized and being managed by a Moroccan company. I truly doubt if this is real privatization and if so, then the company will soon go out of business with no income. For now, the water crisis in Mamfe remains with no quick solution in sight.

Access to running water remains a crisis for the people of Mamfe. With growing urbanization, there has to be political and economic determination to ensure sustainable water resources based on social need. Indeed, the water crisis in Mamfe has worsened and must be addressed by all stakeholders. Water management is complex. It is considered a cross cutting resource because it affects urban development, health, agriculture and leisure. With multiple stakeholders, it has to be addressed on a territorial basis. Management of water services requires high technical ability and adaptation to changing conditions. Some of these conditions may require external funding because of the high cost of infrastructure equipment and maintenance needs.

We as Manyu people and advocates for economic development must not allow future generations to suffer the consequences of our inaction. We cannot allow our people to continue in the 21^st century with the usual approach of managing our water crisis by doing nothing. We need to think of making realistic assessments of our water management capabilities and show unfailing commitment to equity. Maybe, just maybe, some political determination or grass root pressure and advocacy may earn a listening ear. Finally, the Manyu diaspora must find ways to understanding and implementing commonsense solutions to problems that represent the long term economic security of our people. Some of these solutions are around us, but we must dare to find them as other communities have done for their people. It is time to act big and the time is now.