By Dibussi Tande
On Friday, January, 10, 2003, subscribers to the Fakonet Internet forum received the first of many Bakweri proverbs from Mola Mbua Ndoko. To many readers, especially those who have been away from Cameroon for long, or who do not pay particular attention to cultural developments at home, this was just another posting on the Internet. However, to those with a sense of history, that posting was a major milestone for the Bakweri march toward cultural renaissance, and a landmark achievement for Mola Ndoko. It is necessary to walk down memory lane to grasp the significance of this event.
Some 18 years earlier, Mola Ndoko had decided, some four years into his retirement from the public service, to go on a one-man crusade to stem the tide of Bakweri cultural decline. He was very disheartened at the time by the sorry state of Bakweri culture which was characterized by entire generations not knowing the basic facts of mokpe history and culture, and, worse, could not even understand, let alone speak, rudimentary Bakweri. After reviewing his options, Mola Ndoko decided to use the popular airwaves of Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) to carry out his crusade.
In November 1985, the maiden edition of Meyana me Mokpe (Bakweri Idioms) was broadcast on Radio Buea. Meyana me Mokpe was a program that used idioms and Bakweri folklore to educate the Bakweri community on indigenous ideologies that regulate the cultural (legal, religious, diplomatic-- including mefeli, molanga, makwana) life of the Mokpe people.
Because it did not have any institutional backing, many people expected Meyana me Mokpe to be short-lived. Skeptics even predicted that Mola Ndoko, who was 60 years old at the time, would be quickly worn down by the rigor and routine of preparing and hosting a radio program.
Mola Ndoko, however, beat the odds and proved his skeptics wrong. And, 20 years later, not only was Meyana me Mokpe the longest running program on CRTV Buea, it had also faced the digital revolution head-on by making the giant leap onto the Internet.
It is in this context that the January 2003 posting was historic event that transformed Meyana me Mokpe from a local Radio program into a International program delivered with 21st century technology – the impact of this transformation will probably be better understood decades from now.
Today, Mola Ndoko handles the Internet version of his Meyanas with the same dedication reserved for the radio version. Every Friday morning, Mola Ndoko walks to the nearest cybercafé to make sure that Fakonet and Fako-UK subscribers around the world get the Meyanas in their mailboxes before the end of the day – a feat that is praiseworthy because Mola Ndokois part of that generation which (even in the so-called advanced societies) is known for its deep aversion for technology, especially cutting-edge technology such as the Internet. By going out of his comfort zone to “conquer” the Internet, Mola Ndoko has shown, if need be, the lengths he is willing to go to spread the gospel of Mokpe cultural revival and dynamism.
In 1996, while accepting an achievement award from Fako International, Mola Mbua Ndoko prayed that “my contributions will continue to be of assistance in attempts at reviving and conserving the eloquent and sometimes latent wisdom in the meyanas”. Mola Ndoko can rest assured that he has built the foundation for that revival ,and in the process, has confirmed that he is one of the greatest Bakweri cultural icons of the last hundred years.
A role model par excellence, Mola Mbua Ndoko has been married for a record 51 years to Julianna Limunga la Mbella Endeley since 1954.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of Meyana me Mokpe, JimbiMedia offers a special anniversary present to Mola Ndoko with the launching of www.mbuandoko.com which will serve as a repository for Mola Mbua Ndoko meyanas for eternity. And, barring any unforeseen circumstances, JimbiMedia will publish the first volume of Mola Ndoko’s Meyanas in the 4th quarter of 2006.
Mola, I am impressed by the contents of this site, i came into contact with it because i am working on a film that tells of the bakweri culture and to promote it in my own way so i am looking for the meaning of some bakweri names. In addition mola i want to say this is a good way of promoting our culture so we can complement this efforts by making some films and documentaries on our culture. I am ready to partner for a great revolution in our culture, once again i say it is a great effort.
Posted by: Francis Nganje Matute | March 24, 2010 at 08:30 AM