Skip to main content


Ngarum Culture exhibited: Leinyuy is fed with staple diet during perpetual vows into convent


By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum

The culture of the people of Ngarum has been portrayed at festivities marking the final profession of a candidate for the religious sisterhood.

 Immaculte Leinyuy made perpet
ual vows into the congregation of the Holy Union Sisters on October 19, 2019 during a pontifical Holy Mass presided by Bishop Michael Bibi, the auxiliary Bishop of Bamenda Archdiocese Cameroon. The culture was exhibited at St Paul Catholic Church Nkwen during outdoor meriments that added colour to the event. A group of five women dressed in blouses over loinclothes processed in traditional song and dance to the foot of the rostrum in a hall where Sister Immaculte and other religious were sitting ready to receive them.


Sisters eating cocoyam mash and cow pea soup from leaves. Right:Sr Rosemary, left:Sr Immaculate

One of the women were carrying a basket on the head. As they danced up, they spoke a few words in the mother tongue and then opened the basket, washed their hands, took out mash and some vegetable soup which was in the basket.

They served the food in cut pieces of plantain leaves to Leinyuy and all the religious women who were sitting with her. It looked like drama but it was real.

All guests were cranning to the scene. I saw  a guest smiled and then murtered something like " this is the custom of our culture being done here".

After feeding the jubilarian, the women danced back to their sitting positions

"I was feeding my daughter as I used to feed her when she was a child.  The food was cow pea soup and pounded cocoyams. It is the food she cherishes. In our culture when someone has a ceremony like being marreid off or during the coronation of a fon, we feed the person in the same fashion we always feed a child. We give water to drink and we give the food liked most. That's our culture.   In Ngarum culture when a woman gives birth, she is fed too" Iata Nieh, grandmother of Elizabeth told Info Trends.

By feeding somebody who is going on a journey or an adventure, we feel that the person won't feel hungry no matter the situation out there. "He/she would always remember this and never feel bad" added another lady

The basket that was used to carry the food was a source of attraction and a point of culture. The basket is important. We put food in it and cover it. In the past there were no pans. We used traditional bowls carved from wood and we used leaves to hold food or to serve food. Mostly baskets were available in the past. The basket is weaved from fibres gotten from the raffia. We also used calabashes. You wash your hands with water from a Calabash and you eat" Angelica Maujuh mother of Immaculate said.

Many onlookers gazed the showcased culture with awe. The aspect of feeding one of theirs was a thriller and a demonstration of a united spiritedness for a family member.

This culture is just one of many rewarding cultural practices in Ngarum.

To fulfil this culture cocoyam leaves and corn fufu, corn fufu and huckleberry are other alternative diets.

 Ngarum is a village in Ndu Sub division, Donga Mantung Division of the North West region Cameroon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Editor's Picks

KUMBO BISHOP SETS FEB 21 TO  PRAY FOR NGARBUH VICTIMS BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM The Bishop of Kumbo Diocese His Lordship George Nkuo has set February 21 as a day of prayer for some twenty four Cameroonians attacked in the locality of Ngarbuh Ntumbaw in the wee hours of February 14th 2020. The prelate’s appeal comes 96 hours (four days) after a massacre on Ngarbuh inhabitants.  In the call for prayers to be said for victims of the incident, the communiqué carries words of compassion from Bishop Nkuo “I hereby declare Friday 21st February 2020 as a day of prayer and mourning in the entire Diocese of Kumbo for the Victims of the Ngarguh disaster. In this way, we shall vehemently say yes to life and No to dead in solidarity with the recent message of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon... A requiem Mass should be celebrated in all our churches and where possible an ecumenical service be organised to implore God for an end to this socio political crisis that has plu...
Post a Comment
Read more
UBa opens doors for a Hate free Institution   By Mbuh Stella Hate Speech is a potential source of conflict, contributing to thousands of lives lost around the globe, experts have warned. In Cameroon, Hate speech is practiced both online and offline. The phenomenon is a call for concern. It is against this back drop that Defyhatenow  a Non Governmental Organization is working towards raising awareness and combating Hate speech. Recently, a team from the organization led by Laure Nganlay Nadege, Communication Associate at Defyhatenow visited the University of Bamenda, UBa to initiate a program which will in the days ahead engage students  in the fight against Hate speech and other forms of information manipulation. During the discussion, delegation member, Derick Kinnang, who is also Research and Administrative Officer at Defyhatenow said 'hate speech is a can of worms that should not be allowed to take roots in the communities" Defyhatenow Delegation presented their missio...
1 comment
Read more
  Day Six Campaign against Covid-19 Vaccination prevents serious illness for people with Chronic Conditions. Poor health is worsened by COVID-19 attack just as some medical treatments can impact your ability to fight off the virus.  COVID-19 vaccines protects you from serious illness or death. With a study of your health history, physicians would intervene proportionately if vaccination is not necessary so fear not.
Post a Comment
Read more