In Cameroon With The Baka

             

The leaf shelters that many of the Baka live in. 

                Danforths and I are back at Somongue, Central African Republic! During our time away a contingent of African Union forces (MISKA) where stationed at Gamboula. Those who were causing most of the trouble around here have since settled down a little.

Mama Lendo, the grandmother at the camp. 

Somewhere around 70, she is still a very active

 and fun member of camp. 

                When I left, I was unsure how long I would have to be away from CAR, and did not feel like sitting in Yaoundé. So I joined a few missionaries with World Team, who share a small forest clearing with a group of Baka Pygmies in Eastern Cameroon. 

               A former ECHO intern has been working there for a few years trying to introduce the Baka to agriculture. There was a fruit tree orchard, new rabbit project, and new bee keeping project. So it is a lot of the stuff I have been working with at Somongue, just on a smaller scale.

                It was a very eye opening experience for me living and observing this hunter gatherer culture I have always heard about. Children start hunting and collecting fruit and other things from almost the time they start walking. Anything is fair game, because if you don’t get it someone else will. In many cases, it did not matter if the fruit was green, and the Baka are excellent climbers, so the orchard was pretty much stripped bare, and explaining ownership, or fruit maturity just does not make much sense. 

 Nathan (Left) working a hive with Nestor (Right)

 Nathan, one of the missionaries there has recently become very excited about raising bees. He had 3 hives, and we harvested his first honey while I was there! The Baka are not afraid of bees, and have a real sweet tooth, so they were very interested in seeing this project. They came right up to the hive and looked in while we were working. One of the men has his own hive, and had his first harvest too.

Two bee keepers from another city in Cameroon working with Nestor 

on another day. All the curious onlookers are his friends and family.

Even his kids did not seem too afraid of the bees 

           There was also a young Baka church emerging that was really interesting to see. I have been reading about the early church, and saw a lot of similarities. There is no bible in the Baka language, but there are likano’s. Bible stories, or epics, that are recited at gatherings. Leadership roles, how to worship, and having meetings are still things that are being figured out. They have the singing and drumming part down though.

The Baka church.

                It was very nice having a change of pace.  Being gone for so long during rainy season was rough though. The grass and weeds are about 3 feet taller, a few of the animals and fowl have died, and there is a lot of catch up to be done. It is fun to see how much everything has grown and changed though.