BCA-USA Mirror 2013

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BCA-USA Mirror Special Edition of the Bali Cultural Association - USA Magazine

Solaba, 2013

Atlanta, GA

Editorial 3 Welcome to the 2013 Convention. Welcome to Atlanta 4 Message from the President 5 Effectiveness & Efficiency 8 From the corners of South Eastern Chapter 9 Fundraising and the BCA-USA Mission 10 BCA-USA 5K AIDS Walk: Over $73,000 Raised in 7 Months 13 Silver Jubilee Weekend Program 14 Multipurpose Centre(MPC) Committee Report 16 Publications Committee Report 20 BCA Dallas Chapter Report 20 Mungaka Corner 21 Poetry Corner 21 BCA Projects Committee 22 Giving Back to Our Community with Humility 22 BCA-Youth Note: Looking Back 24 Carolinas Corner 25 Fon’s Committee Report 26 BCA USA at the 2012 BCA Europe Convention 27 Congratulatory Message from BANDECA 28 Social And Awards Committee Report 30 Down Memory Lane: 25 years Ago 31 Social Cohesion and Community Development 32 BCA-USA Houston Chapter Report 35 Ma Maggie Fogam: The Midwife-in-Chief of the BCAUSA idea 36 Testimonies from Bali Nyonga 38 Bits & Pieces 39 On the Prefix “Ba” in Bali Culture 39 Why Join The BCA? 39 The Lela Festival 40 Bali Cultural Association Foundation 41

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On the cover: Photos of BCA-USA Members Editor-in-chief: Victor Gomia Publisher: BCA-USA Designer: Jude Fokwang, Bone Studios www.bonestudios. org Editorial Board BCA Publications Committee Victor Gomia (Chair) Ba Jerry Dohmatob Ma Lilian Ndangam-Fokwang Ni Kenneth Gwanmesia Ni Charles Tamon Ma Kuna Nukuna Ni Emmanuel Babila Ni Jude Fokwang Ni Julius Ndangam Ma Mary Nangah Ni Gahlia Gwangwa’a

SILVER JUBILEE EDITION

BCA-USA Silver Jubilee 42 A Perspective on Historical Development of the Organization 42 Our Eastern Pride: Powershouse Of Culture And The American Experience 45 Special guest: His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III of Bali Nyonga 48 BCA NorCal Chapter Report 2012-2013 54 Herald Today 54 Culture Committee Report 55 For Whom the Bells Toll 56 BCA - USA Youth Doing Great Things World Wide 58 ROC Foundation: Appreciative of the Support from the entire BCA-USA Community.

58 BCA-USA Constitution And Elections Committee 59 BCA-USA Health Committee Report 60 The Presidency Of Ben Dinga Fokum (MAY 1996-MAY 2000) 62 BCA-USA – As I See It 64 BCA- USA Youth High School Graduating Seniors 66 From the Perspective of the Pioneer President of BCA-USA 68 Ndahtod Washington D C 69 In Memoriam 70

Full Convention Program - Page 14 Interview of HRH Fon Ganyonga III, Page 48

Editorial Contact: publications@bca-usa.org Design and Layout: Bone Studios

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EDITORIAL BCA-USA: The Cadillac Seville of Culture in the African Diaspora

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chapters, numerous Ndahkums and family meetings across the United States. Among the lessons learned in this is the humbling acknowledgement of credibility in the cliché that while a people without a culture are helplessly adrift like a reed in the tide, willynilly adherence to past precepts is an enemy of creativity and progress in today’s unsuspecting global order.

BCA-USA’s twenty five year history is welcomed with astounding warmth and joy not only because of her towering achievements but also because of the trail the organization leaves for posterity; a trail that would be easily gleaned in the mushrooming of a youth branch of the organization, its destiny’s darling.

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by fraud and ignoble deeds. At the mature age of twenty five, BCA-USA continues to garner steam in its towering position as the Cadillac Seville of Culture in the African diaspora.

And there is a history to this. Years of empirical observation has a mountain of evidence pointing to the people of Bali ancestry as men and women of unscathed honor and dignity.

The profundity of their pride in their culture and their being is tangibly demonstrated by the teeming diaspora constituencies that continue to make their new distant locations homes-awayfrom-home. Today, twenty five years after its humble beginning, BCA-USA’s growth is visibly reflected in the organizational structure that boasts a central executive, twelve national committees, fourteen

C E L E B R A T I N G

This year the Bali Cultural Association (BCA)-USA marks one score and five years of its existence. Key actors in the story’s beginnings are quick to point to November 26, 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia where the first formal meeting of the sons and daughters of Bali in the United States took place.

Since then, the commitment Ni Victor Gomia of BCA to her prized ideals has remained paramount; it has remained significantly unchallenged. For twenty five years, BCA-USA has sought to provide support for and promote fraternal relations among all peoples of Chamba heritage as well as friends of Bali throughout the United States. The organization has also been actively engaged in development projects in Bali and in the United States. Evidence of BCA’s achievements in the diaspora and back home is palpable, and the bourgeoning BCA-Youth Branch particularly speaks to the deep-seated, salutary will in the successive leaderships of the organization to maintain the umbilical ties to the motherland in an age when progenies too often become global citizens with a foggy (if any) sense of belonging to the roots. Such an existential state of affairs is testimony to why it will take a dreadful mess-up to taint the mission of the organization by perpetrating parochial, hegemonic worthiness.

Undeniably, BCA was borne of the unsettling and often haunting effects of voluntary uprooting of a people from their ancestral land to new communities in the diaspora where fully integrating and being genuinely accepted are as daunting as coming to terms with the severity of the truncated ties orchestrated by the very act of being uprooted. BCA has demonstrably acclimated to this with unbridled fortitude, for open-shirt condescension is unBali; and the reason is simple; The Balis are seldom known to be that complex labyrinthine web of annotations, thought images and human meanings that are at the whims and caprices of others. They would not play the role of enthusiastic running dogs; preferably, they tend to cloak in virtue and honor rather than grovel and wheedle in depravity.

Indeed, the Balis are brought up to shun progress

Victor Gomia Victor N. Gomia, Ph.D Associate Professor Department of English and Foreign Languages Delaware State University

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WELCOME TO THE 2013 CONVENTION. WELCOME TO ATLANTA

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organizing this convention.

From all perspectives the convention will offer you your money’s worth. By attending this Silver Jubilee, you are saving money because you are going to relax, have a blast, spend quality time with friends and family and discover Atlanta. In choosing this venue we first considered your safety and then your comfort.

Ma Kuna Nukuna-Vanyounga With this location, you are getting the best of both worlds.

Dear South Eastern The South Eastern Chapter Chapter Members, affiliates, ladies took out time to select Friends and Well Wishers: healthy and delicious food I have the single pleasure choices that will bring joy to your to welcome you to the 2013 taste buds. The men made sure BCA-USA Convention aka Silver the selection of drinks represents Jubilee taking place under the caliber of Bali people we are. the auspices of South Eastern The welcome dinner on Thursday Chapter with head quarters night has been generously in Atlanta, home of the CNN, offered by BCA-USA and South Coca cola and 1996 Olympics. I Eastern Chapter to make sure congratulate you and thank you you get nothing but the best or for the financial and material our Southern Hospitality. The sacrifices you have made to Monday BBQ will be hosted by attend this historic Convention.

South Eastern Chapter as a way I would like us to take this Silver to usher you all to the end a Jubilee Convention as a time festive weekend. I thank them for us to truly reconcile and for their love and commitment. celebrate our uniqueness as Bali The coming of His Royal people.

Highness is one of the high lights Our chapter, the National of this Silver Jubilee. Ba will be Convention Planning Committee here to grace the celebration as and the National Executive had the custodian of our rich culture. a cordial relationship and very We are calling on sons and fruitful discuss that have resulted daughters of Bali to bring along into what you are now witnessing their friends and well wishers today. I will take this opportunity to witness history being made to thank all the South Eastern during this weekend in Atlanta.

Chapter members for their We welcome His Royal Highness dedication and commitment in and his entourage to our city and

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promise to make their stay as comfortable and memorable as we possibly can.

The deliberations will be punctuated with breaks and celebratory activities. Take time to appreciate your friends and family present or visit our pool tables, swimming pools or other fine place around the corners from the hotel. End the days with Story Telling Night, Exercise, Silver Night, General Assembly, Gala Night, Cultural Night and BBQ. There will be fun filled activities for kids under the supervision of some paid friends of Bali and some paid Bali youths.

However, the parents will be fully responsible for their kids.

I hope that you will find the atmosphere very conducive for discussions and that this Silver Jubilee will produce tangible results that will impact future generations.

I wish you a peaceful and joyous stay here!

To all members of The South Eastern Chapter, Executives and Convention Planning Committee, “Thank You” is not enough but it is all I have for you. Join me in welcoming the delegates, friends and well wishers to our Silver Jubilee.

Winifred Nyemkuna NukunaVanyounga President, South Eastern Chapter Chair, Convention Planning Committee Vice President-BCA-USA

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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Dear BCA-USA Family, n behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Bali Cultural Association –USA (BCA-USA), I extend a warm welcome to the 2013 Annual National Convention. This year, we are celebrating 25 years of steady growth, innovation and continuous progress in BCA-USA. Please join me to extend our deep gratitude and appreciation to our founding members, most of who are here with us at this Silver Jubilee Celebration.

They sowed the seed, which in 25 years, has bloomed into a pacesetting organization within the Cameroonian diaspora.

We are great today, because of our spirit of solidarity, our unwavering commitment and service to our community, and above all our collective appreciation and celebration of our rich cultural heritage.

Celebrating 25 Years of cultural Heritage in USA The theme of this year’s convention is “Celebrating 25 Years of Cultural Heritage in USA”. BCA USA was founded on a vision to bring together all

delegation participated in the first ever BCA Europe convention in Berlin. The visit enabled the BCA-USA leadership to begin laying ground work for possible collaboration between BCA USA and BCA Germany.

In December 2012, BCA-USA undertook a historic visit to the Fondoms of Bali Gham and Bali Kumbat respectively where our delegation was accorded a very warm and cordial reception.

The objective of these visits was to congratulate the recently enthroned Fon’s on their respective ascension to the throne.

• Fundraising: We have implemented an innovative fundraising strategy through the BCA-USA 5 K HIV/AIDS Walk online fundraising initiative. With over $60,000 raised by close to 100 committed and enthusiastic fundraisers, this initiative is quite simply the largest and most successful fundraising drive ever undertaken by BCA. It has raised more money than any other fundraising BCA-USA has ever undertaken. Not only has it enabled us to diversify our donor base for the Bali Multipurpose Center (MPC), but by engaging close to 2000 donors in different parts of the world, it has highlighted the work of BCA to a broader audience. Thanks to all these donors, we have continued to make steady progress with the construction of the MPC. We are deeply grateful to all the fundraisers who embraced this initiative and the donors who gave so generously to make this fundraising drive the success that it is.

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Ni Alex Ngati (Ba Sam)

daughters and sons of Bali in the USA to celebrate our diverse cultural heritage. The theme for this convention is a salute to that vision. For the past 25 years we have done that and much more.

The convention is an opportunity for us to commemorate an important milestone in the life of our association; to celebrate the cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity that are part of the Bali heritage; and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to our homeland. Consistent with the theme of the convention, we are honored to have His Royal Highness, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III, the Fon of Bali Nyonga as our Keynote Speaker at this convention.

It is almost a year now, that we took over the affairs of managing our association; we have worked hard to continue and expand on the work begun by the previous administration.

As I had long predicted, the path was not going to be easy and sure enough, it has been sometimes rough. But slowly and surely, we are forging ahead. I am pleased to say that the state of our association is strong! We have continued to honor the legacy of celebrating our rich cultural heritage. At the same time, we have never ceased to grow, to innovate or to advance. Indeed, the BCA-USA we have today is an impressive testimony of this vision.

With your support, we have been able to realize several key accomplishments in the past year: • Partner engagement: In August 2012, a BCA-USA

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• Membership: We embarked on a bold and comprehensive program geared at not only boosting our membership but on retaining existing members. During the current BCA-USA financial year, we succeeded to have more people pay their membership dues in the first half of the year than at any time in BCA history.

We will continue to work hard to ensure the retention of these members, while looking at other strategies at increasing the membership for next year.

This significant achievement would not have been possible without the drive and energy of members of the Membership Committee and their co-chairs - Ni Julius Mbotiji and Ma Doris Galabe. Thank you all for your service. Through updates and quarterly town hall meetings, we have continued to work towards keeping our membership informed and engaged in all affairs of the association.

• Health: Under our administration, there has been a renewed focus on the health of BCA-USA members. Through providing monthly health promotion information to members, the Health Committee chaired by Ni Nubia Kaba and Ma Bridget Kaspa has contributed to raising awareness within the BCA-USA membership and the Bali community as a whole. In addition, the Health Committee undertook the first ever survey on the health and health information needs of BCA members. Results of the survey will guide the committee’s 6

program development and implementation for the coming year.

• Youth engagement: Under the leadership of the first elected BCA-USA Youth Wing President, Ni Langmia Fonjoe, our youths have become more engaged in BCA-USA affairs than at any other time in our history. This year, the BCA Youth executives have worked to create youth chapter representatives in some of our chapters and have been very active in fundraising for our flag ship project through a successful wristband fundraising drive. Indeed, if anyone doubted or was not optimistic on the future our association, please doubt no more. These young individuals are energized, multitalented and enthusiastic about this association. They need our support and encouragement in making sure that there is no child left behind.

• Financial management: Under our administration, the BCA treasury has worked hard to put in place a robust financial management system.

We have continued to promote transparency and accountability by publishing the BCA financial reports quarterly. We have also centralized the disbursement of major expenses through the treasury.

• Organizing a royal visit: This year, we restructured the adhoc committee that was mandated by the previous administration, to coordinate the visit of HRH Ganyonga III to the USA as Guest of Honor at our Silver Jubilee Celebration.

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The committee, comprised primarily of Tahkums (Cultural Group Heads / Presidents) and some notables across the US, was headed by Ma Kuna Njorwir until November 2012 and has been chaired by Ba Nkom Gwanbila Fobesi since then. This committee has worked tirelessly to raise funds, and coordinate the logistics to make this historic visit a reality. They have exceeded all expectations to ensure that His Majesty, and his entourage, have a befitting welcome and reception here in Atlanta as well as a successful visit with other chapters of the association. We are very grateful to Ba Fobesi and the Tahkums for their relentlessness and resilience in coordinating this effort.

Dear members, these are some of the highlights of what we have been able to accomplish with your support. Thank you for all your commitment and support. With your continuing commitment and support, we will be able to accomplish more.

Over the last 11 months, the 2013 Convention Planning Committee has worked extremely hard to put together a convention weekend program that has something for everyone.

Chaired by Ma Kuna Vanyounga, the President of the hosting chapter, our South Eastern Chapter, and our National Vice President, I know of no woman in BCA-USA who works harder!

This committee has done an outstanding job, and the testimony lies in what we are experiencing here for this long weekend. The longs hours of

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT befitting and worthy presentation for our Silver Jubilee Celebrations. This year, they have built on the success of last year’s Thursday Welcome Night to include inter-chapter competitions in folktales and riddles all in Mungaka. As you all know, oral folktales occupy a special place in African history and this Thursday Night is indeed, a celebration of that tradition. As for the Sunday Night Cultural Jamboree, the Cultural Committee is raising the bar, with artistic performances and traditional dance competitions.

Over the convention weekend, the Health Committee which is organizing the 5K Walk in partnership with the Fundraising Committee, is also launching the first ever BCA-USA Biggest Looser contest – an initiative aimed at motivating BCA members to stay healthy. I urge you all to get involved in this as part of a commitment to personal health and wellness.

Dear members, the success that we have realized as an organization, have been in part, due to the solid foundation built by our founding members, the steadfastness of past administrations, the inspiring service of our current national executive committee, and more profoundly the unwavering commitment and support of you our members. I want to especially thank and welcome all our new members for 2012/2013 year. Profuse thanks too to our members who have been very consistent and steadfast in their membership and support to the association from the outset. Without you, BCA-USA will not be where it is today. You are the reason, we are here today. Your unwavering commitment is the reason we are the pacesetters for Cameroonian cultural organizations in the Diaspora. You are the reason why we enjoy this unrivalled spirit of solidarity, commitment and service to our community. We have grown and will continue to do so. I humbly ask that every son and daughter of our Chamba heritage get on board.

Together, we can and will achieve more.

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planning, passionate / emotional debates, and sometimes, fiercely too, have certainly paid off. It takes a special heart to be part of this committee, and you all had that heart and my profuse thanks go to you all.

For the Silver Jubilee Celebration, our committees have worked untiringly to ensure that we all have a memorable convention weekend.

Our Social and Awards Committee has sought to address the much needed hospitality needs of our members and guests during this celebration, with a special focus on our little ones. Chaired by Ma Lilian Fomunung and Ma Patience Fofung, this restructured committee is not only playing a very pivotal role in coordinating social aspects of our Silver Jubilee celebrations, but has been very instrumental in mentoring our Youth Wing created last year at the May 2012 Minnesota Convention.

Our Youth Wing has spent a good part of the year planning various events that will appeal to youths during the convention weekend. Highlights of their activities this weekend includes Volunteer Work in the Community, Youth General Assembly, Youth Gala, and launching of the Youth Pageant where Ni/Ma BCA-USA will be crowned. As we celebrate BCA-USA’s successes and growth, marking our 25 years of existence, the purpose, the talents, the zeal, the dynamism and the activities of this BCA-USA Youth Wing, point to one thing: the best is yet to come!

The Publication Committee chaired by Ni Victor Gomia has worked very hard to put together this special BCA-USA Silver Jubilee Magazine – The BCA-USA Mirror. They have overcome all the odds in collecting and arranging reports not only from Committee Chairs and chapter Presidents, but from BCA-USA past Presidents, past Keynote / guest speakers, and the Founding Members. Today, we have a magazine unlike any, in the history of BCA-USA, in that it showcases and celebrates our 25 years of existence in words and pictures. It is a must have as Silver Jubilee comes only once in a life time. My sincere thanks to all members of this committee. I know how much time and effort it takes to produce a magazine of this caliber.

The Cultural Committee chaired by Ni Charles Tamon, has been worked tirelessly to ensure a

Happy Silver Jubilee to you!

Alex Koila Ngati President, BCA-USA

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EFFECTIVENESS & EFFICIENCY

Ni Clarence Ndangam

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BCA-USA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is comprised of the elected executives, chapter presidents; and appointed committee chairs and co-chairs of 12 standing committees).

The current NEC is composed of 32 individuals and meets on a regular basis via monthly conference calls. In addition to conference calls, NEC members are also expected to attend the annual Leadership Summit.

For the past year, the NEC has sought to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in conducting business and in also implementing BCA-USA strategic initiatives.

Soon after taking over office, members of the NEC quickly developed and adopted a Standard NEC “Operations Norms Guidelines”.

The 10-Points Document captures amongst others: expectations of NEC members with regards to call attendance, communications, budgeting etc. Since implementing these, the guidelines have helped shape NEC conduct and overall effectiveness.

Participation in NEC meetings has also been steady. Between 8

August 2012 and May 2013, a total eight regular monthly NEC meetings have been organized.

In addition, there have been four extra-ordinary NEC Meetings during the same period.

Out of the 12 NEC meetings, attendance has averaged 70% with Executive participation at 90%, Committee Chairs 65% and Chapter Presidents 50%.

Special Recognition to Ma Kuna Vanyounga, Ma Marie Nangah, Ni Clarence Ndangam, Ni Nubia Kaba, Ba Nkom Gwanbila Fobesi and Ni Charlie Tamon for perfect attendance (100%) of NEC calls.

Nevertheless, the participation of chapter presidents in NEC meeting remains relatively low compared to those of committee chairs Chapter presidents remain a crucial link between the NEC and members. At such, their participation at NEC meetings is important. Below are few highlights from the NEC during the past year: In the fall, the Financial Team created and implemented A Financial Guidelines for managing the Budgeting Process and Financial Transactions. Both documents have been key to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of NEC Meetings as well as the handling of finances, especially budgets. The new rigorous budget process was implemented with each Committee Chair having to defend their committee budget.

In the end - The final budget approved was much lower than the initial budgets submitted.

In the past year, the NEC has also sort to lead by example!

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100% of NEC Members have paid their membership dues – the vast majority of these were paid

by August 2012. NEC members have also led by example in championing BCA-USA’s historic fundraising drive: the BCA 5K AIDS Walk initiative. 94% of NEC Members participated in the 5k Walk Fundraising initiative and together they raised slightly over $30,000 between them with members of the Executive raising 35% of that amount.

The NEC has also been at the forefront of strengthening BCAUSA’s engagement with partners in Bali and Europe. In August 2012, the President , Ba Sam Alex Ngati led an entourage of BCA USA members (including several NEC Members: Ni Clarence Ndangam, President Ni Julius Ndangam, Ma Bea Tangeh, Ba Nkom GwanbidpuaTangeh, Ni Edwin Fogam) to attend the first ever BCA Europe Convention in Berlin, Germany. Overall, it was a very successful visit and helped strengthen collaboration between BCA USA and BCA Germany In November 2012, the Oklahoma chapter hosted a very successful Mini Convention in Oklahoma City. The Miniconvention was well attended with BCA members coming from as far as California and Georgia.

There were two virtual Townhall Meetings held in the past year (in December and March) with BCA-USA members. Membership participation in both Townhalls was relatively low. The townhall meetings are an important avenue for members to get

WITHIN BCA-USA’S NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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Quarterly Townhalls (July, October , January, April) Improve Communication & Transparency (Monthly NEC Updates, Quarterly Financial Reports) Strengthen Collaboration with Chapters (Executive Visits to Chapters) Increase member participation in Decision Making Renew BCA USA Vision – especially focused over the next 5-10 Years Goals.

Revision of Several Provisions of Our ByLaws to Empower Chapters (for example: incl. Membership Dues Split with Local Chapter, Convention Proceeds Split etc) Introduction of “Nkap Ntod” Concept

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Ni Clarence Ndangam Secretary General, BCA USA

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updates about the association and also question the leadership about issues facing the association.

The President and select members of NEC (including Ma Maggie Galega-Yongho, Ni Charles Tamon, Ma Kuna Vanyounga, Ma Beatric Tangeh, Ma Lilian Sibedwo, Ni Alfred Sibedwo, Ni Julius Ndangam) undertook a successful trip in December 2012 to Cameroon, which included visits to Bali Kumbat and Bali Gham as well as hosting a Fundraising Gala in Yaounde and holding a major Townhall meeting with community leaders in Bali.

The Secretary General, Ni Clarence Ndangam and Project Committee Chair, Ni Kenneth Gwanmesia visited BCA Ontario, Canada in Feb 2013 and attended a key meeting during which their constitution was adopted. The trip also served to promote relations with BCA Canada.

Outlook for the next Year Ahead • Develop and Implement a comprehensive Membership and Fundraising Database • Improve Effectiveness and Attendance of

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FROM THE CORNERS OF SOUTH EASTERN CHAPTER

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Greetings to all members of BCA-USA. Our chapter has started the year strong especially with us being the home of the Silver Jubilee. We have had very exciting happenings within our state. We have had engagements, new babies, graduations and at the same time, we have had illnesses and deaths. We accept all of these as part of life and we are moving forward this year thanking God for all he has done for us.

During our most recent monthly meeting, we were honored to have two new members join our chapter. Our monthly meetings have been highlighted by our cultural corner where we have been able to learn many new procedures on how to respond and act around certain dignitaries especially the Fon. To welcome our brothers and sisters, we are very excited; our city is informed and cannot wait to see what Bali people have to offer after 25years. Our shout out for this month goes to Ndatot-GA for paying their Fon's contribution at a 100%

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Kuna Nukuna-Vanyounga Chapter President

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FUNDRAISING AND THE BCA-USA MISSION undertaken by BCA.

Ma Lilian Ndangam Fokwang

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The BCA Fundraising Committee (FRC) is mandated to raise funds on behalf of the association through organizing fundraising events, writing grants and implementing other innovative fundraising strategies. Originally structured as a fundraising and membership committee (2000- 2004), in 2004 the existing BCA library project was revised and reconceptualised into a larger multipurpose community centre project encompassing a conference centre, a wellness clinic, and internet café, and community library. The shift in focus to a Bali Multipurpose Centre (MPC) prompted a rethink and strategizing on how to raise the necessary funds to finance what was then estimated to be a $300,000 project. As a result, the existing fundraising and membership committee was split into two standalone committees: a Membership Committee to focus on recruiting, engaging and retaining members, and a Fundraising Committee concentrated on raising funds to support the association’s many projects. Indeed, in the last several years, the FRC’s fundraising has focused on raising funds to complete what is arguably the largest project ever 10

The fundraising committee has continued to honour that vision.

From the red carpet interviews, to photos on the backdrop to fine dining and great entertainment, each year, we have sought to raise the bar higher. In 2010, the BCA leadership introduced convention packages as innovative way to host conventions. Working in partnership with the membership and convention planning committee respectively, the fundraising committee aligned to incorporate an automatic donation to the MPC from two of these packages. A convention

Event fundraising: A glamourous make over A project of the size of the Bali Multipurpose demanded creative fundraising strategies.

Step in Ma Liga Mutia! In 2006, thinking outside the box, former BCA-USA Secretary General, Ma Liga Mutia successfully spearheaded a plan to dedicate an evening of the convention weekend singularly to raising funds for the multipurpose centre project. For the price of $100 per head, guests at the event will be treated to “luxury, elegance, sophistication, breath-taking entertainment with exquisite banquet and ‘We must not play safe bar service. The night will and come out average, but comprise of a catered dinner, live entertainment, fundraising we must raise the bar and and dance. Not to mention the soar higher’. Ma Liga Mutia, March distinguished VIPs who will be 9 2006 present and with whom we can all network,” wrote Ma Liga Mutia in March 2006. The rest, as they say is history. The annual Night of gold package of $250 will Glamour hosted on the Friday of include a $100 donation towards the convention has since become the MPC whilst a Diamond VIP a staple of the BCA convention, package of $1500 will include a replacing the traditional welcome $1000 donation to the MPC. In evening that was usually hosted addition to the packages, free in the home of a member of will donations during the Night the local hosting chapter. The of Glamour have significantly fundraising event is hugely helped with increasing the funds popular with BCA members and raised through the event. In convention guests who enjoy 2010, we sold six Diamond VIP the glamour and ambiance of packages. The following year, 17 the evening. Till date, it remains Diamond VIP packages were sold BCA’s biggest fundraising event. bringing in $17,000 for the MPC. Writing in 2006, Ma Liga noted Till date, the annual fundraising ‘We must not play safe and dinner remains the single most come out average, but we must profitable fundraising event raise the bar and soar higher’. hosted by the committee.

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FUNDRAISING AND THE BCA-USA MISSION community hall in in December 2011 successfully raised over $20,000 for the MPC. More importantly, it engaged a lot of people in Bali about the work BCA USA is doing in Bali. A similar fundraising event was hosted in Yaoundé in December 2012.

Online Fundraising: The BCAMatching and in-kind USA 5K AIDS Walk donations As part of its fundraising Our fundraising efforts have strategy for 2012-2013, our also benefited from the creativity committee initiated an online and generosity of BCA members fundraising and donation who have variously made use campaign highlighting the health of their respective company’s component of the multipurpose matching donations schemes. centre. The “BCA 5K AIDS For instance Ba Joe Fomukong Walk” employed a specialized (TransCanada), Ni Nyugha Caspa web-based fundraising and (Bank of America), Ma Eva Caspa donations software to facilitate (Sprint) has respectively made the creation of individual and use of these giving options. The group fundraising pages which committee has will then be Close to 80 individuals used to target also benefitted from many in- and teams had signed up and solicit kind donations donations for the 5K AIDS walk and over the years online from raised close to $75,000 – including $5000 people within worth of solar surpassing our original goal our various panels for the networks.

MPC pledged of $50,000.

Informing

by Ni Martin this initiative Caspa of California in 2011. was the need to tap into a donor base outside BCA’s membership Engaging a Broader Audience yet still involve the membership.

In the last few years, our This innovative fundraising committee has been driven strategy was embraced by by the need to reach out to the BCA membership with an audience and a donor many signing up and actively base beyond the BCA-USA fundraising through their membership. To this end, in 2011 extended networks. By May under the leadership of Ni Alex 2013, close to 80 individuals and Ngati, the committee embarked teams had signed up for the 5K on a bold plan to host the first AIDS walk and raised close to ever BCA fundraising event in $75,000 – surpassing our original Bali. The event hosted at the Bali goal of $50,000. For the first

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Grants and proposals Between 2010 and 2012, a sub-committee of the FRC responsible for grants, researched and made inquiries to several foundations and organizations seeking support for the project.

Regrettably, several of the

foundations contacted were interested in funding programme initiatives and not capital projects such as the MPC (for instance Ford Foundation & Rockefeller Foundation). The committee remains committed to exploring grant opportunities as a source of funding for the MPC.

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Capital Campaigns: Raising for the Finish In 2009, under the stewardship of then committee chair Ba Nji Fonjoe, the committee launched a four year capital campaign plan targeted at raising funds to complete the construction of the MPC. The campaign dubbed the ‘Raise for the Finish” capital campaign plan built on a blue print of a capital campaign fundraising plan developed in

by Ni Wob Fomunung during his term at the helm of the committee. As an incentive to donors, the campaign developed cumulative giving levels and donor recognition. For this campaign, donor recognition includes customized bricks which will be displayed at the MPC on completion (1 brick for every $1000 donated by an individual or group), plaques and a donor recognition book which will be displayed at the centre. In addition to these, the committee in 2011 introduced a donor recognition awards to appreciate and celebrate its donors during the convention. These awards are handed out during the annual Night of Glamour fundraising dinner at the Bronze, Silver and Diamond donation levels.

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FUNDRAISING AND THE BCA-USA MISSION

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time in BCA-USA history, we are diversifying sources of funding heading to a convention with and the failure of donors to more money raised than BCA has honour their pledged donations ever raised in an entire year. This Between 2006 and would not have been possible without the inspiring dedication 2012, close to $150,000 of committee members, the in pledged donations commitment and drive of our remains unpaid fundraisers and the amazing generosity of over 1000 donors spread across the world. Thank made at different events.

Between 2006 and 2012, close to For the first time in $150,000 in pledged BCA-USA history, we are donations remains heading to a convention unpaid – this despite the best efforts of the with more money raised committee to follow than BCA has ever raised in up with donors.

The committee an entire year. will continue to explore, identify and implement you all sincerely. innovative fundraising on behalf of the association. Some The outlook The highlights outlined here initiatives under consideration are just part of the committee’s include corporate donations, grant proposals and ongoing recent history. The committee faces several challenges. strategic fundraising events.

These include the reliance on Thriving on volunteerism event based fundraising, the The achievements of the need to avoid donor fatigue fundraising committee have been by continuously working partly Committee members 2012 – 2013 1. Ni Henry Fofang 2. Ma Lilian Ndangam Fokwang (Chair) 3. Ni Langmia Fonjoe 4. Ni Chris Fokumlah 5. Ma Patricia Kaba 6. Ma Mary Nangah 7. Ni Clarence Ndangam 8. Ni Alex Ngati (Ba Sam) 9. Ma Vicky Takam 10. Ma Lilian Sibedwo 11. Ba Titamohkumi 12. Ma Kuna Vanyounga

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due to the collective efforts of the BCA members who have volunteered to serve in the committee as well as those who have headed the committee.

Previous committee chairs include Ba Nkom Gwanpidpua Tangeh and Vice Chair, Ni Richard Tita Fombon (2000 – 2002), Ma Dihan Daiga (2002 – 2004), Ni Wobyeba Fomunung (2004 -2008), Ba Fonjoe Nji & Ma Bridget Voma (2008 – 2010) and Ni Alex Ngati (Ba Sam) (2010 – 2012). Driven by strong commitment to fundraising, past and current committee members have continued to work hard to develop fundraising strategies that will serve the committee’s mandate. Their efforts notwithstanding, the continued support and generosity of BCA’s members and supporters remain the linchpin of the committee’s success till date.

We are immensely grateful to all who have supported the BCA’s fundraising over these years.

Without you, it would not be possible. Thank you.

BCA-USA 5K AIDS WALK: CLOSE TO $75,000 RAISED IN 7 MONTHS Our goal was to raise $50,000.

We surpassed that! Thank you to all fundraisers, teams and donors. Thank you for your commitment, your drive and most of all your generosity.

Together we made history!

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3 4 5

7

9

TOTAl

May 20, 2013 BCA-USA MIRROR

1320

1100 1000 400 175 175 75

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Amount 1550

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Team Fundraiser BCA USA - Dallas Chapter Divine's (Ba Tita Jani's) Fundraising Page Nkumu Fed Fed Texas Team Getbless Nkumu Fed Fed Washington DC Andin Folabit's Fundraising Page Nagella Nukuna's Fundraising Page Lima Family Fundraising Team Sibedwo Fundraising Page

$175.00 $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 $120.00 $120.00 $100.00 $75.00 $50.00 $45.00 $35.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $20.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00

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Yvonne Dan Liga Sophie Yeti Joe Eric Gima Derrick Charles Marcel

1

Nyuga Patrick Justine Kalang Sopo Clyde Angela Bridget Anne Gabby Evangeline Evangeline Goddy Victor Paul Eric Louis Kuja Jesica Michael Elizabeth

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$1,820.00 $1,690.00 $1,520.00 $1,310.00 $1,295.00 $1,250.00 $1,190.00 $1,060.00 $1,030.00 $1,015.00 $1,010.00 $830.00 $750.00 $735.00 $700.00 $660.00 $585.00 $550.00 $504.00 $415.00 $400.00 $345.00 $305.00 $230.00 $225.00 $220.00 $195.00 $175.00

Caspa Tita Fogam Fondong Ngwa Fomunung Gwanyalla Kisob Kaspa Tita Njinimbot Fogam Caspa Fofang Gomia Mfonfu Fogam Gwanyama Gwanyama Njambed Njambed

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Teresa Cyprian Mary & Pam Fomunung Martha & George Nubea Kehbila Roland Justine & David Tofig & Juliet Irene Patience and Muted Edwin & Lylian Fidelis & Agnes Marie Vicky Jennee-Stella Bobga Nicholas & Beatrice

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

O F

Total $6,559.00 $3,050.00 $3,025.00 $3,015.00 $2,700.00 $2,695.00 $2,520.00 $2,405.00 $2,370.00 $2,285.00 $2,075.00 $2,060.00 $2,022.00 $2,010.00 $2,005.00 $1,973.00 $1,910.00

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TOTAL

First Name Ben & Frida Peter Margaret Clarence & Helen Julius & Magdalene Alex & Hannah Kenneth & Marie Winifred Henry & Florence Chris Dinga Juliet & Geobila Patricia & Nubia Lilian & Wob Moses & Kuna Eveline Lilian

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18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

Last Name Fokum Fokum Galega Ndangam Ndangam Ngati Gwanmesia Vanyounga Fofang Fokumlah Nfon Dangoh Kaba Fomunung Tita Gwaabe Ndangam Fokwang Gwanfogbe Fusi Nangah Benyalla Lima Ba Fobesi Njafuh Gana Tita Fofung Fogam KASPA Fongwa Takam Tekwe Fomunung Tangeh Fonjoe Pefok Gwanfogbe Mutia Fomuso Tuma Fomukong Gwanyalla Fossem Tamon Galega

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

The BCA-USA 5K walk has emerged as the largest and most successful fundraising drive ever undertaken by BCA. It all happened because of you our donors and fundraisers. We are deeply grateful to you. You did it!

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(5/20/2013)

$73,868.00

$73,868.00 13

SILVER JUBILEE WEEKEND PROGRAM THURSDAY MAY 23RD

SUNDAY MAY 26TH 11am Non-denominational Prayer Service

7pm Welcome Night Story Telling, Riddles & More

BCA Youth Swag Sunday

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Dress code: African attire!

Lateness = Door fine FRIDAY MAY 24TH

MONDAY MAY 27TH

9am- 12noon BCA 5K AIDS Walk

BBQ @ the Park We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary

1pm BCA Youths Community Service

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7pm Annual Cultural Evening

Come enjoy a weekend of festivities, reflections and more!

6pm - 2am The Silver Night (Annual Fundraising Dinner) Dinner @8pm prompt! ~~~~~~~ Dress code: Silver and Black SATURDAY MAY 25TH 9:00 - 12:00 Annual General Meeting BCA Youths General Assembly 1pm - 4pm 25 Years of Celebrating our Culture

Thank you to our sponsors

8pm Silver Jubilee Soiree (Annual Party) BCA Youth Black & Gold Gala 14

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

The Fogam Family: Sponsorship in Loving Memory of Late Ma Maggie Fogam Law Offices of Fogam and Associates

NKUMU FED FED, TEXAS

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BCA-USA MIRROR

THE BALI MULTIPURPOSE CENTER (MPC) PROJECT: OVERVIEW

Ba Gwankudvalla Nubea Lima

Project Recap/ History

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As we gear up for BCAUSA’s Silver Jubilee celebration in my home city, Atlanta, GA, we have been taking stock of the Association’s last 25 years of existence and reminiscing through archived photographs of past conventions. It is only befitting that I provide a brief recap of BCA-USA’s largest project to date, the ongoing MPC project in Njenka, Bali.

The project was conceived several years back as a library project, but the vision was later broadened into a multipurpose center to include the following aspects: • Community library • Computer learning center • Internet cafe • HIV/AIDS and health awareness center • Multifunction convention center • Future youth recreational center/ sports center A project of this magnitude is undoubtedly a huge undertaking for BCA-USA. The project went through a period of “growing pains” and overcame several challenges in the beginning.

The first major challenge was when we realized that initial construction contract prepared by local representatives of the Association in Bali was not going to work for us. BCA-USA decided to cancel the contract and negotiate the current 16

contract subsequently with the Contractor. Another setback occurred when the land of the original construction site, donated by the Bali Council was suddenly withdrawn after BCAUSA had invested considerable money and time into it. BCAUSA took immediate action to seek its own land. We ended up purchasing a larger piece of land at the current site.

The Construction Contract The new construction contract was signed between BCA-USA and PRODECO – Cameroon on March 26, 2010 at the BANDECA Head Office in Bali Nyonga. In this contract, the Contractor builds the center as a turnkey project (in phases) per the building plans and specifications for a fixed fee that includes all labor, technical equipment, and material. The project is broken into several phases that are each assigned a “lump sum” fee being the prenegotiated price for the phase.

The Contractor is responsible for purchase of material, storage, and other aspects. BCA-USA pays for work based on work progress as the different milestones are completed, inspected, and approved by BCA’s agents. The Association does not pay for any work not completed.

The estimated overall duration of the construction was four years and the total budget was estimated at $600,000 US dollars (300,000,000 Franc, CFA). This includes payments to the Contractor, and salaries/ allowances of BCA-USA’s onsite staff, and other expenses such as land purchase, land title fees, etc.

The project was divided into nine phases and Phase WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

One construction started in April 2010. This phase involved mobilization and site installation (site office, material, personnel, equipment etc) site study, bulldozing, water and electricity connections, erection of project sign boards, work planning and installation of storage facilities.

Phase Two construction was the foundation work, and it was completed in November 2010.

This phase involved activities such as the following: setting out, excavation work, reinforced concrete work (to cast footings), reinforced concrete work (to cast foundation beams and columns), stone masonry work, and soil backfilling and compaction.

The next phase was construction of the convention hall section (referred to in the Contract as Building I), and it was completed in June 2012, excluding the roofing. The roofing of Building I was deferred to be erected at once with the roofing of Building II as the buildings are interconnected.

Work Progress Since the last Convention (May 2012 to May 2013) Phase four, the construction of the library and computer/ office building (referred to as Building II) is underway.

It was begun after BCAUSA’s convention last year in Minneapolis, MN. The attached photographs show the evolution of construction from ground breaking till present. It is clear that much progress has been made, but a great deal of work is yet to be done.

Project Team in Bali The building construction company is PRODECO,

MULTIPURPOSE CENTER (MPC) The attached MPC flowchart depicts BCA-USA’s structure for managing this project and shows how the team in Bali interacts with BCA-USA. Information flow is via a single point of contact, the MPC Project Manager (PM), Ba Gwankudvalla Nubea Lima.

MPC Committee Members

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** Indicates members present from the creation of the committee till date

Ma Liga Mutia Yanou is the committee’s legal counsel. Some BCA-USA executives (National President, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary) have joined committee discussions as required over the years. The immediate past president, Ni Julius Ndangam who is currently our Webmaster has been a committee member before, and still calls in from time to time to offer valuable input. The National Secretary, Ni Clarence Ndangam has also offered significant contributions to the committee as a past member.

I am very grateful for this group of people who freely offer

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The MPC committee in the US is the group that has been responsible for various aspects of this project for BCA-USA through the different stages. The MPC committee has undertaken the following aspects of the project: • Feasibility Studies • Project Definition • Preparation of Building Plans and Specifications • Construction Administration • Post Construction Planning During the project Feasibility Studies and Project Definition stages, the project evolved from a library to a multipurpose center. To prepare building plans, the MPC committee engaged an architectural firm in Bamenda, Cameroon. The committee also received recommendations and feedback from BCA-USA members with experience in the field.

In the Construction Administration phase, the committee’s role is to manage the construction and give progress reports to BCA-USA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and the general membership. The committee works closely with BCA-USA’s financial team to ensure that funds are transferred to Bali on schedule to meet the construction requirements.

The MPC committee also coordinates with BCA-USA’s

fundraising committee and assisted in designing the capital campaign that is projected to raise the bulk of the funds required for this project. The committee meets on a weekly basis and sometimes more often, depending on what is going on.

The committee also holds joint conference calls with the team in Bali periodically.

Membership in the committee is diverse. Several people of various backgrounds have served in this committee at different times, but a few have stayed the course from the beginning through the different stages. The following are the current members of the MPC: • Ba Gwankudvalla Nubea Lima (Committee Chair) ** • Ni Jella Kaspa (Committee Financial Secretary) ** • Dr. Wob Fomunung ** • Ba Moses Tita Mohkumi ** • Doh Geka Banyuga Pefok • Ba Nketi Vincent Gwanyama

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Cameroon, owned by a Bali man, Ba Njimbungsah George Gamua.

BCA-USA has a hired local team to monitor the work and represent us locally.

The team is headed by a Construction Manager (CM), retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Fomuso. The CM serves as BCA-USA’s primary representative there during construction. In his absence (when he took a “sabbatical” leave), Ba Nyamsenkwen fulfilled that role as Acting Construction Manager (ACM). The ACM was retained subsequently (at a reduced rate) for continuity and backup. Another key role in this project is that of the Quality Control Consultant (QCC) held

by Ba Dohvoma Vincent. He is responsible for monitoring and quality control of the project. Ba Dohvoma is a certified engineer with a Master’s Degree. He inspects the work and makes recommendations for approval.

He rejects any work that does not conform to the contract or to industry quality standards.

Other members of the team in Bali include the Resident Site Inspector (RSI), Ni Jude Wuvalla who works under the QCC and the Secretary, Ms Patience Ngum.

The RSI is required to be on site every day that construction work is done and he coordinates his assignments closely with the QCC. I am proud of these individuals who each have detailed responsibilities. The overall success of the project depends on how well they execute their different roles.

Although they are each paid a monthly allowance, they also have a vested interest in this project being that they are from the local community.

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MULTIPURPOSE CENTER (MPC) COMMITTEE REPORT much of their time and talents to this project. When they travel to Bali for any reason, they often dedicate much time there to the MPC project.

Finances

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BCA-USA has spent 114 Million Francs, CFA on the MPC project from inception to date. During the last fiscal year (from the last convention), we spent 36.5 Million Francs, CFA. So far, BCA-USA’s fundraising has stayed ahead of MPC spending; we haven’t had to stop work because of lack of funds.

BCA-USA has two bank accounts in Cameroon. The account at the MC2 Bank in Bali is dedicated to the MPC project.

BCA-USA’s treasurer in Cameroon, Ma Helen Fohtung, works with the financial team here to manage that account. Payments are made directly from BCA-USA’s account to the Contractor’s account in the same bank. Ma Helen is also responsible to pay the monthly allowances of the MPC team members in Bali, upon approval from the US. Challenges The QCC’s role as one who rejects work is by nature adversarial to the Contractor, and therefore their working relationship has sometimes been challenging to manage. In more than one occasion, tension between the two has resulted in confrontations that have necessitated intervention from the CM and the PM to resolve.

We also faced weather problems; primarily heavy rains that caused construction delays and presented erosion control challenges.

Other challenges have come from questions in the 18

interpretation of the building plans. Some portions of the building plans were found to be lacking certain essential details.

We invited the original structural engineer of record, Mr. Akongang Richard to clarify his intent, and sometimes prepare additional calculations and provide the missing details.

One of the walls of the library building (Building II) had to be rebuilt even before it was inspected and approved, causing some delay.

Construction work is progressing well overall, despite the challenges we face. These challenges are not unusual for a project of this magnitude, especially being that it is being executed across two continents.

Summary Update/ Outlook We are working on Building II construction. The Contractor has submitted some Requests for Information (RFI) that we are working on providing responses to. These RFIs pertain to structural support and roofing design issues.

We are also looking to incorporate some enhancements that will make the facility more accessible to the disabled. We plan to provide ramps to the building entrance to allow for wheelchair access. We also plan to provide wheelchair accessible toilets on the ground floor. The possibility exists to add an elevator in future (even after construction) if there is additional funding for it.

After building II construction is completed, the next major work will be to put up the roofing for both buildings.

While we are a long way from completing the construction work, it is not too soon to start post construction planning. We WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

have therefore had discussions on topics such as the following: • Landscaping of the Site • Equipping and Furnishing the Buildings • Standby Generator • Management and Staffing of the MPC Facility • Maintenance and Sustainability of the Center • Security We welcome any input from the general membership. I look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta.

Please enjoy the construction photo gallery. They speak a thousand words!

Nubea Lima (Ba Gwankudvalla)•

MPC IN PHOTOS

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BCA-USA MIRROR

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT

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The Publications Committee’s primary goal is to provide visibility and positive PR to the Ni Victor Gomia organization.

The committee has over the years strived to meet the following objectives: -Publish newsletters and/or magazines for the organization -Maintain and update the organization’s website.

-Produce marketing brochures that highlight past accomplishments of the organization -Publish the association’s almanac and calendar.

The importance of PR to BCA-USA was in the minds of the founding members of the organization as the first BCA-USA Newsletter was published a few days after the first meeting of the Bali sons and daughters in the United States in November 1986 in Atlanta, GA. Ba Nkom Tangeh, the organization’s pioneer secretary general, worked on that maiden edition. The issue captures the spirit of the moment the founding members congregated for the first time as a people.

The area the committee has been more visible over the years is in the Newsletter publication that comes intermittently in both hardcopy and softcopy. Despite difficulties associated with getting members (especially chapter presidents, Tahkums, committee

chairs and other contributors) send in materials on time when they do, the committee has been able to contribute its quota to the overall achievement of the organization, especially in publishing the newsletters and/or magazines.

Members: Ni Emma Babs Ni Charles Tamon Ni Kenneth Gwanmesia Ni Jude Fokwang Ma Kuna Nukuna-Vanyounga Ma Marie Nanga Ma Lilian Fokwang Ba Jerry Dohmatob Ni Gahlia Gwangwa’a Ni Julius Ndangam

Victor Gomia Chair, Publication Committee

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BCA DALLAS CHAPTER REPORT

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The BCA-Dallas chapter began with just a handful of members including several friends of Bali. This chapter is a small but proactive ndakum composed of an ethnically diverse group of men and women. This diversity can be attested to by the fact that the pioneer treasurer was a man of Bakossi origin interested in the progress of Bali.

Despite its small size, the Dallas chapter was the first to host the BCA USA annual convention [year] once the decision was made to start organizing an

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annual convention on a rotational basis. Dallas was the beginning and is still standing strong.

Dallas Ndakum is not only an association of Bali citizens but is first and foremost, a group united by a common purpose and interest. We support and take care of each other in good and bad times. Members treat each other with love and respect and would go to the furthest ends to protect each other. Our commitment to each other was tested upon the loss of a member in (Month) 2012. Dallas stood up with the help

of friends and family and raised enough money to cover the cost of transportation home and burial for our sister.

The chapter is also serious about including children and youth members of the association in all its activities. We operate on the principle that it takes a village to raise a child.

Although the Dallas Ndakum has hosted several successful conventions, it is most known as the chapter that first raised and donated the highest amount of money (ten thousand dollars) to BCA

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

USA during a leadership meeting. In addition to its unflinching support to BCA USA the Dallas chapter also has several projects of their own.

They have adopted 35 orphans in Balikumbat and now responsible for their school fees and other basic necessities.

Despite its size, the Dallas Ndakum knows where they came from and where they are going to. They remain committed to the ideal of an inclusive Bali that embraces diversity.

Doris Galabe, President BCA-Dallas

POETRY CORNER

MUNGAKA CORNER TSU-NNANA NI TSU MUNGAKA, BOA BA BATI.

Young men and women Like adult women and men Embrace jubilee bonanza They cherish, as jolly extravaganza

By Johanns Gahlia Gwangwa’a Ba fad ba, mu fa nzika mbo Nfon bo. Yi se tcha’ti mu ngon ba Nyonga bo a ba yun bi bo to ma nku’m yo tchan’ti a.

Pioneers who launched movement Like champions of involvement Celebrate founder’s vision As a successful mission Yes obstacles abound Like fragile stocks that confound Demanding vigilant tenacity As counterforce to adversity

Bati 1: Wu bo non kun, ntab kun ndib wu bun’u li bo tun u. wu non ma ya?

Bati 2: Wu bo tcod lum tu, u mi nti bo mu e?

Bati 3: A ye ko nga ba nyam boa ba besin’ ti bo ni yab nfon bo e?

Bati 4: Musit ka ye bo ko nzi ti’ ndam mo fon?

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East and south West and north BCA fans and even foes Convene for convention

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* Dr. Jerry Komia Domatob is a professor and the Interim Chair of Mass Communication, Alcorn State University, LormanMississippi. An author, journalist, photographer, poet and researcher, he is currently working on three projects. His latest publications are: Communication, Culture and Human Rights and Positive Vibrations. Contact him at: Jdomatob@yahoo.com.

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Be graceful, grateful and thankful BCA-USA, be exuberantly prayerful Gracias and merry Silver Jubilee, to each and all Forward ever! Backward never!

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Once in blue moons Celebratory grandeur looms Like ace accomplishments That scorn and scoff embellishments

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Despite compounding complications That mar as fake simulations BCA-USA forges forward Despite forces, that decelerate backward On this momentous dusk Searching new path, as elephant task BCA-USA invokes Deity’s omnipotence To chart new avenues, even with impotence

By Dr. Jerry K. Domatob*

Yes, BCA-USA’s Silver Jubilee Like joyous melee Sparks overflowing jubilation Briefly quenching tribulation

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Yet through faithful resilience Steady, succinct and strategic salience BCA-USA waxes strong Like the wise, who tumble wrong

2013 ATLANTA BCA-USA CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE

Ba Jerry Domatob

C E L E B R A T I N G

‘Tsu-Nnana Ni Tsu Mungaka, Boa ba bati yi ma kwa’ni nzi’ bon. Mu yi i bati tchube a, to ta’ ba bud tchu.

Mun yi i fa bud tchu yi a bon’ a to ko nken lo’mbo nfad yin yi bati le lo’ mbo yi.

BCA PROJECTS COMMITTEE: GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH HUMILITY

Ni Kenneth Gwanmesia

PHASE 1 EARLY BEGINNINGS:

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Looking at the 25 year history of BCA-USA, ones reflections at the journey to 25; though turbulent sometimes can mostly be highlighted by the great achievements that BCA-USA stands proudly to show.

Founded with the goal of bringing together sons and daughters of Bali as well as expose the rich Bali culture, this noble association quickly realized that a greater good could be achieved by giving back to the motherland.

That is how BCA-USA would over the years take measures to provide full and partial support to several development projects in Bali. Starting with the construction of a modern Flush Toilet System in the main square of Bali in 1998, BCA-USA provided support for the maintenance of the water supply treatment plant at Gola as well as the construction of the Water

by Gravity Supply System in Bali. In addition, BCAUSA supplied all necessary water disinfectants after the maintenance of the water supply was taken over from SNEC. BCA-USA also initiated the Block Payment Plan program where family members in the 22

USA were able to pay water bills directly from the USA. During this same period, BCA-USA assisted several Bali based elementary schools in building and renovating classrooms and supplying desks, school supplies and scholarships to kids. In the late 90s, BCA-USA shipped a consignment of gently used clothes, shoes and toys to Bali Gham. All these projects spanned several administrations over the early years of BCA-USAs existence.

In all, to present, phase 1 of BCA-USA’s project endeavors as glitch free would amount to rewriting an obvious history. Lessons learned from the Water by Gravity project for example which BCA-USA supported dearly have been instrumental in the successes of subsequent projects.

PHASE 2: MATURITY AND STRUCTURED OPERATIONS:

While phase 1 projects were facilitated by collaborative efforts between members of the national executive, and the delegates back in Bali, it became clear with the growth of BCAUSA over the years that the organizational structure

needed reorganizing and clear alignment of duties.

Ideas that were nurtured over many years finally came to fruition in 2008 under the Julius Ndangam presidency, when the structure of BCAUSA was clearly defined and laid out. Along with the national elected executives, committees were created to manage specific duties of the association. That is when the Projects Committee as known today was created; tasked with identifying feasible, need based projects back home and assisting BCA-USA in identifying local collaborators who can work in executing these projects in Bali. The committee with Ni Joe Fomunung as pioneer chairman and several members of BCA-USA, over the first two years crafted projects to be executed back in Bali, with both the goals of catering for the community needs as well as alleviating juvenile delinquency. The water committee which had carried out the previous Water by Gravity Project and all water related projects was dissolved and the duties realigned with the Projects Committee’s. The Beisen Water Project, one of the

The following members are part of the committee: • Ni Kenneth Gwanmesia (Committee Chair) • Ni Stephen Doh (BCA-USA) • Ni Gilbert Nyongka’a (BCA-USA) • Ni Joe Fomunung (BCA-USA) • Ni Isidore Fokum (BCA-USA) • Ni Julius Nyamkimah (BCA-USA) • Ba John N Fomuso (Bali Adhoc Cttee Chairman) • Ba Nyamsenkwen Christopher (Bali A C Secretary) • Na Helen Fohtung (Bali AC Treasurer) • Na Helen Ndangam (Bali A C Adviser) • Ma Ngum Patience (Bali A C Communication Sec)

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first completed projects of this committee involved the development and delivery of a borehole water system to the people of Beisen, helping to provide portable water to the local community. Then came the flagship project code named the Fishnet Project, wherein needy kids from varying backgrounds in Bali were selected and offered 100% support over periods ranging from 2 to 3 years in various vocational disciplines. This project was so codenamed because of the believe that teaching one to fish gives him food for a lifetime whereas giving him fish only feeds him for a day. It was well received in the local community because, not only has it been good at helping the needy kids get a vocation, it has greatly reduced delinquency and teenage pregnancy as well as providing job opportunities to the various establishments that needed to hire extra staff to facilitate the training process for the various disciplines. In all, for phase 1 of this project that lasted from 2009 – 2012 30 kids were trained in the following disciplines.

• 7 + 1 in Traditional Dress Making, Designing and Embroidery at Ets. Nyong Fidel’s Traditional Dress Making Center, Bali.

• 12 in Tailoring at Freeman’s Tailoring School, Bali • 7 in Welding at Ni Zack’s Welding Workshop, Bali • 3 in Carpentry, Joinery general woodwork and furniture at MOCHINO Modern Furniture Workshop, Bali.

• 1 in Specialized Welding

BCA PROJECTS COMMITTEE

Kenneth Gwanmesia• Chair, Projects Committee

Y E A R S

The projects committee recognizes the complexities of carrying out

With BCA-USA’s giving arm growing bigger, worth mentioning here is the fact that this report has focused principally on small short term projects that span less than 4 years. It therefore merits mentioning here that BCAUSA in addition to all these initiatives going on is carrying on with its largest project to date: the construction of the Bali Multi-Purpose Center (MPC).

Please check the MPC report section for additional details. This committee will continue to facilitate the execution of BCA-USA projects in the immediate and long term.

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PHASE 3: WAY FORWARD AND THE JOURNEY TO GOLD:

projects back in Bali. It also recognizes the need to align the projects with the needs of the local populace as well as structure the execution of these projects to benefit the public. It is in this light that the project committee has identified as goals for the next few years the following: • To streamline the projects selection process by working in close collaboration with the Bali based Committee Members • Work with the Bali based Committee Members to identify, categorize and prioritize feasible projects • Work to create a central database of these projects for BCA-USA members access • Work with various BCA-Chapters / Ndah Kums interested in carrying out projects back in Bali to leverage the projects database

C E L E B R A T I N G

at Satellite Metal Workshop, Bali.

An additional candidate who was on the waiting list was granted free training in Traditional Dress Making at Ets Nyong Fidel’s Center bringing the total to 31 kids. As of December 2012, all 31 kids selected had successfully completed their training in the various disciplines, again with all fees and expenses paid for by BCA-USA. Currently, funding has been approved for the recruitment and training of the next batch of kids for the Fishnet Project. The selection process is going on in Bali, for a training commencement of June 2013 and expected to last through 2015.

O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

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Ni Langmia Fonjoe & Ma Kehmia Tangeh

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

BCA-YOUTH NOTE: LOOKING BACK

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

On behalf of the Youth Wing Executive, we would like to thank you all for the confidence bestowed on us as the youth leaders of our noble association.

We are truly honored by this opportunity. We fully understand the responsibilities that come with the positions and want to assure you that we are up to the task. We have been working diligently and effectively in completing a lot of activities. We are delighted to present a brief report of one of our key accomplishments.

Establishment of chapters was our first key achievement.

This groundwork was essential in the early stages of our organization’s youth sector.

This will lay the foundation for carrying the youth wing forward in the right direction. Therefore, chapter establishment has been our primary focus. We made special appearances at several

BCA-USA chapter meetings. At these venues, we elaborated on the importance of endurance of the initiatives of the association.

The creation of youth groups was stressed as the vital medium for preserving the mission. We got the support of our elders and were able to setup our youth wing.

Six youth groups have been completely setup: (1) Eastern; (2) Southeastern; (3) Northern 4) Northern California; 5) Carolinas; and 6) Oklahoma.

The groups hold meetings where basic communication skills in Mungaka is taught.

Learning various traditional rites and success skills for entrepreneurship are other activities that take place.

New bonds and friendships are formed. Also, leadership positions within the chapters have been formed and qualified individuals are voted or appointed.

Our long term goal is to establish chapter groups in all regions of BCA-USA. We will continue to make progress. Our success is dependent on the support of our community. This also includes youth members.

Ma Lenyonga Fomunung of the Southeastern Chapter and Ni Clement Tita of the Eastern Chapter are student members who were instrumental in the creation of the youth groups in their respective regions.

We highly encourage active membership. As National President- Ba Sam Ngati stated, “We have much to achieve and can do that exponentially with many hands on deck.”

Best Regards, Ma Kehmia, Ni Langmia Fonjoe BCA-USA Youth Wing youth@bca-usa.org

BCA-USA Youth 24

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CONGRATULATIONS

B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

From the newly formed BCACanada. We look forward to future collaboration with you.

O F

Congratulations BCA-USA on your Silver Jubilee!!

Y E A R S

Warmest regards, Enaka Yembe, MD President, LESA-USA

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Once again, on behalf of LESA-USA, I wish to congratulate you on the occasion of your Silver Jubilee celebration. I wish your Association many more successes in the years to come.

The Carolinas Chapter is one of the youngest in BCAUSA. The chapter has witnessed a massive growth in membership over the past few years. While it has been challenging, especially in terms adhering to our cultural values with our kids actively involved, it has also been very fulfilling to have occasions for the sons and daughters of Bali in this part of the United States come together occasionally. The chapter came into being in 2010 under the leadership of Ni Joe Njinimbam. Since then membership has been growing, and this growth caught the attention of BCA-USA leadership. It is then that we would be the chapter of choice to pay host to the organization’s 2010 Leadership Summit, barely eight months into our existence. We are motivated to do what it takes to deliver, and the determination to continue with the same enthusiasm and commitment remains.

And finally, we believe that today BCA-USA has in place the right structure and the right strategy that will take the organization to new heights in strengthening our cultural values and developing our Bali community in the American diaspora and back at home. We, the Carolina members, want to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the dedicated chapters, ndahkums and the executives of BCA-USA for the continuous hard work in preparation for the Silver Jubilee. .

C E L E B R A T I N G

Dear members and Executive Bureau of BCAUSA, On behalf of the members and Executive Bureau of the Lourdes Ex-Students Association, USA Inc, (LESA-USA) and on my own personal behalf, I want to wish you a very happy Silver Jubilee.

I congratulate BCA-USA particularly for your pioneering spirit in the United States of America. BCA-USA has been an inspiration to many other cultural groups and has, through its activities and community outreach, motivated many other cultural and alma mater groups to follow suit and create their own groups in America.

CAROLINAS CORNER

Ni Joe Njinimbam, President, BCA-USA Carolina Chapter•

BCA-Canada

BCA-USA MIRROR

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FON’S COMMITTEE REPORT

Ba Fobesi Gwanbila

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

The silver Jubilee Planning Committee was created in March of 2012 to start the ground work for our Silver Jubilee Celebration scheduled to take place in Atlanta Georgia in May 2013.

The committee was made up primarily of all Takums (Cultural group heads) across the U.S. and chaired by then Southeastern Chapter and current Vice president – Ma Winifred Nukuna Njowir The committee was tasked to start work on

some of the major ticket items that will be part of the festivities of our Silver Jubilee. A lot of interest had been expressed by members in having the paramount Fon of Bali – His Royal Highness Doh Ganyonga III as guest of Honor for the SilverJubilee Celebration. This committee was therefore charged with the task of looking into the possibility of such an endeavor and how the necessary funds for such a visit could be raised. In addition, the Committee was also charged with all aspects of the Fons visit and internal travel plans while in the U.S, should the visit become a reality?

The committee after meeting for several months concluded that such a visit would be possible and proceeded to come up with the necessary strategy to raise the necessary funds for the visit.

In November 2012 during the leadership

B A L I

Name

Status

Ba Fobesi

Chair

Ma Winifred Njowir

Vice President President /Silver Jubilee convention Committee Chair

Ba Fomukong Joseph

Houston

Ma Doris Galabe

Dallas

Ma Pascaline Leina

Oklahoma ( Ndah Kongni ) - Committee Financial Controller

Ni Peter Fokum

Oklahoma ( Ndah Danga )

Ni Dinga Nfon

Northern California

Ni Christopher Fokumlah / Ni Patrick Nyuga Tita

Minnesota ( Ndah Ntod )

Ni Joseph Njinimbam

Carolinas

Ni Gima Gwanyalla

New England

Ni Valentine Tita / Ni Valentine Mbotiji

Baltimore

Ni Rudolf Njankenji

Washington DC ( Ndah Ntod )

Ba Philip / Ni Emmanuel Titanji

Washington DC ( BNCA )

Ni Augustine Njinjoh

Washington DC (Ndah Nchunyin)

Ni Julius Ndangam

Kansas City Ndah kum

Ba Titamohkumi Moses

TadManji

Ni Charles Tamon

Cultural Committee Chair

summit in Oklahoma, the national president announced a couple of major changes in the committee.

First, the committee’s mandate was going to be limited to focusing on the Fon’s visit and so the committee was renamed the “Silver Jubilee Fon’s Committee”.

Secondly, Ba Fobesi was appointed head of this committee while the Vice President was asked to head the broader Silver Jubilee Convention Committee.

With the new mandate, the chairman promptly moved to expand the committee to include Chapter presidents, the cultural Committee chair as well as the 2 Tad Manjis based in the USA. Other changes introduced included having a secretary general of the committee – Ma Bilola Quinta as well as a financial subcommittee – Ma Pascaline Leina and Ma Lilian Sibedwo The committee set a goal of raising $20,000.00 for the

Ba Nkom Gwankudvalla Ma Stella tekwe angum Ba Todmia Gabriel

Tad Manji

Ba Sam Nchunkih

President, BCA-USA

Ma Quinta Bilola

Committee Secretary general

Ma Lilian Sibedwo

Eastern Chapter President / Committee Financial Controller

Ba Fobesi Gwanbila Chairman, Silver Jubilee Fon’s Committee

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Fon’s visit; it promptly began to meet every other Friday in other to take on the uphill battle of raising the funds.

Even though the journey was very challenging, the dedication and commitment of the committee members was very instrumental in achieving the goals that the committee set out to achieve.

Please find below, the members of this very important committee.

Your input and support will be very crucial to them as they carry out their responsibilities.

Below are the members of the committee that served at one time or another;

BCA-USA AT THE 2012 BCA EUROPE CONVENTION

B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

O F

strongman/woman team of BCA USA was led by the President himself – Ba Sam, aka Ni Alex K. Ngati.

The delegation comprised of former Presidents Ni Ju Ndangam and Ba TitaMohkumi (Tadmanji), Ba Nkom Gwanpidpua, Sec. Gen. Ni Clarence Ndangam, Dr. Ba Fogam, Ni Edwin Fogam and Ni Eric Fogam Jr. In order to make this crew complete were the two stylish women Ma Kuna Tita-Mohkumi and Ma Bea ‘Chief Whip’ Tangeh.

Their appearance at the convention made a tenman crew appear as if they were 100! Their bright multi coloured uniforms could be

Y E A R S

address was a very colourful fashion parade which was coordinated by Ma Manyi Irene Nyamndi. It featured the beautiful Mas and handsome Nis from all over Europe, and the young as well. Another highlight of the day was the thrilling performance by the Berlin based Grassland ‘Juju’ that had turned down an otherwise mandatory hiring fee, citing a cultural duty and honour to be welcoming the first Fon from the grassland to Berlin. The performance of this group was excellent to say the least!

Another display of our culture was the ‘All Girls

seen everywhere. In fact, this added to the circumstance and grandeur typical of people of chamba ancestry.

The crew presented a good example of how a well organised association ought to present itself.

Later in the evening was the gala night. The hall looked great and the DJ was up to the task! It was dance, dance and dance non stop to the tune of well selected good music from all genres!

The third day of the convention was on Sunday, 12th August 2012. The day started with a joint Leadership Summit at the Berlin Courtyard Marriott Hotel with Ba TitaMohkumi as host. This also saw the third appearance of His Majesty at an event.

The Leadership Summit was closely followed by BBQ cookout! Yummy!

Yummy!

It was another time for eating, drinking, family reunion, merry making and finally saying goodbye, Aufwiedersehen!

BCA Germany on behalf of BCA Europe thanks everybody who supported them morally, financially and especially those who sacrificed to be present at the convention. We hope to see you again in Brussels come 2014!

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One of the highlights of BCA-Europe’s maiden convention that took place last year in Berlin, Germany, was the very visible presence of BCA-USA. It was the first time that Bali communities all over Europe decided to come together in Berlin to celebrate their cultural heritage. This marked the creation of BCA Europe.

This singular moment was graced by the presence of His Majesty Dr. Doh Ganyonga III, the paramount Fon of Bali Nyonga who cancelled and/or postponed several appointments in order to honour the invitation to attend the occasion. There was elegance, pomp and pageantry in every phase of the convention. Danga sounded like never before.

It was like the drummers were inspired by Ba Tita Jani himself!

The three-day event started on 10th August 2012 with the arrival of guests and later with a football match pitching the BCA Team against the Berlin based Dschang Football Club. This was hosted by the Berlin chapter of BCA Germany under the leadership of Ni Chenye Fred.

The first appearance of His Majesty and Na Ngwifon was during the Friday Night Fundraising. Flanked by the Nkoms and other traditional

Group’ led by Ma Victorine Fomukong from Belgium.

The AGG used simple fibres or ‘swih’ and T-shirts as their costume. But the girls in them coupled with the show they put on could make one feel like putting on one of these costumes and joining the fray!

Something this narrator would also consider another major highlight of the convention was the display of unity, style, dedication and sacrifice as shown by the BCA USA entourage at the convention. The

C E L E B R A T I N G

Ni Cyprian Fusi

title-holders, the royal train arrived the ceremonial ground to the sound and rhythm of Danga. This was regularly being interspersed by curtsy and ululation of praises in honour of His Majesty – chaabu, seehnsong, song sang mungwi nyonga!!

Saturday 11th of August saw the climax of the convention which started with the General Assembly in the afternoon where His Majesty delivered the Keynote speech.

Preceding the keynote

Cyrpian Fusi•

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CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM BANDECA

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

Dear President and Members of BCA-USA, On the occasion of your most deserved Silver Jubilee celebration which coincides with your 26th Annual Convention, this year 2013, the Bali Nyonga Development and Cultural Association (BANDECA), has the honor to extend this message of congratulation, to you all, considering the smooth and continuous collaboration between BCA-USA and BANDECA for close to 25 years today in the following areas of shared vision in development: • The supply of portable water to the population of Bali Sub- Division by BANDECA to which BCA-USA has contributed enormously, • The supply of medical equipments and expatriate to the Bali District Hospital and Village Health Centers which BCA-USA has championed all alone, • The payment of salaries for back-up teachers in some Basic education schools in Bali Sub – Division, • The provision of a huge consignment of library research books and computers to all secondary schools in Bali through BANDECA, • The provision of large scale science laboratory equipments to some secondary schools in Bali which has greatly improved the learning of the sciences in Bali and which enabled G.B.H.S Bali to produce some of the best science students in Cameroon at the June 2011 G.C.E examination, Advanced Level, • The provision of high quality computers and printers for ease of communication and email services in the BANDECA national office Bali, 28

•

The provision of computers to some Government offices in Bali through BANDECA, • The support of the construction of the Bali Palace Plaza championed solely by BANDECA, • The support of the Bali territorial land protection exercise through the Bali palace commission, • The support of the Bali Mungaka language rehabilitation project championed by BANDECA. • The support of the construction of the Bali Community Mortuary owned by BANDECA. • The education of some youths in the diaspora (USA) the meaning and what BANDECA stands for.

Most recently, you have solely championed and sponsored, under the supervision of BANDECA, (a) The on-going construction of the BCA – USA Multipurpose Center Project at Njenka – Mum, Bali Nyonga. (b) The on-going BCA-USA Fishnet Project in Bali Nyonga which from 2009 has granted free vocational training to 30 Bali Nyonga youths already, in the domains of welding, carpentry, tailoring and traditional dress making.

In this year 2013, your fishnet youth vocational training project in Bali Nyonga through BANDECA has engaged in the training of eight additional youths in the following fields: Computer Accountancy, Catering, House plumbing, and tilling, General motor mechanics, House painting and Graphics and Hair dressing and Body Beauty.

Mr. President and members of BCA-USA, on behalf of the entire population of Bali Sub-Division which benefits and appreciates your endeavors, the leadership of BANDECA hereby expresses

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

TO BCA – USA AT THE BCA – USA SILVER JUBILEE 2013 most intelligent Bali children come from homes devastated by poverty.

Once more, we congratulate you and we pray God Almighty to grant you good health, prosperity and good will so that gradually you shall be able to make your home, Bali Nyonga to go closer to American standards, especially at this time that we talk about the world being a global village.

BCA-USA remains a household name in Bali Sub – Division, Cameroon.

C E L E B R A T I N G

HAPPY 26TH ANNUAL CONVENTION, HAPPY SILVER JUBILLEE CELEBRATION The BANDECA President General John Ndansi Fomuso +237 77 16 51 05 Email: jfomuso@yahoo.co.uk

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profound gratitude to you all, for all previous and on-going areas of co-operation between BCA-USA and BANDECA. BANDECA considers BCA-USA as VERITABLE PARTNERS IN SELF DEVELOPMENT OF BALI NYONGA and we encourage you during this Silver Jubilee celebration (which also celebrates the maturity of a Premier international gathering that you are) to: (a) Deliberate and approve continuous cooperation with BANDECA in other new areas of development, (b) Raise more funds and complete your MPC project which is going to stand the test of time in Cameroon. (c) Deliberate and approve the need to support intelligent Bali children to get into Higher Professional Institutions in Cameroon, and all over the world, so that we shall once more boast of having Divisional Officers, Custom Officers, Police Commissioners, Engineers in all fields, Pilots, Diplomats, Prison Administrators, Labour and Social Insurance Inspectors, Town Planners, Surveyors, Army and Gendarme Captains, lieutenants and Generals, you name the rest.

May we draw your attention to note that

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BCA-USA MIRROR

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SOCIAL AND AWARDS COMMITTEE REPORT

U S A

Ma Lilian Fomunung

O

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

-

ne of the major motivations for the creation of BCA-USA was to provide an avenue for ‘boys and girls’ of Bali extraction in the United States to meet and socialize after a stressful year in their different corners of their host country. During the formative years of BCA USA, this worked very well as dating and eventually marriages were celebrated during Family Reunions. People drove long distances to condole with friends who were bereaved or to celebrate the anniversaries of loved ones. Long lost friends and relatives

found good reasons to attend Family Reunions, and the organization saw no need to lay down any formal structure to address its social obligations towards members or that of members towards the organization.

As the BCA ‘boys and girls’ became ‘men and women’ and the organization morphed from a Family Reunion to a Convention, the social aspect of the organization took a dramatic innovation. The once intimate ‘settings and feelings’ that were characteristics of BCA gatherings started losing its flavor as more attention was now turned towards assuring a sound financial footing for the organization.

It is true that without a solid financial backing, no organization is worth its salt. It is equally true that if an organization ignores the ‘person aspect’ of its function, no amount of financial accumulation will grow it.

It is in consideration of this important aspect of our organization that the Social Committee with a mandate from the President of BCA USA began reviving and revamping the social functions of BCA USA. The need for changes in the way we

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conducted business in the past was too obvious for the fast growing organization.

The Social Committee is committed to helping the administration in answering the frequently asked question by members: “what is in it for me.?”

Among others, the Social committee is tasked with facilitating the growth of BCA’s next generation; it works closely with the Youth Committee to amongst other things, launch the Ni/Ma BCA USA, produce the New Generation Magazine. In addition, the committee is working with the 2013 Convention Planning Committee to address the hospitality needs of both members and guests during the Silver Jubilee. Again please send any ideas to Socialcommittee@bca-usa. org. May God bless you all and may God bless BCA USA and her efforts to provide relief to Bali.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Ma Lilian Fomunung, Chair Ma Patience Fofung, Co-chair Ma Comfort Sema Ma Vicky Takam Ma Emma Daiga

DOWN MEMORY LANE: 25 YEARS AGO people or person cannot be bigger than BCA. Fewer people might do more than others in keeping the flame aglow, but the organization represents something that is much bigger than any individual or grouping within.

It has been a joy to watch this association grow from fewer than twenty members to over four hundred members today. On behave of my family and I, I will like to extend my sincere appreciation to the successive BCAUSA administrations for the great effort they have made and continue to make to keep BCA-USA in its towering position among sister organizations in the diaspora.

C E L E B R A T I N G

Ba Moses Titamohkumi

2 5 Y E A R S

As BCA-USA celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary, my first convention experience seems like it was just yesterday when I drove from Springfield Missouri with my roommate and childhood friend, Chi Livinus Ndikum.

Ba Titamohkumi Accompanying us in this trip was Captain Dinga who was here in the United States for Military stint at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In those days one could easily know all BCA-USA members. When we met in Atlanta that first time all we did was talk all night, and that for some of us was the highlight of the convention.

Just meeting old friends on that first day made my day and everything else was secondary. Being less than a year and a half old in United States, I was not involved in the planning of the future of the organization.

B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

O F

Twenty five years after, I still have the excitement to see everybody on Friday night or as from last year on Thursday night, the latter having become the new welcoming day. The joy of the convention or the family re-union as Ni Ben Fondong (RIP) loved to call it was and still is the meeting place for all Bali people and friends of Bali once a year. For those of us who grew up in Bali, convention is like going to Lela which was something that we grew up looking forward to yearly. Just that convention has grown too big and therefore more costly to attend. I later accepted with humility to serve the organization in two terms from 2004 to 2008 as the president. I am profoundly thankful for the confidence and for the opportunity to serve Bali Nyonga through BCAUSA. For some of us, it is surprising that a Bali person in the United States will doubt if he/ she will be able to attend the convention. Before being part of the administration, convention has always been the first thing in my calendar yearly, even when I was still a student. To me being with your own people outweighs anything you can do to yourself as a person, especially in this diaspora community. I would like to opine that any group of 31

SOCIAL COHESION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:

Ni Julius N. Fondong

T

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

-

U S A

he Bali Cultural Association in the United States of America (henceforth BCA-USA) is without a modicum of doubt an association witnessing, consciously or unconsciously, a rapid transmutation.

BCA-USA was founded a quarter of century ago with the objective of bringing together the sons and daughters of Chamba in the wider American Diaspora.

These annual family reunions soon became an occasion par excellence for showcasing Bali Nyonga and Chamba culture, forging group solidarity, and enhancing some allure of social cohesion.

As an association that was born during a moment of intense grief (namely the death of a community member), BCA-USA from its inception sought to assert itself through acts of social benevolence: supporting its members during moments of joy and sadness, holding annual health-fares, providing scholarship/ tuition remission to needy students and construction of public toilets. I believe it is with the launching of the Multipurpose Centre Project and the creation of a Projects Committee that 32

BCA-USA made a major paradigm shift in both its vision and the nature of its strategic operations.

With the launch of the Multipurpose Centre Project, BCA-USA raised both the stakes and the bar as to what it can achieve as an association. It also brought into sharper focus the challenge of forging social cohesion as a means of promoting or enhancing grassroots community development in our homeland.

Social cohesion is often described as the bonds or “glue” that bring people together in society, particularly in the context of cultural diversity. It is the ongoing process of developing a community of shared values, shared challenges and equal opportunities, based on a sense of trust, hope and reciprocity. Social cohesion seeks to bring together people with the objective of facilitating their participation in societal life.

Taken broadly therefore, inclusion, integration and social participation are the hall marks of social cohesion.

Community Development – understood as the process involving the conception, planning, and implementation of projects or activities which create improvements in the living standards of people in a particular community – is the most visible form and the most poignant expression of social cohesion.

So in this article , I shall argue that ongoing efforts by BCA-USA to forge bonds of commonality between its members with a view to enhancing

better participation in its activities shall be delusory and irrelevant if not concomitantly linked to efforts to improve the standards of living of our kith and kin back home.

As BCA-USA seeks to redefine itself; as our association tries to make the transition from a “family reunion” to a nonprofit service provision organization, its greatest challenge shall be how to develop and implement a grassroots development model that is commensurate to both its vision and its means, and attuned to needs of the wider Chamba community.

Development, especially grassroots community, is as much an activity as it is a state of mind. It is that mental disposition that drives us to seek a better quality of life, not only for ourselves, but also for our families and for our community. It is also the sum total of activities that seek to improve on or to advance the human condition.

So for any BCA-USA developmental activity to be relevant, it must be reflective of this basic concept. I’m in the habit of citing the Bamenda Ring Road as the best example of a grassroots development “project’ that is most reflective of this basic developmental concept.

Contrary to what many people may think, the Bamenda Ring Road was never conceived, planned and executed in the way we know it today. It was an unconscious effort of each community trying to link up with its neighbors.

Since these local communities had neither

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the resources nor the technical knowhow to build bridges, they avoided all water ways as much as possible. And this easily explains why what came to be known as the Bamenda Ring Road is a highway winding dangerously from hill top to hill top.

Seen along these lines, the Bamenda Ring Road becomes the perfect metaphor for a development model that is simple, needsbased and community driven. This is also the kind of development model I recommend to BCA-USA. In its concept of operations, BCA-USA’s project committee espoused the need to pursue small scale, demand-driven, low-budget, high impact community projects in our homeland. The two projects so far executed by the Project Community, namely the Beisen Borehole Project and the Fishnet Project, were designed and implemented along these lines. But more importantly these two projects showcase how social cohesion within an organization can lead to development outcomes that make a difference in the life of a community.

So what will it take for BCA-USA to continue to pursue this kind of development model as part of its wider effort of reengineering itself? There are internal and external ways in which this can be done.

First from the inside, BCA-USA needs to: • Develop more broad based and sustainable strategies for raising funds • Manage its resources more transparently ( regular audits and

THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING BCA-USA MORE RELEVANT •

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• •

• • • •

T H E

Happy 25th anniversary to us all.

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BCA-USA MIRROR

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Unarguably, over the years this strong self reliant spirit has lost its steam. We have relapsed and are now basking in our past glories.

Our social entrepreneurial spirit seems to have given way to a near dependence on so-called “government projects”. We as a people need to revitalize our known penchant for self-reliance development.

This is precisely where BCA-USA can play a lead role. Our association has both the material and human resources to re-kindle self-help

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B A L I

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O F

Self-reliant development is not new to us as a people.

Historically, Bali Nyonga has always been locked in a land conflicts with its Ngemba and Widikum neighbors.

And since politics in the grassfield have traditionally been dominated by Ngemba and Widikum politicians, there has always been a conscious effort on the part

•

The opening of streets within the village The construction of the Bali Community Hall The development of Njenka as a new layout The first Bali Water supply system The Bali Airport The Handicraft center The Dispensary at Wo’on CPC Bali

can still overcome adversity and go on to build a strong and vibrant association.

So to each and every one of us I make this urgent plea: let is learn to use our in-built organs for conflict resolution to deal with all our differences, no matter how big or how small, and refrain from washing our dirty linen in public. Our focus should always be on the good of association and what we can achieve as a people. For ultimately, BCAUSA is bigger than any of its individual members or those who run it.

It is often said a house divided upon itself cannot stand. Only unity, social cohesion and trust between and among us can enhance the level of social participation within our community and guarantee a sustainable future for BCAUSA. And this future lies in BCA-USA’s ability to reengineer itself as force for change and development not only for its members, but also for the wider Bali Nyonga and Chamba communities. This, in my view, will be the litmus test for BCA-USA’s relevance for the next twenty five years.

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development back at home. First as a non-profit association based in the Diaspora, we are seen as neutral and far removed from the unhealthy politics that sometimes hold back community development endeavors back at home.

To be relevant, BCA –USA will have to use this unique advantage to assert itself as a major community development actor back at home. It is however, important to note that BCA-USA doesn’t seek to substitute for the local and national agencies that have primary responsible for promoting development in our motherland. What BCA-USA seeks to do, and must do, is to complement the role of other actors, state and non-state, already on the ground.

None of this is achievable until and unless BCA-USA strengthens its level of social cohesiveness and structure itself as a broad-based bottom-up organization. As I have had occasion to say in the past, the future of BCA-USA lies in its branches/chapters.

The bonds of solidarity and social participation which I alluded to, at the beginning of this paper can be better forged at the local level than at the national level. BCAUSA Chapters and Branches should be encouraged and empowered to take on development projects of their own back home, either separately or in partnership with the national executive committee.

There is no association without problems or misunderstandings between its members. What is important is the association deals with its differences. We

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of these politicians to ensure nobody of Bali extraction ever rises to any position of political power. In the absence of any meaningful interlocutor pleading our case at the national level and making sure that Bali was getting its fair share of the national cake, we were generally left to our own devices. In the process we developed a strong self-reliant spirit, as well as a pioneering system of social capital, aided and abetted by a visionary and progressive chieftaincy institution. It is this combination of factors that led to the implementation of the first vestiges of community projects in Bali Nyonga, to wit:

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establishment of Finance Orders) Strengthen its grassroots organs and build a bottom-up organization (the future of BCA-USA lies in its grassroots organs, the chapters).

Publicize its programs/ projects and achievements Reform the convention so that it becomes a veritable assembly of designated grassroots delegates.

At the external level: Coordinate with credible development partners back at home, both state and non-state (local government, areabased state agencies, BANDECA, Nkumu Mfed Mfed, faith-based organizations, etc).

Consult local stakeholders and/or beneficial communities before engaging in a project. It’s important that BCA-USA projects be demand-driven (i.e. asked for by the community and responding to a specific community needs and not to donor perceived needs).

Ensure community voice and ownership of projects to be implemented.

*Ni Julius Nyamkimah Fondong is a former World Bank Scholar at Harvard University. Presently, he is the Civil Affairs Officer with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

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BCA-USA HOUSTON CHAPTER REPORT annual student’s scholarships.

BCA Houston and individuals of the BCA Houston chapter have sponsored teachers in Bali for the past 4 years (2009-2012) from the beginning of the project.

BCA Houston holds a monthly meeting on the third Saturday of each month with the exception of the Christmas party in December.

Birthdays are celebrated for individuals of Houston chapter with a cake each month. To support other activities in Bali, BCA Houston chose BANDECA fabric as the chapter uniform. Uniforms are worn during activities such as “born house and bereavements” for solidarity.

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Ba Joe Fomukong

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BCA Houston started as a chapter of BCA – USA in 2000. Since the birth of BCA – USA in 1988, BCA Houston has hosted three BCA-USA national conventions in the following years: (1) 1993, (2) 1997, and (3) 2005.

BCA Houston hosted a Leadership conference (mini-convention) in November of 2007. Members of BCA Houston who have served BCAUSA national executive in the past are: Ba Nkom Gwanbipua (Nicholas Tangeh) who was the first BCA – USA secretary, serving from 1988 through

1989, Ma Manyi Gabice served as the national treasurer from 2004-2007 and Ma Bea Tangeh as chief whip from 2012-2013 (current). We say thanks to these members for serving the BCA-USA community.

Past BCA Houston executives from 2000 are: • President: Tanyi John Fombang • V. President: Ma Dorothy Voma • President: Ni John Gwananji • V. President: Besona Sikod • President: Ma Bea Tangeh • V. President: Ba Joe Fomukong • President: Ba Joe Fomukong (current) • V. President: Ma Valeria Awah Ngafor (current) • BCA – USA Youth Chair: Ma Kehmia Tangeh 2000 – 2001 • BCA Houston projects in Cameroon are: Ancilla Comprehensive College ($14,000) water project and

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BELLEVIEW RESORT, BALI

B A L I

www.belleviewresortbali.com

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Email: belleviewresortbali@yahoo.com/ belleviewresortbali@gmail.com Phone: +237 -7028-1717

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Address: P O Box 70 Bali Nyonga

T H E U S A

Located on a breezy hilltop in Bali Nyonga, the exclusive BelleView Resort offers luxury suites and facilities and a unique experience for her guests. Our aim is for our professional staff to provide you with a first class service, thereby ensuring a relaxing and memorable stay.

In addition to our excellent accommodation, internet access and gym facilities, we provide comprehensive restaurant services with menus featuring local and foreign dishes. We also offer excellent facilities to host conferences, meetings, weddings etc. Finally, we provide transport services and organise rich cultural tours both in Bali and other Fondoms in the North West Region of Cameroon.

Check yourself into our beautifully scenic and exclusive resort and enjoy a unique experience of comfort during your stay in the North West Region.

BCA-USA MIRROR

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MA MAGGIE FOGAM: THE MIDWIFE-IN-CHIEF OF THE BCA-USA IDEA

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Sometime in 1987 Ma Maggie Fogam decided to celebrate the memorial service of her late brother and father Ba Gabriel Fogam. She was so surprised at the turn out of Bali people who came out to support the family that she quickly realized that there were enough Bali people in the US to start meeting as a family. Sometime that evening, she then made the suggestion that she had been to a lot of gatherings by the Jews where they come together once a year for the purpose of getting to know each other, net work and encourage inter-marriages amongst themselves while away from home. This would be the conception of what would quickly become the birth of and eventually growing into maturity of BCA-USA as we unanimously bought the idea with enthusiasm.

We saw in Ma Maggie a true Bali woman; she was very open and convivial in her articulation of what we call today the BCA idea. In her nature she was very democratic and believed in making sure that this was an idea bought by a majority of the people and that the idea will take off. She then invited everyone back to Atlanta the following May for what became the maiden BCA-USA convention.

Atlanta did not ask how or who will be responsible for what because back in the days, once you arrived, you took care of whatever you were asked to take care of. I know most people are probably asking ‘how did we take care of logistics like lodging?’ Unlike today, whoever had a home or apartment was ready to host as many Bali people as possible. Her doctrine was always Bali people should never be spending money when 36

they arrive a city with other Bali people there as residents. Her thing was “we are each other’s keeper.” Women were required to cook and clean up while the men had to set up and take out trash during cleaning and no one felt the impact which is why it was called Bali Family Reunion at the beginning.

There was a support system built among Bali people at that beginning that left a foot print

Ma Maggie Fogam

for other villages to follow.

When a Bali person had any occasion, be it happy or sad, we were all in attendance with no questions asked. Ma Maggie hoped that every occasion like this or Family Reunions will present the opportunity for sons and daughters of Bali to get to know each other and eventually build a lasting friendships with the potential of having marriage couples emerge from there.

By all accounts, her hope and dream became reality because relationships were formed and marriages did happen amongst these first arrivals of the Balis in the United States.

As time went on she began discussing the fact that just WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

meeting and having fun was not enough and that we could help Bali educationally by setting up a library. Her initial thought was to ask the palace for a place in the palace, donate books and have one of the Nas run it. This led to her collecting the first set of books from Clark Atlanta College where she was teaching and later more books were collected in San Jose when Ni Richard became president.

Ma Maggie had many dreams and hopes for this association to grow in lips and bounds. She used to spend sleepless nights resolving conflicts at local and National levels. She believed in finding solutions rather than prolonging conflicts. I clearly remember her frustration when she could not find a way to resolve the conflict between DC and BCA-USA National. Many times she wondered why as Bali people nothing about us was simple but always prayed that someday everyone will come to their senses and see the big picture. I am sure if she was with us today, she would be sad that we lost so many members but she will be happy that DC finally came back to join us as we celebrate this 25th Anniversary. While many of the founding members of BCA-USA contributed enormously for the birth of this organization, Ma Maggie is indisputably the leading voice in the BCA idea• Kuna V. Nukuna•

THE TANGEH FAMILY WISHES BCA-USA A HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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BCA-USA MIRROR

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TESTIMONIES FROM BALI NYONGA Testimony and appreciation from Tegga Kesiga Nahwa Eveline, Traditional Dressmaking Graduate

Sometimes work delays because I must wait for others to finish with the machines before I can take over. This has made me to lose some customers who think that I delay too much with their work.

Nevertheless, I am a different person, with an occupation, which helps me never to stay hungry or be desperate again.

So, I thank you for training me and I pray that God Almighty will add to your means.

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Sincerely yours, Tegga K. N. Eveline

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A Special appreciation from Muchiya Valentine Ndangoh, Ni Zack’s welding

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I have the honor to thank you very sincerely for the training you gave me to become a traditional dress maker under your Fishnet Project in Bali Nyonga.

In fact, I am recognized today in many homes because I give both beauty and dignity to Bali people when I produce their dresses.

During the Lela period, many people place commands with me for dresses which helps me to earn a living because of BCA-USA. My only problem is that I do not yet have money to buy my own sewing machine and equipment for a workshop.

When I receive a command, I go back to my master’s workshop and use his own machines.

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Accept greetings from Cameroon. My wish remains that; BCA-USA should continue this project of assisting Bali Nyonga children as a whole. I humbly wish to thank the BCAUSA Fishnet project through the President General of BANDECA, Bali Nyonga, for the assistance (help) given to us underprivileged sons and daughters of Bali Nyonga origin. After the training and graduation, one problem is to set up.

In order to solve this, I joined my boss (patron). This is because opening a workshop is too expensive.

Without much ado, let me thank all the actors (BCA-USA and BANDECA) for making it possible that we gain professional training which shall give us bread till death.

That said, I promise to do my utmost, and to give you every WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

possible satisfaction I can. If I am given a few working tools (help) in the opening of my own workshop. I will be very grateful.

Thanks, Your son Muchiya Valentine Ndangoh

BITS & PIECES

WHY JOIN THE BCA?

On the Prefix “Ba” in Bali Culture

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What do the prefixes, Ba and Na mean in Bali society? Have the meanings of these appelations changed with time? The following brief provides relevant insights on this fascinating aspect of Bali culture.

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The titles “Ba” and “Na” are generally used as prefixes for names of elderly males and elderly females respectively in Bali culture.

While the former draws little or no controversy arguably because of the inherent male chauvinism in many African societies, the latter has continued to be the subject of controversy in a world where ego-massaging continues to be a driving force in peoples’ behavioral patterns.

Very generally, the prefix “Ba” in Bali Nyonga refers to the father of a child. In recent times, one may earn the title because of his traditional engagements in the palace.

Such a person would be referred to as “ngangong”: Examples are: Ba Mfon, Ba Tita Ba Sama, Ba Nkom etc.

The word Ba can also be used to address elders within the family whose opinion may sometimes count in decision making such as “Ba Mbot” “Ba Nguket” “Ba Nketi etc”.

The various types of Bas may

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Ba Sama Doh

earn different degrees of respect in different contexts and occasions. The “Ba” with the utmost respect in family circles, who represents the ancestors and performs all traditional rights on behalf of the family, would be “NgangNjuh”.

Historically, one could never be referred to as “Ba” without a “Nchubuh”; i.e. an entrance into a compound that is recognized by his Royal Highness. It is important to mention that those traditional title holders who take the prefix ‘Ba’ and who might not have a “Nchuh-Njuh” are also recognized by his Majesty.

Other Ba’s within the family who are not “Yhang Njuh” remain answerable to the Ba Ngang-Njuh”.

Our Bali tradition holds that, the life of a human being is short-lived, but the family name is eternal. At the end of the day, whoever is the head of the family “Ba Ngang-Njuh’ regardless of age and wealth or education is superior to the other Bas and the family as a whole.

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BCA-USA renders full or partial support to many development initiatives in Bali, some of which include: Construction of a modern public flush system toilet in the main square of Bali in 1998.

Support of the construction of municipal water by gravity supply system in Bali.

Building of classrooms and supplying desks to elementary schools in Bali.

Construction of a Multipurpose Center in Bali to serve as library, computer learning center, HIV/AIDS counseling and support center, and youth empowerment center.

Provision of scholarships to students in Bali and the USA. Dissemination of information about college and career choices worldwide and provides a support network for its student members to achieve academically and succeed professionally.

Conducts an annual health fair in Bali, where its Physician members offer free consultations, medications, screening for prevalent illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, vision, and hearing problems, and counseling related to HIV/AIDS prevention and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Supply of medication and medical equipment to the main hospitals and health centers in Bali.

Provision of technical assistance in various projects such as the mortuary that was constructed at the main hospital in Bali in 2004.

Distribution of health literature and provide health tips resources and brochures.

Participation in 2009 in the Mutual Health Organization (MHO) patronized by GTZ Cameroon.

By Ba Sama Doh BCA-USA Eastern Chapter

BCA-USA MIRROR

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POETRY: THE LELA FESTIVAL Praise of our gallant ancestors, And praise of their living embodiment: The Fon, seated on the white horse.

There is praise at the plaza From the dazzling faces of women: And thou Mount Buea Most stately of all, Where is he, bearing a mortal frame, (Or where on earth, that measure of splendour) That dares to compare Thy grandeur and majesty, Or these impair?

Ba Nkom Gwanua Augustine Ndangam

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By Ba Nkom Gwanua Augustine Ndangam

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Ere the gleam of dawn, Faint, like the night war alert Drum signals from the palace plaza, The sacrifice offered by a few for many.

There will be sunny faces At the river shrine before sundown.

The ancestors will accept our sacrifice And nod their approval and blessing.

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Our fluttering standards in the dryseason sun, Emblematic of a prosperous coming year Will telegraph the news of The white ram that slept on the good side Breathing its last.

The boat astir on the river – Is loaded with calabashes of corn beer The Priestly Tutuwan bowing before the throne, Whispers his secret readings, And the Fon, gorgeous and radiant, Beams a royal smile.

We will return from the shrine triumphant, The smell of gun-powder and dry-season dust, The sounds of the trumpet and the gakwan, And the vibrating mirth at each door, Have drowned the brawling street And the storm from the bedroom last night.

There is praise on the street: Praise for our fluttering banners, 40

Sundown, and clean- hearted, We will squad side by side At the Royal plazza, Drink the sacred corn beer In awe-filled silence.

We have embarked: Rowing backwards into the future, Renewing ancient allegiance.

Solemn, each drum beat, the Royal trumpets Calling on the ancestors in the silence of the sacred night, Signals each renewal of allegiance As we steer the boat down the river.

We will row backwards into the future, Glimpsing familiar landmarks past Where drums of war were heard, And sounds of guns roared: The brawl of Wolbe and Sama, Gawolbe and war-wearied Bafufundong, Evacuation at Dunkirk, War blasted Ypres, Ladysmith, Manila Bay, New Orleans, Constantinople, and Syracuse, Satan and the rebel angels.

The roaring guns and mortars were heard and Men mourned their slain.

We will row backwards down the river And each pledge at the plaza Will be a promise written on the sands of time.

Each drum beat, Ay, each trumpet sound Calling the ancestors in the sacred night.

Dancing with steps of leisure.

Men with flowing gowns Dancing with steps of pleasure.

The young and the old agree: This is a worthy festival, Bequeathed by ancestors.

We cherish the past.

We dream the future.

We live our lives today.

Dance over, We will come home under the rising moon, Clutching love kola nuts and “bitter- cola” in one hand, In our palms, they rub side by side Like pleasure and guilt under the quilt.

Between pleasure and guilt, One lingers and the other evaporates Like smoke in the wind.

Between the empty hand reaching out, And everything else it fears to grip or grab, Space, that is empty, Expectation, that is momentary.

Between evening and morning, The sacred night.

In the darkness, the light of stars (light-years in coming ).

So rowing backwards into the future, We take in the past, our past.

Between today’s dance and tomorrow’s, Our repose - a transient respite.

We surrender the silent night to the silver moon, Full, bright and low on the horizon, We have calabashes of dreams on the boat Now anchored in the harbour, Where the winds are still, No breakers roar, no surges rave.

The turbulence is over.

We will dance and wallow at the plaza.

We came out of the past, Abide the present, And foretaste the future.

Beyond the harbour, Summoned by ethereal drum signals, Like the night one at the Plaza shrine The Lela dance animates the dawn, The bright morning rays Wraps the dawn in fresh and refreshing beauty.

The festival has begun.

The rest, is rest.

Actum est!

We will dance and wallow, Women with dazzling faces

*Poem is an excerpt from his forthcoming book, War of the King’s Cup

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BALI CULTURAL ASSOCIATION (BCA) FOUNDATION

Y E A R S O F B A L I C U L T U R E

Ba Nkom Gwanpidpua Tangeh•

I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

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From the spirit of communalism today, BCAs and their members are blessed with both enormous intellectual and material resources to carry on the work of building Bali and making it the shiny star that it has always been to Cameroon and to the world.

The 2005 Bali Cultural Association (BCAUSA) convention in Houston gave birth to the BCA Foundation. BCA Foundation has made the development of Bali its ultimate goal and rallying cry. Economic and social transformations of Bali are the focal points of BCA Foundation.

The BCA-USA Foundation’s goal is to harness our intellectual and material resources, our pride, our strength and above all our love for Bali to systematically, and methodically carry out sustainable development projects in Bali. It seeks to make each and everyone one of us a stakeholder in the development of Bali. BCA Foundation builds on the model of universal community participation in Development.

Bali is the only place on earth that a Bali Mind can call “Home”. Even if we do not live there, we have siblings, parents and extended family members who live there. There is no one out there who will develop or invest in Bali but the Bali Minds that the BCA members are. Developing Bali and

raising the living standards of our folks back home is our business. BCA-USA Foundation seeks to create membership worldwide, The Foundation also seeks to have a pool of Bali professionals who can undertake expert tasks in their various fields of specialty to foster Bali development. For example, the present MPC committee members are comprised of such talents.

It is our hope that proud Bali men and women will generously support the Foundation financially and materially. The plan looking forward is to have a solid financial base and a pool of experts in every conceivable field to help draw a development plan for Bali.

Our goal is to raise substantial amounts of money and talents pool to design and carry out projects in Bali, which will uplift the quality of life of those of our siblings living in Bali. It may be economic, social or cultural in nature.

Let BCA Foundation be the rallying cry of every son and daughter of Bali who are all proud of their roots and willing to invest. We cannot wait on anyone to deliver our people from Poverty, diseases and backwardness when we have the resources and the will to accomplish seemingly insurmountable feats.

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Bali Nyonga was the first town in the Cameroon Grassfields to have and enjoy pipe-borne water.

Until date, Bali has one of the best-planned street systems in the region. The subdivision is, arguably, one of the most organized Ba Nkom Gwanpidpua and culture-knit in Cameroon, and this obstinate reluctance to openup to other cultures accounts to the upsurge of teeming diaspora communities of Bali origin over the past two decades. Today we have BCA-USA, BCA-Europe, BANDECA, Nkumu Mfed Mfed and pockets of Bali communities within these umbrella Bali diaspora organizations. Our parents and Grand Parents built the present-day Bali with very little or no resources. These intrepid souls dug streets linking every quarter in Bali with their bare hands.

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BCA-USA SILVER JUBILEE A PERSPECTIVE ON HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION

Ma Marie Fongwa

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The Bali Cultural AssociationUnited States of America (BCA-USA) organization, as described here, is a group of Chamba men and women living in the diaspora, particularly in the United States, who have a common goal of promoting and maintaining the cultural, educational and social wellbeing of the Bali people.

Conceived in 1988 by creative and wisdom-laden minds of a few Bali men and women, now respected and referred to as the Founding Members, BCA-USA is now a 25 years old thriving non-profit cultural organization in the U.S. The organization is described by many as a model cultural entity among Africans in the diaspora, particularly people from the many Cameroonian ethnic groups now residing in the USA. Whatever those Founding Members had in mind, it is now history as BCA-USA has evolved into its current respected state as a thriving non-profit organization grounded in stability as depicted in its annual convention, benevolent activities, growing membership, and hope for the future of the organization and 42

others affiliated with it.

In line with my previous commentaries about BCAUSA, the Bali men and women of this respected organization are draped with the basic and required fabrics that an organization needs for growth – a sense of focus, hard work by its members, accountability for service as well as important interpersonal values such as pride, dignity, love and respect for self and others, sharing, sacrifice, and dedication. It is therefore my strong belief that through this organization, Bali is handing down its unique cultural tradition, even in the diaspora.

The story goes that in November 1987, some sons and daughters of Bali (the Founding Members) including the late Ma Margaret Vakenna Fogam, gathered in Atlanta to celebrate the life of late Ba Fogam. Moved by the number of Bali citizens in attendance, sensing, and feeling the community spirit among the Bali men and women, Ma Margaret Fogam suggested the idea of forming an annual cultural meeting.

The attendees quickly bought into her brilliant idea – the seed for an association/ organization was sown!

Thank you, Ma Margaret Fogam. On November 26, 1988 (Thanksgiving weekend), a number of Bali sons and daughters attended a meeting at Clark Atlanta University Library, organized

by Bali men and women resident in Atlanta, Georgia.

In her welcome speech, the late Ma Margaret Fogam filled the air with the concept of community spirit as captured in the following quote: “The spirit which has brought all of us here, I hope, will

continue to motivate us to be responsive to the needs of meetings, occasions of mutual interests and to be responsive to the needs of and welfare of members of our community in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

Unanimously, the meeting attendees agreed on having a structure association and right there on November 26, 1988, they appointed the first President: Ni Muted Fofung, Secretary: Ni Nicholas Tangeh, Treasurer: Ma Margaret Fogam, -coordinator: Ni Kehbuma Dema, and Chief Whip: Ni Goddy Fofang; established some basic ground rules including: the goals for the association, an annual membership due of $50.00, and a rotational geographical location for the annual meeting. The Founding Members ended their day in 1988 with a gala sponsored by the newly formed association.

Then, an existing Ndakum (group of Balians who meet regularly to socialize and maintain their cultural values) was in Dallas, Texas with Ni Henry Fofang as President and Ni Fritz Mesumbe (from Tombel) as Treasurer. It was agreed in Atlanta (1988) that the Dallas Ndakum will host the first convention during the Memorial Day weekend in 1989. The annual time slot for BCA-USA convention was now in order! It is worth noting that Ni Fritz Mesumbe (known as a friend of Bali) was treasurer for six years in Dallas and was the first to collect the sum of $350.00 for BCA-USA, and first to register Dallas BCA members as a group in the organization. Thank you, Ni Fritz, for all you did in building a firm foundation for BCA-USA. To all the Founding Members, we bow with

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gratitude.

According to Greinier’s (1982), an organization goes through phases of growth including: creativity, direction, delegation, coordination, and collaboration. These phases of growth are respectively aligned with various aspects of organizational problems/ crisis such as: leadership, autonomy, control, red tape and question. To capture some moments as BCA-USA meandered its way through these phases of development in the organization, one would say the Founding Members in 1988 were few in number but had the creative minds needed to make things happen and take Bali men and women in the diaspora to a higher heights than they probably dreamt. In 1988, the numbers were fewer, depicting a small and manageable size organization; the Founding Members used the available resource ammunitions they had (telephone numbers, addresses in the U.S., and word-of-mouth) to spread the word and galvanized as many as possible Bali men and women across the United States to meet in Dallas during the Memorial Day Weekend in 1989 for the first ever Convention, then called Family Reunion.

Inspired by t the pride and dignity in us and for the sake of our cultural heritage, so many of us came together on that Friday night of the Memorial Day weekend in 1989 and gathered at Ni Goddy Fofang’s home in Dallas. To say the least, it was a beautiful evening and of thanksgiving to be with those one just has so much in common, had not seen one

BCA-USA SILVER JUBILEE

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Presidents (Muted Fofung and Gregory Levai), I also had the luxury of chairing the revision of the document in 2003 and serving again as a member of the recent appointed ad hoc committee to revise the document. These revisions have allowed us the opportunity to fine-tune, through the use of practical By-laws, our binding rules and regulations. One recent addition to the constitution and By-laws is on conducting elections. For electing the current executive in 2012, BCA-USA conducted one of its most proficient and ethical elections in Minneapolis, MN. As the membership of the organization and its number of objectives increase, to keep abreast with the terms of being a non-profit organization, decentralizing power and delegating tasks become necessary. An example of sharing power by the President is the use of the ad hoc committee as mentioned above. BCA-USA Presidents are good at seizing the opportunity to share power and to tap into the rich minds of its energetic members. In addition, the serving executive’s power is shared by those the Presidents appoints as chairs to committees responsible for executing different tasks/ objectives agreed upon at the annual general meeting.

Bali sons and daughters are spread across the United States.

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lost every single day of the convention. It would be hard to trade convenience for the inconvenience of the past; so we are never going back to the old ways of doing things.

In terms of direction, the leadership in the Founding Members, spearheaded by late Ma Margaret Vakenna Fogam, had an agenda for the first General Assembly in 1989, Dallas, Texas. Important items on the agenda were to confirm the 1988 appointed executive to serve for a renewable term and to draft the constitution. I, Marie Fongwa, was elected as the first Vice President to Ni Muted Fofung’s term as the President and then I served again as Vice President along with the late Ni Gregory Levai as the President. The organization name, Bali Cultural Association-United States of America (BCA-USA) remained intact and we drafted the “Constitution of the Bali Cultural AssociationUnited States of America” with the late Ni Gregory Babaya Levai emphasizing on the “Preamble”. I was humbled by how rich the minds of Bali sons and daughters were on putting the constitution together. The document, which was adopted at the next Family Reunion, in Minneapolis, MN in 1990, has guided our behaviors and kept us on target as we forge forward in the organization.

As the organization grows in number and time changes the way we think and behave, some of our past Presidents have felt the need for and appointed ad hoc committees to revise and amend the constitution. Having served as the organization’s first Vice President along with two

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economy and yet allowing Bali people in the convention hosting city to just relax and participate fully in all aspects of the convention meetings, respecting they had invested enormous energy in the logistics associated with the convention taking place in their city.

With the above new way of executing the annual convention (attendees purchasing various packages such as diamond, gold, bronze, etc.), gone are the days when doors used to be open for anyone to walk in, enjoy him/herself, and ate freely! No one can blame us for moving up the ladder; for we allowed people to come and go as they wished with free catering for over two decades and that was not bad as that gesture demonstrated how generous the Bali mind is.

In fact, BCA-USA has grown so big in size that a new way of conducting business was long overdue – a way to maintain order and face realities associated with running a non-profit organization as large as BCA-USA (over 600 members including 70 youths – 360 currently registered members). The sale of the convention packages raises funds and also saves us from some occasion-prone headaches. People would have thought that the costs of buying the packages and staying in a single hotel would discourage many Bali sons and daughters from attending the convention. No, we still show up in numbers!

People have realized that the convenience of having everything in one place, the designated convention hotel, is more cost effective than driving around and getting

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another for a while, and never met before but heard about or knew nothing about a person until then. As we ate and drank that evening, the birth of the Friday Night Welcoming Evening was in order at the home of one of our own in preparation for the General Assembly meeting and the evening fundraising gala the next day, Saturday. That welcoming night was great as those from out of state had a place to rest and relax, feel at home -- ate authentic and delicious meals from our several Bali menus. Our first cultural evening (Sunday) was at the home of the Dallas Ndakum President, Ni Henry Fofang, where we ate more of our traditional Bali meals but now in a fire-side type atmosphere – a lot of riddles and jokes were told.

From 1989 and until the Baltimore Convention in 2010, when we first organized and bought convention packages that allowed us to have every convention event held in a single hotel and be served catered meals, most people stayed with friends and relatives during the BCA-USA Conventions.

BCA-USA has therefore achieved an important milestone -- conducting its most important activity, the annual meeting, like a professional organization convention! Although Bali people love to entertain in style, an advantage of the latter is that it takes the burden associated with heavy cooking, arrangements, and serving from the hosting city’s Bali men and women and giving those to a paid service organization, the hotel catering service – a good thing for the local

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FOKUMLAH FAMILY WISHES BCA-USA WELL my family tree and thank everyone who has contributed to it’s success and achievements On a personal note, I want to mention here that I am very proud of my grand parents; The Dohyems at Njenka Hausa and my great grand parents the Tita Sikods at Njenka where Doh Sabum the father of my grand mother Frida Naah (Kah Mboh) came from.

Ni Chris Fokumlah On behalf of the Fokumlah’s Family

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As BCA USA pauses to reflect on it’s achievement of a commendable status over the past 25 years, the Fokumlah Njinika Tita Wati’s family gladly joins the rest of other families in this celebrative milestone in the journey of the organization.

We wish all BCA USA members and participants an exceptional enjoyable Silver Jubilee Convention.

My long family name was derived from the young tall and handsome Ba Njinikah who by kingship became the successor of his Royal uncle Ba Tita Wati (A brother to his mother who was a princess) and Ba Fokumlah.

BCA USA has had an astronomical growth and this prompts me to look back at

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OUR EASTERN PRIDE: POWERSHOUSE OF CULTURE AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

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Inside the Washington DC beltway, the majority of our members reside in the tri jurisdiction of Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Ours is about the largest metropolis in the world; it is a melting pot of people, commerce, culture and ideas par excellence. Here you have some of the nation’s treasures, touristic sights and critical infrastructures like the White House, the Pentagon, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery for war heroes, and the world renowned National Institute of Health.

The Eastern’s pride is driven by a collection of four grass root organizations (Ndahkuums), which include: Ndahntod with Ni Rudolph Njankenji as president, Nchunyin with Ni Augustin Njinjoh as president Ndangeut (Baltimore) with Ni Valentine Tita as president, and Bali Nyonga Cultural Association (BNCA) Washington Metro with Ba Philip as president.

We also have two gender exclusive groups. These are Nkumu Fed-Fed with Ma Justine Njafu as president who recently took over from the pioneer president Ma Dr. Therese Gwanfogbe and also the Ndah Ngweh Eastern- the all-powerful and exclusive “men’s club” with Ba Sama Franklin Doh at the helm. Up and coming is Nda Bonibo (We we) attracting the under thirties. The real promise of Eastern, however, is Bahlumoh whose organizational philosophy and membership has given inspiration to our children nationally, and may well drive the Chamba way of life far into the future.

Eastern’s Ndakums meet monthly and BC-USA come-together is quarterly. However, if there is reason for an emergency meeting, when in a “Fangwen” for example, we meet.

Since taking office in July 2012, my executive, in collaboration with the Ndakums, has been

accomplishing in a number of areas, including an explosive 4th of July cook out in the Green Belt Park, Maryland. The event was a crowd puller for many non-Bali folks. Needless to say how the unique feel of Chamba greatness consumed everyone when the Mayor of Green Belt joined us to party and do Nabionga dance. Indeed, it was a powerful political presence which brought a spell of wide publicity and pump to bear in the park with about 5,000 people. We organized an exciting and fun-filled back to school trip to the beach (Ocean City Maryland) in august.

We celebrated the life of Ni Augustine Kehbila together in September 2012 and together in love we arranged for his travel to the final resting place in Bali. Highly successful quarterly meetings in October 2012 and in April 2013 highlighted Eastern’s effort to bond together. In October some members of the executive visited the Embassy of Cameroon in an effort to rekindle our relationships. The president represented BCA in the White House on March 26th 2013 for the Champions of change Award. Preparations are underway as we speak to receive our Fon in the Washington Metro. And, we already have our eyes on preparations for the convention we will host come May 2014.

The faces behind the mask: Those great women and Men in my administration who are quietly, effectively behind the greasy wheels of the Eastern are: Ma Stella Tekwe- our great Vice President; Ni Steven Gwanvoma- Secretary General; Ma Comfort Sema- Treasurer; Ni Chris Ngati- Financial Controller; Ma Suzan Nabong Doh- PR; Ma Josephine Nubea- Protocol Officer; Ni Emmanuel Titanji- Coordinator for cultural activities; Ma Nah Musi- Social Secretary; Ni Babila Doh- Youth President. My Advisors, the wonderful Bali Citizens of the eastern region, and BCA-USA Boss (Ba Sam) Alex Ngati have been inspirational.

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BCA-USA Eastern folks know they are the chapter of choice! As the powerhouse of Chamba culture in North East United States, we waste no time showcasing what keeps us together: mutuality of interests, Ma Lilian Sibedwo peaceful coexistence and the magic of the four letter word: Love and a strong sense of belonging. And yes, we fondly refer to our region as “Eastern” – an abridged version of BCAUSA Eastern Chapter.

Lillian Sibedwo President, BCA-USA Eastern Chapter•

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For easier approach to management, our recent past President, Ni Julius Ndangam grouped the states into zones, laid some sort of foundation for chapter formation. There are many Bali Ndakums in the US today compared to one around 1988, Dallas.

BCA-USA does a lot of co-ordination and collaboration, especially among its committees to get the job done such as accomplishing objectives for the organization. The various tasks or projects for the organization may be handled by different committees but in the end, all comes together as products for the organization.

For instance, the cultural and social committees collaborate to produce a master piece presentation during the cultural evening at the convention. The health committee may coordinate with the social and cultural committees to plan and execute a health fair in Bali; a successful health fair would be described as a BCA-USA health fair, not a fair by any of the described committees.

All BCA-USA Committees are held accountable to the mandates of their respective committees through reporting on their accomplishments to the General Assembly at the convention. Thus, each committee works hard behind the scenes, providing updates on their activities during Town Hall Meetings and at the Mini Convention. As an example, the Health Committee is respected for carrying out a number of health fairs in Bali Nyonga; through the Health Committee, the association 46

donated health care materials including some durable equipment to health centers in Bali Nyonga. Listening to the voice of the people, the Health Committee is doing something not done before in BCA-USA; the committee has embraced the fact that only healthy members of the organization can be able to serve with full capacity. The Health Committee has targeted BCA-USA members through electronic communication medium, providing members with invaluable healthrelated information on different topics such as heart

age and are confronted with various health challenges.

A main activity of BCA-USA is the Mini Convention, which evolved from what used to be called Leadership Meeting and it takes place about five to six months prior to the annual convention in any city or state where members are ready and willing to host it. This occasion constitute the Think Tank environment for the organization and as major decisions are made there about the organization and the upcoming annual convention during the next Memorial Day weekend.

attack, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc.

Moving up in their thinking and under the Co-Chairs of Ma Bridget Kaspa and Ni Nubia Kaba, the committee recently conducted an electronic health survey with the intention of learning from members about their health care needs and priorities; in that way they can tailor their services to members’ needs accordingly. Many are grateful for this approach to the needs of BCA-USA members besides encouraging people to subscribe to group life insurance through the organization. It is the right thing to do as many members are approaching retirement

Although the Mini Convention is opened to all members to attend, members of the serving executive and Committee Chairs (in charge of fulfilling BCA-USA targets/ objectives) are expected to attend and provide updates on their respective roles in the organization. The business meeting takes place during the day on the designated Saturday and a fundraising gala held in the evening.

Proceeds from the gala go towards the building of the Multipurpose Center (MPC) conceived over six years ago during one of the leadership/mini conventions.

The MPC will have a modern library service, provide

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wellness and counseling information, and computer literacy to the public in Bali Nyonga. Thank you, Ba Nubia Gwankudvalla for being the spear-heading Engineer for this giant project. You are doing a fine job. For the first few years of the project, we focused fundraising mainly on BCA-USA members but we have ventured outside by incorporating different fundraising strategies. Some Bali minds are very rich about how to raise funds. Ba Alex Ngati (our current President) and Ma Lillian Ndangam Fokwang (current Chair of the Fundraising Committee), just to name a few, moved us ahead of the game with fundraising. Two years in a row, BCA-USA has held a fundraising gala in Cameroon; reached out to some celebrities in the U.S.; walka-ton has been organized by some enthused and energetic members; the Youth Wing, led by our outstanding and able youth President, Ni Langmia Fonjoe has raised funds for the MPC project; etc.). Where there is will, there is a way and no money is small. So please, donate any amount you can afford toward the MPC project, don’t worry about how big others do it; as for whom much is given, much is expected and your gift might be the widow’s mite with a reward for you in heaven.

Talking about the Youth Wing—thank you to pioneering youths who featured during past conventions including but not limited to Ma Brenda Njinjoh, Ni Edmond Fomunung, Ma Dimia Fogam, Ma Kehmia Tangeh, Ni Babila Doh, and of course the current Youth Wing President, Ni Langmia

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Publications Committee of BCA-USA for giving me this space to tell it from my point of view. Others may have a different view point and that is also alright as we live and operate in a world where we are and should be free to express ourselves as long as we do no harm to the other. It is expected that BCA-USA operates on a voluntary service basis and individuals self-support the costs associated with many travels and activities relating to the organization. BCA-USA has made the world a better place in so many ways and will continue to do so. An organization that has done things to better human lives and spirits in so many ways for 25 years without blinking deserves a celebration and that is a good reason for having the Silver Jubilee Celebration and in Atlanta in honor of late Ma Margaret Vakenna Fogam who in 1988 planted the seed of starting an organization in the minds of Bali sons and daughters.

We fondly remember all those in blessed memory and as their spirits along with those of ours ancestors soar over us still here on earth, they should know that they would never be forgotten as long as Bali sons and daughters live. Long life to all living Chamba rulers, custodians and torch bearers of our cultural heritage and who support BCA-USA! Are you getting ready for the Golden Jubilee? I am. Thank you very much.

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Recently, our current Treasurer publishes a quarterly financial report via the BCA-USA membership email listserve.

Our standards are high from the local chapters to the national level.

Gone are the days of yearly almanac and hardcopy type newsletters and with that, I say special thanks to the late Ba Sama Bernard Dim Fondong for all his work in coordinating, producing, and mailing those documents to many of us. I still have a couple of almanacs in a mailing tube from late Bernard Fondong that I did not succeed to sell. Ni Julius Ndangam, thank you for your hard work as our Secretary in those days. Electronics and email systems have moved us to a different and higher level and we now operate online on our publication objectives.

The use of computer programs has facilitated the role of the secretary. Welcome to Ba Sa’ Ko e?, our current electronic newsletter. BCAUSA has a website where we showcase our philosophical values and activities. Besides the newsletter, Ba Sa’ Ko e?, BCA-USA holds Quarterly Town Hall meetings via conference call twice a year or as needed. These meetings are well advertised and participation is encouraged through reminders via the membership list-serve – every Bali son and daughter is encouraged to sing up on the BCA-USA email list-serve so as to stay current with what is going on in the organization.

In concluding this recap on BCA-USA as an organization conceived and executed in the diaspora, particularly in the United States, I sincerely thank the

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mirror and reflecting on our beliefs, behaviors/actions, how our personal values were affecting others and the organization, and on working for the greater good while the die-hard people keep the light shining, even if dimer, to keep us on course. For years, we suffered from the “African Time” syndrome. For instance, we used to start the 9/10 a.m. scheduled Saturday business meeting at 12 noon and sometimes 1 p.m. because of late arrival to the meeting place. We tried making people pay fines for coming late but that did not help much in changing our behavior. In the last couple of years, the executive made it a point to start every event associated with the convention, especially the Saturday business meeting, on time. Also, having most of the convention-related events take place in the same hotel where the attendees stay has influenced the increase in attendance at any of the events and done away with much of the late arrivals.

Finances keep an organization alive and BCA-USA has an accounting system for checks and balances for its monies that no one can get away with funds misappropriation or mismanagement. Monetary problems have shut down other cultural organizations in the U.S. BCA-USA is a no nonsense type organization when it comes to its finances and crooks are kept out of our financial system; anyone who tried coming in in sheep’s clothing on finances would say that his or her toes were held to the fire by other members to account for every cent in the treasury.

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Fonjoe. A main reason for BCA-USA is about you – you are the next torch bearers of the Bali cultural traditions. We thank you all for stepping on to the plate while we are still here to support you in the right direction. May God help and show you the light on how to blend the Bali cultural traditions into the western culture in such a way that the product will give you a sense of belonging, pride, and fulfillment in life.

BCA-USA has not always had it smooth all these years.

However, lessons learned have taken us to higher levels with many viewing past crisis moments as points where powerful lessons were learned and we became better at dealing with similar situations in the future. For instance, in the late 1990s some BCA-USA members in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area were not pleased with something that happened in the organization and decided to not participate in the usual activities such as paying annual dues and attending the convention. It took critical energies and time to get everyone on the same BCA-USA ship again. Thanks to all those who worked so hard to put all petty things behind our backs and get everyone on board. It was not fun to see the membership number shrunk and to miss some members of our cultural family at the annual convention. But the die-hard people kept their noses on the grinding stone and the ship kept moving forward. No one ever told us it was going to be smooth-sailing! Those who pulled us backward allowed us the opportunity to look at ourselves in the

*Dr Marie Ngetiko Fongwa is Associate Professor of Nursing at the Azusa Pacific University, School of Nursing.

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In the lead up to the 2013 BCA-USA convention that holds in Atlanta, GA, His Royal Highness, Dr Doh Ganyonga granted an exclusive interview to the BCA-USA Mirror.

Special Guest, HRH, Senator Dr Ganyonga III In a couple of months prior to convention kick-off, ink flowed and lips wagged in BCA on the logistics of the Fon’s visit in the United States. There would be a slow-down in this heraldry of royalty from Bali Nyonga owing to an intense political calendar in 48

Cameroon that saw his majesty playing an invaluable role at the national level. The likelihood of the Fon not being able to make it to the convention on account of a very tight schedule back in Cameroon continues to shimmer, but the BCA National Executive WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

Committee (NEC) under the leadership of Ba Sam Ngati remains relentless in preparing to “Celebrate 25 years of Cultural Heritage”.

Amid these, BCA Mirror had an opportunity to talk with convention special guest, his majesty, senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III, in an exclusive interview in which he addresses numerous subjects vis-à-vis Bali Nyonga.

BCA-USA Mirror: Your Majesty and senator, first of all, congratulations for your recent appointment as one of the pioneer senators in Cameroon’s political history. We profoundly appreciate your willingness to talk to BCAUSA Mirror. We particularly thank you for taking time off your very busy schedule that is compounded by the current compact political calendar in the country to talk to us.

His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me on issues I may help explain. It is always a pleasure to reach Bali sons and daughters and the public as a whole. I am glad to be here, and to talk with you.

BCA-USA Mirror: Generally, how is the health of Bali Nyonga today?

His Majesty, Senator Ganyonga III: It is daunting to give a detail picture of Bali Nyonga today. I can talk in general terms; In Bali Nyonga we have challenges at various levels: cultural, social, economic, political, you name them.

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living together in the American diaspora. It gives me a lot of pleasure to see the dedication to our prized ideals (particularly) by those in the diaspora. BCAUSA is arguably the most vibrant Bali community outside of the Fondom, and we look forward to its continuous support of and initiation of development projects back home. Suffice to add that I do not have to be physically present at our events to bring the blessings required of me to our people. When and wherever our people meet, the voice of the palace is therein, and the elders (Yhangong) are there to represent me physically if and when there is need for such a physical representation.

BCA-USA Mirror: Your Majesty, it seems it was easier in the past to recognize people in the Bali Fondom than it is today.

How does one get nominated and/or appointed to a position of responsibility in the Fondom, positions like Sama, Nwana , Nkom or Fonteh in 2013?

His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Ganyonga III: Nkoms are to the Fon as ministers are to the Head of State. Typically, one would get recognition from the palace through one of two ways. It is either through hereditary or through merit. In the case of the former, it is not always the case that one who succeeds the father or mother automatically inherits the position held by the deceased. Some successors may not be able adequately fill the vacuum created by the passing of their parents because of unavailability, or just inability to

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Bali sub-division is big enough to have her own representatives.

We have over the years been put together with either Bamenda central or Santa. We have made it known to the president of the republic that Bali is big enough to have her own representation in parliament.

BCA-Mirror: Your Majesty, Senator, before we get into the nitty-gritty of some of the political issues you raise, you will be a special guest for BCA-USA silver jubilee celebrations that is slated to begin on May 23, 2013 in Atlanta, GA. What are your prospects?

His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: As you probably know, this is the second time I am going to be personally present at a BCA-USA convention. The first one was in Minnesota in 2004. Last year (2012) I was in Germany to attend the first BCA-Europe Convention.

I do visit our communities in towns and cities back here in Cameroon. We are living in a fast changing world where it is no longer possible to sit here in the palace and address our peoples’ concerns. There are many of our teeming communities in towns and cities in the country and in the diaspora, and I would always endeavor to be with them when it is possible. The increasingly globalized world of today brings some salient challenges to us on how to maintain that sense of belonging that our forefathers did not have to worry about being able to do. I look forward to joining sons and daughters of Bali in the United States in marking their 25 years of

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But which polity does not have issues? Even your own communities in the United States wrestle with challenges on a daily basis. We in Bali have challenges; we manage them and we never give such difficulties the last word. The palace works in close collaboration with other stakeholders like the D.O, the Mayor, and representatives of non-profit organizations to address some of the challenges faced by Bali Sub-division. As you know, we just went through the senatorial election. The people of Bali Nyonga were not happy with some aspects of the election; particularly, they were not happy with the choices of the person heading the list and his alternate in the Santa-Bali constituency. Another issue that arose during campaign events for the election was the Bawock issue. Bawock is one of the fourteen villages that make up the Bali Fondom. In recent past the people of Bawock wanted to establish a boundary that would identify the village as a distinct entity from the Bali Fondom.

We said no to that because our forefathers generously accepted them here. We cannot pay a price for being hospitable to fellow human beings. We are not going to have a Fondom within the Bali Nyonga Fondom. I was the campaign manager for Bali sub-division. We did well to the chagrin of prophets of doom who wished that we should fail. The head of state would make some appointments to complete the process of having our first senate in the country. We believe that

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carry out that particular function adequately. In such a case, I consult my close collaborators and we choose someone to fill that vacuum. On those who are given positions on the basis of merit, we go through a procedure to nominate people to play roles in the palace. We usually look at people who have shown distinguishing support to the palace and put them in positions as a way of recognition and also as a way of encouraging them to support the palace because it is a good thing to do. Remember we do not have salaries. We depend on support from the people to run their palace.

BCA-USA Mirror: In recent years the outcry about the waning of Nyonga culture has been salient. There is a feeling among Bali Nyonga people that those values that define them are fast disappearing. Do you share the same feeling? What can be done or is being done to handle the seemingly unavoidable situation?

His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Ganyonga III: I would begin my answer to this on the premise that culture is not static. This is largely a matter of perspectives. Culture mutates; it is dynamic. There are aspects of a people’s culture that are subject to changes irrespective of whether they want it or not.

On Bali culture in particular, certain aspects of our culture are still intact. Examples of untainted cultural values of ours would be Lela. Although there are some few changes in the procedure, I can say that it remains essentially the same.

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Generally, we brought some of the changes in areas like hygiene and widowhood. In the past widows were subjected to untold hardships as they mourned their husbands. Women were expected to sleep on the floor for months and in some cases for up to a year. I realized that some elderly women within families that adhered to this were beneficiaries of this practice and were promoting it. We examined the situation and decided that there is no aspect of our culture that is tolerant to inflicting pain on our people, especially when

“When and wherever our people meet, the voice of the palace is with them, and the elders (Yhangong) are there to represent me physically if and when there is need for such a physical representation.” they are already going through pains of enormous proportion in the case of widows mourning their husbands. At the same time I was told that the practice could not be completely stopped, so I decided that widows will have a maximum of three days to go through that practice. Another age-old practice of our people I curtailed would be multiple days in death celebrations. In the past death celebrations in Bali took a toll on the bereaved because of the long process of burial, numerous vigils and funeral celebrations. These typically WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

took weeks and therefore were more costly to the bereaved who would already be suffering the loss of a loved one. We came in and advised that burial should be a simple exercise with limited demands to the bereaved. We advised that after burial, the family of the deceased may decide at a time of their choosing to celebrate the loved one’s life.

The idea was to let the people know that it is better to spend the resources in catering for the health needs of their loved ones than to bring their money for slavish expenses in the name of funeral celebration. They went on to add that a funeral celebration be slated for a day of the concerned family’s choosing, and that it should take place between 6 A.M and 6 P.M. A bereaved family wishing to go beyond this allotted time-frame (night vigil, for example) would pay some fee.

The fee is meant to deter people from was was becoming the norm. We wanted to discourage the practice of extending these events, so when people feel strongly about the extension, they should pay a price for it. I think this has worked well over the years because people long nightly funeral events have been tremendously reduced.

There are other aspects of the changes in the Fondom that we never planned for and that we have very little influence over.

For example, there are TV sets in many homes in Bali today; some of the channels present obscene and pornographic movies to kids. Some show gory scenes in movies involving murder, mass

DR. DOH GANYONGA III OF BALI NYONGA become difficult for them to remain true custodians of the people’s values especially in Fondoms where people (sometimes majority of them) may have different political views from their Fon. Where is His Majesty, Senator Doh Ganyonga and the people of Bali Nyonga vis-a-vis this?

a leader and so I need to join the national ruling body. What would I (a leader) be opposing?

It is important to know that my traditional jurisdiction of Bali Nyonga is part of a bigger civil jurisdiction called the republic of Cameroon presently under the leadership of, His Excellency,

His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: Taking part in partisan politics as fon in the North West Region is not new.

At the dawn of independence in Cameroon Fons were integral parts of the national body politic.

The late Ba Galega played a key role in the re-unification process. Taking the bull by the horns, he was actively involved in Foncha’s KNDP, playing an invaluable role in the political activities that favored unification.

In fact, he was actively involved in national politics, and so were his colleagues of the other major Fondoms of the then Bamenda province. So the Fon has been actively involved in politics without being a politician.

Additionally, leaders rule; I am

President Paul Biya. Under what grounds would I be militating in a different political party other than the ruling CPDM? At the dawn of the second phase of multi-party politics, I looked at the political climate in the country, and consciously decided that we actively continue ruling and not opposing. There is absolutely nothing new or wrong with that informed decision.

BCA-USA Mirror: Your Majesty, would a Bali indigent and resident who actively militates in a different political party from yours receive the same blessings from the palace as the one who militates with you in the ruling party?

His Majesty Senator Doh Ganyonga: This palace belongs to the people, and so in keeping

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killings, thievery, etc. Moreover, almost every person in Bali today owns a set of mobile phone. You are talking with me now from the United States; you can as well be talking to any other person in any part of Bali, like remote Jangman or Kopin. Young people are leaving Bali to other parts of the world to look for greener pasture. It is understandable; when they communicate or come back home, they bring changes in our communities. The opening of more colleges and a University in Bali in recent years has compounded the situation. The coming of the University sparked a huge controversy. Some people thought their land was to be encroached into. The fact is that Bali is gradually growing into a metropolitan setting. This is development; it comes with a cost. We are making effort to have things under control. This innovation in communication technology comes with a challenge that is almost always imperceptible. We consider them necessary facts and phases of life. We cannot stop most of these changes; however, we will attempt a sort of control to limit the degree of baggage that it brings, this for the good of the community at large.

BCA Mirror: Many people believe that the second phase of pluralistic democracy in Cameroon that kicked-off in 1990 estranged many traditional rulers of the North West Region from their peoples’ loyalty. The thinking is that because most of the Fons actively militate in one party (usually the ruling party) it has

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with an age-old tradition, it is open to the people irrespective of what their political leanings are. I have never and will not stop anyone from coming to the palace. Of course, when I put on my political cap, I would be glad to have everyone in the Fondom join me in my political party, but we have a healthier political environment today which gives room for individuals with dissenting political views to express them without fear of being reprimanded. This being said, I would like to let you know that I take informed policy and/or political positions for the interest of Bali Nyonga. I do not always take decisions overnight. Bali Nyonga is not a self-sufficient independent entity; it is part of a larger entity called Cameroon. I want to assure you that I do not work for my personal interest; I work for the good of the people.

I serve the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) a national party across the nation.

As you know, I am a member of the party’s Central Committee.

In recent past, I have served the party in re-organising it in Bafut and also in conducting parliamentary elections in Manyu Division in the South West Region on behalf of the CPDM Central committee. My active role in the ruling party should not and does not deter anyone from coming to the palace. It seems to me that those who do not militate in the ruling party have a complex.

Let me use this opportunity to say that I have an open-door policy. We are all people of Bali Nyonga before belonging 52

to different political parties as other Cameroonians elsewhere in the national territory. Let us all put the interest of Bali Nyonga at heart. We need to be very thankful to the Head of State for recognizing our contribution to national construction and challenging us to join in the process in higher offices. I call on all sons and daughters of Bali to come together and let’s work for the interest of our Fondom and our country at large. Together there is nothing we as a people cannot achieve. As it is often said, if you can dream it, you can do it, and I really believe we can.

BCA-USA Mirror: Talking about working together for common good, credible sources have it that you wield tremendous influence even within the Bali CPDM elite to the level that fairly recently you influenced who should be the mayor of Bali Royal Council to the chagrin of some Bali CPDM WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

barons.

His Majesty Senator Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: That we are loyal comrades of the CPDM does not mean that we are not going to have our in-house differences. The legendary Chinua Achebe says “When something stands, something else stands beside it”. You are always going to have different views when you have more than one person looking at something. You see, as the Fon of Bali Nyonga, I have some prerogatives. I also take responsibility for my actions, all of which are for the good of my people.

I ensure that every aspect of our society works well. To your question in particular, I can tell you that the Fon does not select the mayor; the people do at the ballot box. At the same time the Fon knows likely good mayors among those within the CPDM being vetted for the position.

He knows that among those contesting or being vetted is one who can go the extra mile to sacrifice for the council and the people. If on the other hand there is one who is good at talking but has no prove of ability and willingness to go the extra mile in helping the council, I would throw my weight behind the candidate likely to go the extra mile. Why? Because the people deserve the best that our resources can offer. I would not call names. If you know what transpired during the case

DR. DOH GANYONGA III OF BALI NYONGA

Y E A R S O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

BCA-USA Mirror: Your last word: His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: I invite all of you Bali people to join me in thanking president Biya for the love and concern he has shown the people of Bali Nyonga; I believe it is a mark of a cultured people to feel and show gratitude. I want to exhort all of you sons and daughters of Bali at home and abroad to live in piece in the societies you have chosen to live in, especially those of you in the diaspora. It is important to respect the laws of your host country. On behalf of the people of Bali and people of Cameroon, I also want to express my best wishes to the president of the United States, President Barack Obama, who made history when he entered the white house in 2009. I would particularly appreciate the privilege of meeting him to say hello. I am eagerly looking forward to making it to the U.S, but from this morning (of May 16, 2013) a lot may change in regard to my trip as the formation of the senate bureau will be taking place. I do not know how the schedule of work will be, but I hope to find a little time to come to the US and join you in celebrating your Silver Jubilee and to visit with young people.

BCA-USA Mirror: We would like to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Once more congratulations on your recent appointment to the senate.

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palace and sufficient provisions (food and drinks) were always available in the palace to cater for guests. Today it is not the same. I travel a lot, within and without the country. When some individuals come and (in defiance of regulations in place) avariciously buy too much land for themselves including the Fon’s, does anyone expect me to remain silent? When I discourage such practices as I have had to do for the interest of the people, the perpetrators may not take it kindly, but I have to react in the face of such excesses. These being said, I want to re-iterate that the palace is open to sons and daughters of Bali Nyonga at home and abroad and even to none Bali people. The palace is a public institution. I have not stopped and should not stop anyone from coming to the palace. In keeping with an age-old protocol, the process is simple: indicate to the palace your intention to visit and the palace collaborators will help schedule your appointment.

Should you intend to see the Fon in person do same and there will always be time for me to meet and share with you. I seize this opportunity to also clarify the controversy surrounding individuals who are often taunted on account of imaginary or real problems which their parents and/or grandparents had with the palace. I would like to categorically state that I do take individuals for whom they are, irrespective of such real or imaginary past occurrences. I am not vindictive.

C E L E B R A T I N G

in point, you would be taken aback. For example, a comrade comes to the palace and vouches support for a candidate and went out campaigning for a different candidate. That is the kind infidelity and double standard that we witnessed. Such practices were heavily punished in the past. A contestant must show prove of readiness to go the extra mile as mayor of Bali Council or any other office in the Fondom to benefit from my blessings.

BCA-USA Mirror: Talking about all sons and daughters of Bali working together, for a while now, it is being purported that some within the elite from Bali have not had a very cordial relationship with the palace. Why? His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Ganyonga III: I want to stress the fact that all Bali Nyonga sons and daughters, irrespective of their status, are integral parts of our Fondom.

I do not have a problem with the elite as a category. I have no problem with our elite; I work with them; it is important to note that most of the elite collaborate with me. I see in everyone a son or daughter of Bali Nyonga an invaluable part of the whole. This being said, it seems to me that some individuals would rather have a Fon who is an illiterate, a Fon who would get excited over a bottle of whisky and act according to their whims and caprices. I am not only literate; I am a scholar and would not easily get excited over food or drinks. Moreover, times have changed. In the past the Fon was almost always in the

Interview by Victor N. Gomia

53

BCA NORCAL CHAPTER REPORT 2012-2013

Ni Dinga Nfon

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

This year has been a great year for BCA Northern California. The enthusiasm of the members and their dedication to support our little brothers and sisters back in Bali has been at an all-time high. We have seen huge improvements in multiple areas.

Our membership has increased tremendously with meeting attendance at its all-time high. This year we acquired some drums, ngong and ncha ncha, and with these equipment, we were able to represent Bali in grand style during

the first ever Cameroon Cultural festival in the San Francisco bay area. We were able to proudly show case our culture for which we drew lots of accolades. These equipment have also helped harmonize our meetings. We begin each meeting with a Lo’hti and end with Nchibi.

Our meetings have never been this fun.

During this year we were able to donate books, pens, pencils, soccer balls and other didactic materials to the amount of 1 million CFA to four selected primary schools in Bali.

The schools that benefited from this initiative were G.S Mbeluh, G.S Koppin Native, G.S Koppin Fulani and G.S Banja.

During this year, we also accomplished what we believe is our most important achievement for the year. With a little over 2.3 million CFA, we were able to construct and donate a 6 stall modern pit toilet to G.S Mbeluh. The toilet measures 9.5 m long, 5 m deep and 1.5 m wide. Considering the population of Mbeluh, we estimate that this toilet

will last for well over 30 years. We plan to construct and donate similar if not better toilets to other needy schools within Bali.

Members of BCA NorCal have been actively participating in the activities of BCA- USA more than ever before. Members of this great chapter have collectively raised over $5000 through the 5K walk initiative to benefit the MPC project in Bali. We have also registered an unprecedented number of members to the national association.

Members of this chapter participate in different capacities within BCAUSA, and for the first time in recent memory, a member of BCA NorCal is serving as a co-chair of the health committee.

The state of BCA NorCal is strong. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far and we hope we will do better and continue to grow as a chapter of BCA- USA in the years to come.

Ni Dinga Nfon Chapter president

B A L I

CULLED FROM THE PAST Herald Today Environment: BCA-USA donates equipment worth 100 million FCFA to Balikumbat. By Randy Joe Sa’aah back from Balikumbat May 27, 2003 - 05:34 The Bali (Chamba) community in the diaspora has donated computers, health and school equipment to the tune of 100 million FCFA for the development of Balikumbat.

The equipment, donated by the US branch of the Bali Cultural Association (BCAUSA) was handed over to the beneficiary institutions on 17 May 2003 in the glare of CRTV cameras by Dingha Ignatius Bayim, president general of Balikumbat Development organisation (BADO) in the presence of the Balikumbat 54

DO, mayor, BADO executive and a cross-section of the population.

The equipment which constituted 10 computers, four beds, 30 clutches 30 crutches, surgical equipment and medicines were distributed in a transparent manner to the target institutions. As expected, the Balikumbat Hospital had the lion’s share of the equipment with one computer, four mechanically and electronically driven beds, complete surgical instruments

and medicines.

Of the remaining nine computers, two were given to GHS Balikumbat, one to GTC Balikumbat, one to the Balikumbat Parish priest, one to BADO and one to Balikumbat Rural Council.

Dingha who sought and obtained the equipment from BCA-USA explained to The Herald that the three undistributea computers were for the eventual creation of a computer school in Balikumbat.

Speaking at the equipment

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

distribution occasion, Dingha who is paymaster general for Nkongsamba, thanked BCAUSA for their largesse and sacrifice. He used the occasion to call on useful Balikumbat citizens whom he said were those contributing financially and morally to the suffering masses not to relent in their efforts at ameliorating the well-being of the population.

The BADO president general promised to make an exhaustive report on the distributed equipment for (continued on page 56)

CULTURE COMMITTEE REPORT With the growth of BCA and the evolution of the various committees that make up the Association, it became necessary (some fifteen years ago) to lay more emphasis on the place of Bali culture in BCA-USA.

2 5 Y E A R S O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

BCA-USA MIRROR

C E L E B R A T I N G

This led to the creation of the cultural committee which today stands out as one of the most important committees in the organization. The reason would not be far-fetched: Culture is at Ni Charlie Tamon the center of BCA-USA mission and vision. My predecessors: Ba Gabriel Gwanmesia, Ma Christie Aganifor, Dr Sema Fofung, Ma Valuma Tangeh and Ma Lilian Fomunung, Ba Gweh Tateh Langmia, Ba Fomuso, Ni Alfred Sibedwo and Ba TitaMohkumi, all strived to elevate the association, to bring Bali culture to the center of the organization’s activities by encouraging general participation in conventions and particularly during cultural nights. We have some members, who have been part of the committee since its creation, members who exemplify in words and actions, love and generosity as they draw from their rich repository of cultural knowledge to share with members of the organization. Prominent amongst them are Ni Emmanuel Titanji, Ni Jella Kaspa, Ba Sama Franklin Doh, Ni Fidelis Koyila (Pa Bali), Ma Emma Daiga, Ni Divine Kuja, Ma Doris Galabe, Ma Lilian Fomunung and Ba Titanji Originally, the Cultural Night during our conventions was a free event with everyone invited to come and enjoy the celebration of our rich culture. The event used to be hosted in the homes of members during the convention weekends. Some memorable hosts were Ma Terasa Gwanfogbe, Ba Tita Todmia and the Aganifors who hosted the event multiple times in their homes whenever we organized the convention in Atlanta.

The last time we met in a member’s house was in Los Angeles in 2003 when Ba Tita Todmia hosted

the event in his living room. With the growth of the association and the increased number of people attending the event, it became necessary to move the event into a big public venue. Moving the event into a big public hall from 2004 meant that the association had to start looking for ways to pay for the venue instead of absorbing the cost – and so in 2005 during the Houston convention, BCAUSA introduce the idea of charging a gate fee for the cultural night in order to offset the cost of hosting the event in a hall. Since then, the cultural night has grown to become the biggest event of our convention weekends.

With the event gaining more and more steam and a new cultural head in the person of Ni Alfred Sibedwo, there was the introduction of a dance competition . Now chapters or regions could participate in dance competition with three cash prizes to be won ranging from $300 to $2000. It became a highlight of the evenings with various chapters longing to display their most recently acquired knowledge of dance moves and originality.

Worth noting also was the gradual introduction of activities on Thursday Night. It all started in 2008 in Oklahoma City as a night for ‘Ngweh’ members from all over the U.S to meet. This became the Thursday night tradition for the next 4 years. Unfortunately this event by its very definition was limited to men only.

So beginning in 2012, in an effort to organize a Thursday event that would be all-inclusive, we introduced the ‘nchuh tud Ngweine’ - a night for ‘traditional Story Telling plus riddles & jokes’ with everyone invited and considered a more intimate cultural exchange night.

Other activities introduced by the cultural committee are a monthly research on specific palace or Fon related mannerisms as well as other cultural activities . ...continued on page 59

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FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL

U S A

“Taking part in partisan politics in the North West Region is not new. At the dawn of independence in Cameroon Fons were integral parts of the national body politic. The late Ba Galega played a key role in the re-unification process. Taking the bull by the horns, he was actively involved in Foncha’s KNDP, playing an invaluable role in the political activities that favored unification.

In fact, he was actively involved in national politics, and so were his colleagues of the other major Fondoms of the then Bamenda province. “

A S S O C I A T I O N

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His Majesty, Senator, Dr. Doh Galega III Cameroon Senator and Fon of Bali Nyonga

“This year your fishnet youth vocational training project in Bali Nyonga through BANDECA has engaged in the training of eight additional youths in the following areas: Computer Accountancy, Catering, House plumbing, General Motor Mechanic and Graphics.”

John Ndansi Fomuso President General, BANDECA

“As I had long predicted, the path was not going to be easy, and sure enough, it has been rough. But slowly and surely, we have been forging ahead. I am pleased to say that the state of our association is strong! We have continued to honor the legacy of our rich cultural heritage.”

(Continued from page 54).... onward transmission to the donors.

He called on government to send more qualified staff to the Balikumbat hospital capable of handling the surgical equipment.

He also appealed to parents to send their children to school to be computer literate and also make use of the hospital. NGOs were also urged to assist BADO in its goal of improving the living standards of the Balikumbat people.

Dingha hailed efforts by government towards disenclavement of Balikumbat through periodic road repairs. He paid glowing tribute to Doh Gah Gwanyin III, fon of Balikumbat who is also mayor of the area for his royal benediction and collaboration.

Ba Sam Ngati President, BCA-USA (2012 - present)

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B A L I

C U L T U R A L

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Ba Augustine Ndangam (Ba Nkom Gwanua ) studied English Language and Literature at the Federal University of Cameroon and at the School of English of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.

Between 1979 and 1995, he worked as a high school administrator in Wum, Kumbo and Bamenda respectively. He taught part time at the Higher Teacher’s College (ENS) Bambili and later at the Bamenda University of Science and Technology. Ba Ndangam has been an active community leader who has consistently championed and enthusiastically supported initiatives aimed at the development of Bali Nyonga and improving the welfare of its people.

He was President of BANDECA for Bali Sub-Division from 2004-2008. He was the keynote speaker at the 2004 BCA-USA Convention in Minnesota. As a community organizer, he led efforts to ensure that Bali-Nyonga had a water system that was autonomous and self sustaining. In recognition of his leadership and distinguished services to the community, he was raised to the traditional nobility of Nkom by HRH V. S. Galega II in 1981 and named Nkom Gwanua ( the Fon’s eyes). In tribute to HRH Galega, Ba Ndangam and four other fellow Bali-Nyonga scholars co-authored a seminal book on Bali Nyonga culture, history and traditional politics. He is a published poet and writer. His books with British co-author David Weir has been one of the English language text books for children in primary schools in Cameroon during the last 28 years. He is a member of Kadmvi and Sung Ynin ndakums respectively. He is a married father of six and grandfather of 13. He is head of the Ndangam family of Tikali.

War of the King's Cup With foreword by Dr. Elias Nwana Afterword by Dr Jude Fokwang WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

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Personal Injury (Automobile accidents & others) Civil Litigation and Criminal Defense Immigration and Nationality law Family law (divorce, child custody & support) Business and International Transactions

Y E A R S O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E

• • •

U S A

•

Times and Things have changed. The world is shrinking into a “global village”.

Protect yourself and your family. Protect your rights and yes, your dreams.

How? With the bulwark of the system- The Law. We understand where you are, where you come from and where you are going.

Therefore, we know what to do for you and how to do it.

We have over 20 years of national and international legal experience.

We are committed to high quality, effective, efficient and satisfactory services within a framework of ethics and empathy.

“Extraordinary results require extraordinary actions”

BCA-USA MIRROR

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BCA - USA YOUTH DOING GREAT THINGS WORLD WIDE State. Nyongbella is really looking forward to this summer, when he plans to improve in all areas in the game and be ready for next season.

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

Lenyonga Fomunung is a proud student at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

She is currently majoring in International Studies, focusing Nyongbella Sibedwo played point on International Relations, concentrating in Asia and a guard for the Michigan State minor in Chinese Language. She Spartans this year. Nyongbella describes playing for the Spartans plans to be a corporate lawyer. this year as a great experience and Lenyonga has spent the last year one of the most exciting things he in China studying and immersing has done in his life. He also had an herself in all aspects of Chinese opportunity to be coached by the culture and language. She has future hall of fame coach Tom Izzo. almost mastered Chinese and has grown to like the food.

He traveled all around the United States and played against schools Like Duke, Wisconsin and Ohio

B A L I

ROC FOUNDATION: Appreciative of the Support from the entire BCA-USA Community.

Dear Members, The ROC Foundation was extremely successful with its first project, Project BCC. We managed to raise over 2,000 thousand dollars and sponsored 58 deserving students from BCC (Bali Community College). Along with the financial support, we also provided essential school supplies such as notebooks, pens and pencils. In addition we donated cloths to the 58

Grace Orphanage. This project couldn’t have been accomplished without the love and support of the entire BCA-USA community. We greatly appreciate your continuous support.

Langmia Fonjoe & Babila Doh

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

BCA-USA CONSTITUTION AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

CULTURE COMMITTEE REPORT

The Members of the Committee are Ni Edwin Fogam- Chair Ni Henry Fofang Ma Marie Fongwa Ni Wob Fomunung Ba Nji Fonjoe Ni Bekia Fosam Ma Feh Gwanyala Ni Nubea Kaaba Ma Kuna Tita

O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

PRIORITIES FOR NEXT YEAR 1. Review contradictions in our Constitution and By-laws and make recommendations to NEC. 2. Encourage BCA-USA members to review and discuss the provisions of our Constitution and By-laws.

Y E A R S

CHALLENGES Have more members of BCA-USA review and discuss our Constitution and By-laws.

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ACTIVITIES 1. Provided Elections Procedures to NEC for presentation to the General Assembly for adoption.

2. Provided advisory opinion to NEC on the following: • Absentee Ballots provision of our Constitution (Article 9.01.03) • the 5K walk initiative vis-à-vis our 501(c) status.

• The respective roles of the Treasurer and the Controller and the need for an Assistant Treasurer (Articles 8.04 and 8.05 BCA-USA Constitution)

C E L E B R A T I N G

MANDATE: • Review the Constitution and By-laws of BCAUSA and recommend • Amendments to the NEC. • Advise NEC on Constitutional and Elections matters • Conduct and supervise the elections of BCAUSA officers.

Continued from page 55 Then a presentation is done to the committee and then published through town halls or newsletters in order to improve member-knowledge on appropriate behaviors during the Fon’s visit or presence.

Suffice to mention that a delegation of BCA-USA members visited and paid tribute to the fondoms of Bali Kumbat and Bali Gham.

The way forward; • Better structure for Thursday Night activities bearing in mind the Association’s cultural and financial needs.

• Improve the dance competition strategy to include getting more groups involved and exploiting funding sources with the goal of empowering chapters.

• Properly plan the cultural night with clear forehand picture.

• Get the youths very involved and working with them to present a dance or well-choreographed activity.

• Making cultural committee members expert go-to sources for cultural information. Working with the various Bali groups to learn songs by recording CDs and distributing to all (free).

• Work with the palace to get a Royal staff that would be used during BCAUSA cultural events and outings to symbolize the presence of our fondom.

I wish to extend special thanks to the present committee members for these tireless efforts; Ba Titajani, Ba Sama Franklin, Ba Titamohkumi, Ni Alfred Sibedwo, Ba Gwanbidpua, Ba Fobesi, Ba Gwangwa’a, Ni Emmanuel Titanji, Ni Isidore Gana Fokum, Ma Emma Daiga, Ma Andin Folabit, Ma Dorise Galabe, Ba Gweh Tateh Langmia, Ni Gadinga Dohkea, Ni Patrick Nyuga, Ma Lilian Fomunung, Ni Victor Gomia and Ma Susan Nabong, Ni Charles Tamon Chair, Culture Committee

BCA-USA MIRROR

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BCA-USA HEALTH COMMITTEE REPORT be screened for health problems and get counseling and/or recommendation to seek specialized care. By use of health surveys, the committee will determine what the needs of the community are and how best to address those needs, based on input from the community.

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, individuals must understand the causes or potential causes of their ailments and know how to avoid and control them or protect themselves from these causes. Health education, therefore, will be the primary tool that the Health Committee will employ in creating health awareness within the Bali community. The BCA-USA Health Committee is therefore, striving for a robust primary care approach, where prevention is better and even cheaper than cure.

To that note the committee agrees that its top priority, as a Health Committee, will be to promote and offer health education to the Bali community back home and here in the USA. With this concept, the Health Committee for the first time, will develop and conduct healthcare programs that would also benefit BCA members right here in the USA. The committee will therefore, apply the following tools to reach its goals: 1. HEALTH FAIRS AND HEALTH SCREENING PROGRAMS The Health Committee will organize periodic health fairs and health screening events in Bali and the USA where people can 60

2. MONTHLY HEALTH TIPS The Health Committee will create a monthly health awareness initiative that will entail the sending out of monthly health tips, covering common disease states, to the Bali community through the BCA-USA and Mbonbani networks. These tips will include health screening reminders on diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, etc. and other tips on how to recognize symptoms of some diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

3. ONLINE HEALTH DISCUSSIONS The Health Committee will encourage an online discussion between BCA members on the monthly topics or on any emerging health issues. This discussion will be carried out on the BCA-USA and Mbonbani networks as well.

In addition to conducting the first ever health survey within the Bali community in the USA and launching the first ever health awareness contest, in the form of a weight loss contest, to the BCA members, the Health Committee is and has been working on the following activities towards realizing its goals: • Created a motto for the Health Committee which reads “The Health of our People is our Priority”.

• Set the dates for a health fair in Bali for December 20 – WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

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December 21, 2013.

Planned a health fair at the Silver Jubilee in Atlanta, GA for the Bali community in the USA. Designed a health survey for Bali folks back home that will be administered during the health fair in December 2013.

Designed and conducted a health survey to collect baseline health data on the Bali community in the USA. The survey was conducted between March 7 – March 31, 2013 and the results will be presented to the BCAUSA members during the Silver Jubilee.

Conducted a health facilities’ survey in Bali in order to capture some basic characteristics of healthcare facilities in Bali, so that the Bali population can be informed of the healthcare services available to them in Bali.

Submitted a grant application to Gilead’s Sciences to sponsor the Atlanta health fair.

Continued on page 61

HEALTH REPORT

CONGRATULATIONS MESSAGE FROM THE BUI FAMILY UNION •

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O F

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Y E A R S

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Shey Yungri-Veshu Gideon Wirsiy For and on Behalf of the Bui Family Union USA- Georgia Chapter

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C E L E B R A T I N G

On behalf of His Royal Majesty Fon Shemn I, the Fon of Nso; and as a representative of the National President, BFU-USA; I wish to congratulate you on your 25th anniversary, as an exemplary Cameroonian socio-cultural association in the Diaspora.

BCA-USA has demonstrated quite a remarkable standard, and serves as an unquestionable benchmark to various socio-cultural groups. For this, we congratulate you on an anniversary well deserved and worthy of celebration.

Accept heartfelt Congratulations from Our Fon, Accept corporate wishes for a renewed strength in your mission from our BFUUSA President, Accept unending love and support from your brothers and sisters here in Atlanta.

Congratulations!!

Submitted 2 requests for applications to Freunde Kameruns (Friends of Cameroon), a German NGO and the US Embassy in Yaounde, to sponsor the health fair in Bali.

Submitted 3 requests for donations of medical supplies such as, Glucometers, In-Home HIV Test Kits, Pedometers and Blood Pressure Machines to Arkray USA, Inc., OraSure Technologies, Inc., Omron Healthcare, Inc., for the Atlanta health fair.

Established, with the help of Ni Ben Fokum, contact with the Franciscan Sisters who run the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach in Springfield, IL, for the purpose of identifying needed medical supplies from their warehouses and sending them to Cameroon.

Sent out 8 monthly tips in the areas of heart attack, hypertension, stroke, lipids, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, depression and enlarged prostate.

Submitted a letter of request for authorization to conduct a health fair in Bali to the Delegate of Public Health in Bamenda.

I N

The Health Committee will also work on creating an emergency disaster response team that would be able deliver medical care to the Bali community back home, in case of a major disaster.

The committee will also work on developing a continuous education program that would benefit healthcare professionals delivering care to the people in Bali.

With such an agenda, the BCA-USA Health Committee believes that it is capable of changing the concept of healthcare within the Bali community and improving the awareness of the Bali community when it comes to prevention.

T H E U S A

Submitted by, BFU Performs at the BCA-USA Convention

Ni Nubia Kaba and Ma Bridget Kaspa, Co-Chairs, BCA-USA Health Committee•

BCA-USA MIRROR

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THE PRESIDENCY OF BEN DINGA FOKUM (MAY 1996-MAY 2000) office; only active members who had attended the last two National conventions could run for the post of President or Vice President.

ACTIVE MEMBERS The number of members who paid their membership dues increased from 20 to over 70.

Ni Ben Fokum

B A L I

C U L T U R A L

A S S O C I A T I O N

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U S A

The Bali Cultural Association, USA (BCA-USA) was born on November 26, 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia and for its first eight years operated as a social group. The Presidency of Ben Dinga Fokum (The Dream Team Administration) started in May 1996 and ended in May 2000.

People met yearly (during Memorial Weekends) socialized and really enjoyed themselves at the expense of a few who paid their membership dues. When Mr. Fokum took over as President in May of 1996, he launched THE CONSTRUCTIVE REVOLUTION, a reform plan to completely overhaul how BCA-USA had been doing business the past eight years. He declared that the era of “free lunch” was over and encouraged and promoted active participation of members.

During his Presidency, they accomplished the following: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT The constitution was amended to require that only members who had paid their annual membership dues (active members) could run for National 62

BUDGET When the “Dream Team” took over, the Association was operating on a shoe string budget due to the generosity of a few dedicated members. After four years, they left a balance of over $12,000 (twelve thousand dollars) in the BCA-USA treasury.

PROJECTS IN BALI • A flush public toilet was built at Ntanfoang in Bali Nyonga which is functional to date.

• Two 40ft containers filled with hospital supplies & equipment, computers, text books, etc were shipped to Bali-Nyonga.

• Gently used clothing, shoes and toys were shipped to needy families in Bali Nyonga, Bali Gham and Bali Kumbat.

• Scholarships in the amount of $100 or 70,000frs were offered to the first 3 Bali students in all the five secondary schools that were in Bali at that time.

Subsequent administrations continued this policy but at reduced amounts to accommodate more students.

• The “Adopt A Ward” program in which members for a yearly fee were encouraged to adopt wards in the Bali Government Hospital was WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

conceived.

BONBANI NETWORK DISCUSSION GROUP Bonbani E-network Discussion Group (mbonbani@yahoogroups. com) was started on August 6, 1999, thanks to the idea of late Bernard Dim Fondong and the expertise of Dr. Frida Domatob Fokum who created it. To date (April 2013), almost fourteen years after, the network continues to be very valuable to BCA-USA, the Bali community in the Diaspora, and the Bali communities in Cameroon.

There are currently a total of 1,011 subscribers world-wide.

In August of 1999 when the network started, a total of 73 messages were posted on it.

This has steadily increased and in October of 2012, a record number of 1,380 messages were posted, the highest to date.

The above were accomplished with the help of dedicated National Executive Committee members and TEAMWORK. The Vice President, Lilian Nukuna Fomunung (Mamon VP) was very instrumental in proposing many of the reforms and projects that were carried out. BCAUSA is rich with Mamon Lilian’s motherly and reformative ideas, which were nurtured in two administrative terms (Dream Team 1, May 1996 - May 1998 and Dream Team 2, May 1998 - May 2000).

DREAM TEAM (May 1996 - May 2000) President: Ben Dinga Fokum (May 1996 - May 2000) Vice President: Lilian Nukuna Fomunung (May 1996 - May

THE PRESIDENCY OF BEN DINGA FOKUM 2000) Executive Secretary: Patrick Gabila Fongoh till May 1997 Executive Scretary: Patricia Fonkem (May 1998 - 2000) Coordinator/Vice Sec: Winifred Kuna Nukuna (May 1996 - May 1998) Coordinator/Vice Sec: Irene Andin Tita-Tucker (May 1998 - 2000) Executive Treasurer: Dr. Sema Fofung (May 1996 - May 1998) Executive Treasurer: Bernard Dim Fondong (May 1998 - 2000) Controller/Financial Sec: Bernard Dim Fondong (May 1996 - May 1998) Controller/Financial Sec: Gabriel Fonyonga Todmia (May 1998 - 2000) Chief Whip/Sgt of Arms: Beatrice Valuma Tangeh (May 1996 - May 2000) C E L E B R A T I N G 2 5 Y E A R S O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E U S A

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BCA-USA – AS I SEE IT

Ni Richard Gwananji

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Two and a half decades ago, a handful of Bali folks gathered in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States of America to celebrate the passing of one of our Grandfathers, Ba Fogam. Our main host, Dr. Ma Maggie Fogam, did all to make us feel welcome and very much at home. During the festivities, a discussion ensued, and was followed by a question as to how many folks from Bali were in the United States. From that conversation emerged the decision to start an organization that would bring together on an annual basis all our people, thus the foundation of what is now called BCA-USA, the mother of all Cameroonian Organizations in the American diaspora. It is my humble opinion that BCA-USA commissions a census of Bali folks in the United States.

Not even the greatest optimist at 64

that event could have envisaged what is now a gigantic and historic organization. To all those of you faithfuls who stood the course from Day One and have tirelessly worked towards its growth, and to all those of you who joined along the way, and all those who will be joining in the future, I say thank you and welcome on behalf of the cause.

Writing this has been especially difficult for me because three core founding members of our organization and part of my team during the early nineties have since been called to the Lord for eternity. I humbly ask you and everyone who has a chance to read this clip to give a moment of silence to the memories of Dr. Ma Maggie Fogam, Dr. Ni Vincent Fogam, and our dynamic Ba Sama (Bernard Fondong).

Finally to the memory of Ni Gregory Levai Babaya our second

National President who joined the above three last year in the Good Lord’s Kingdom.

May their souls all rest in perfect peace.

In 1992, I was elected to serve as Vice President alongside Ba Sama. At that time, membership was scarce and we worked tirelessly to expand our membership. Ba Sama talked about starting our first E-List.

At this time the internet was at its infancy.

Communication was difficult and slow, primarily because land line phones were expensive. The Post Office was slow and expensive as well.

I vividly remember the difficulty and enormous sacrifice it took for a handful of families (mostly Nis’) to host the Chicago, Illinois and the San Jose, California, Conventions, respectively. I salute you all. I remember the suspicion of our members when Ba Sama started the creation of

Executive • • • • •

Ni Richard Gwananji President Ni Ben Fokum Vice President Dr. Vincent Fogam Secretary Ni John Musi Treasurer Ni Christopher Tita Financial Secretary WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

our website. There were all kinds of complaints about potential privacy issues etc. As difficult as things were, we forged ahead.

In 1994, I was elected President. I’d like to take this opportunity to respectfully acknowledge our first National President, Ni Muted Fofung, and everyone who helped us out in those days. I shall forever remain grateful to the following people who served with me; Special Advisors • Ni Goddy Fofang.

• Ba Gwanbidpua (Dr. Nicholas Tangheh).

• Ba Gwantebia (Ni Edwin Njinimbam).

• Late Dr. Ma Maggie Fogam.

• Dr. Marie Fongwa.

• Dr. Teresia Gwanfogbe.

• Dr. Stella Gwandiku.

• Dr. Bobga Fomunung.

• Ma Winifred NukunaNjowir.

• Ma Beatrice Tangeh.

• Ma Emma Todmia.

• Ma Miranda Gwanyala.

• Lawyer Bobga Mbuton.

I say Thank You all for your invaluable service to our people.

During the early 1990’s our primary goal was to expand

BCA-USA – AS I SEE IT

O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N T H E

Thank you.

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BCA-USA MIRROR

know we shall continue to seek and depend on their guidance and leadership.

The most ambitious project of our time was one that Ba Sama proposed. He suggested that we invite our Fon, His Royal Highness Fon Dr. Doh Ganyongha III of Bali Nyonga to visit us. We embraced this herculean task wholeheartedly, and were able to realize this during the Minnesota Convention. Thanks to all those who worked so hard and contributed in cash and kind to make this possible.

My focus has always been, and shall continue to be the unity of our kinsfolk. I know that with a little more work, we shall achieve this goal. I thank you all for your efforts and wish BCA-USA success in the many years to come.

Y E A R S

acknowledging the need for a library and working tirelessly to expand the project into Bali’s first Multi-Purpose Center. A special thank you to Ba Kom Gwankuvala for his great efforts on this project.

Ba Kom, my brother, I am very grateful for your efforts from Day One. I am hopeful that what we have started will encourage and empower individual Bali Folks to fund, build, expand libraries, schools, roads, healthcare Centers, and many other projects in Bali.

During our administration, we noticed that there were a few Young Bas’ (Bali Title Holders), living in the USA. We invited them to come join us and share their cultural leadership with us. I am delighted and forever grateful for the positive response we received from the likes of Ba Gabriel Gwanmesia, Ba Nubia Gwankudvala, Ba Jerry Domatob, and Ba Eric Fogam (who used to attend conventions from his home in Canada), just to name but a few. Today I have noticed many more Bas, and I must say their contribution has been very valuable, and I

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and pupils with an improved educational opportunity. Some of our members loved the idea but thought it was over-ambitious and not feasible. We set about collecting used text books from our brethren, with the goal of collecting used computers for shipment.

Unfortunately, we were a little too ambitious for this project as text books are heavy and weigh tons, which meant that shipment to Bali was very expensive.

To avoid this logistical nightmare, we planned on securing a building in Bali first, and then purchase the most important books in Cameroon. This is still a dream, and even though it has taken this long to realize the project, it is now a reality. With the construction of the Multi-Purpose-Center, this will include the Library, Internet Café, Hall, offices etc. I would like to salute all those who have contributed to this project in one way or the other, extending sincere gratitude to all the successive administrations of Ni Ben Fokum, Dr. Wob Fomunung, Ba Tita Mohkumi, Ni Julius Ndangam, and Ni Alex Ngati, for

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membership, by encouraging and promoting BCA-USA to register as many of our brethren as we could.

That is why we invited Lawyer Bobga Mbuton as the first guest speaker from Bali to one of our Washington DC conventions.

We also started a newsletter at the time in an attempt to reach out to potential members.

I placed the first business advertisement in the newsletter and encouraged others to do the same. The most popular program was the BCA-USA Almanac which was difficult to publish due to cost. With the handful of members who paid their $50.00 dues and all the out-ofpocket expenses that we incurred, we were able to expand delivery of the newsletters and almanacs to increase membership. We shipped almanacs to Bali for sale and donated the proceeds to several worthy causes. Additionally, we extended the scholarship project which now benefits a lot of our young ones.

Our greatest dream was to establish a Public Library in Bali. This we hoped would provide Bali families, students,

Ni Richard Gwananji• President: 1994-1996 V President: 1992-1994.

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BCA- USA YOUTH one among the 3 Best Academy Student of Colored, and Student of the month in Social Studies

Name: Vanessa Nayo Ntangsi High School: Marvin Ridge High School College: Queens University of Charlotte Accomplishments: Varsity Letter for Womens Basketball

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Name: Semnyonga Ndack Ndasi High school: Hapeville Charter Career Academy College: University Of Illinois at Urbana Champaign while in high school I received honor roll though out my 4 years. Maintained a 3.6 GPA average. Participated in student government, Beta club, National honors society, etc. was captain of the dance team my senior year! I just like to have fun and enjoy with family and friends. The average type of girl.

Name: Diane Andin Yang My current home high school is Anoka Senior High I'm looking forward in going to St. Cloud State University a 4 for year college to study and become a Pediatrician Some of my recognitions while at school are: A junior teen In National America Miss Pageant, a Certificate of 66

school community, serving as a student government leader and serving on the Executive Board for many clubs, such as the Habitat for Humanity Organization, Red Cross Club, Under- Represented Minorities Club, and the Honor Council. I also partake in Model United Nations, a club which competes and debates political and social tensions represented in the United Nations today.

Name is Nagela Nukuna, High School: Charter School of Wilmington, a math and science college preparatory school.

College: Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) here in Atlanta, studying Computer Engineering.

Accomplishment: During my four years in high school, I have been an active participant in my WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

Name: Nina Kahyoh Govalla High School: Prospect High School College: Missouri University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Missouri Achievements National Honors Society Silver Medal for cake decorating Illinois state scholar

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING SENIORS

O F B A L I C U L T U R E I N

Name is Nagwa Nukuna, High School: Charter School of Wilmington, a math and science college preparatory school.

College: University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where I received a full merit scholarship. I have also been recognized as a National Achievement Scholar.

Throughout my high school years, I have served as an active member of Jefferson Council, an organization that promotes community service and leadership throughout my school community.

I am also a member of Habitat for Humanity, National Honor Society, an officer of my school's Key Club Chapter, and Under- Represented Minorities

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Congratulations to our Youths

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Name: Babila Doh Jr. High School: Parkdale High School College: St. John's University Major: Computer Network Security/Business Administration with a minor in Social Justice Accomplishments: International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Editor-in- Chief of Parkdale “The Core” Newspaper. Co-Founder of the ROC FOUNDATION

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Name: Langmia Fonjoe High School: DeMatha Catholic High School College: St. John’s University Major: Risk Management/ Business

Administration with Minor in Social Justice Accomplishments: 1) Elected BCA-USA Youth Wing National President 2) Sponsored 58 underprivileged kids with funds to attend school in Bali 3) Ozanam Scholar

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FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PIONEER PRESIDENT OF BCA-USA

Ni Muted Fofung

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The idea to form an organization of Bali men and women was conceived in Atlanta, Georgia in November of 1987 (Thanksgiving weekend) during the celebration of the life of late Ba Fogam. At the end of the occasion, when we held hands and formed a circle during the closing prayer, it occurred to me that we could form a group to have fun periodically. It was the first time in the USA that I was in the midst of so many Bali men and women. I lived in a little town in Obamaland (Illinois) where African Americans were a rare breed. When I suggested this to the group, everybody was in agreement.

We all agreed to meet in Atlanta the following Thanksgiving weekend (1988) to launch the organization.

On November 26, 1988 (Thanksgiving weekend), a group of Bali brothers and sisters met at

Clark University in Atlanta, Georgia where they launched and named the association BCA-USA. The association was formed in the spirit of communalism.

At this first meeting, the following officers were elected: • President: Muted Fofung • Secretary: Nicholas Tangeh • Treasurer: Margret V. Fogam (RIP) • Coordinator: Kehbuma Dema • Chief Whip: Godwin Fofang The next meeting was set for Dallas, Texas, but this time in May 1989 (Memorial Weekend) to take advantage of the long weekend and warm weather to allow for outdoor activities.

Here are a few things that were done then and how it is today: • The first meeting was held in about 1000 sq ft hall, but today, out meetings are held in ballrooms of over 6000 sq ft.

• Our first financial statement was presented in Minneapolis, MN on May 26, 1990 as a hand written statement on a single sheet of paper while today, financial statements are much longer and computerized.

•

In Atlanta (1988), annual dues were set at $50 while today, it is $100 • In Dallas (1988), the hotel nightly rate was $19-$29 while today it is around $80.

• In 1990 in Minneapolis, MN, the admission fee for the Saturday Gala was $4.00 for single and $6.50 for couples while today it is circa $20.

This goes to show how our association has grown tremendously.

To sum it up, today we can attend the convention relaxed and have food served with our women not having to run around organizing the cooking while the meeting is in session. Every single president has taken the association to the next level. I would just like to say thanks to all the past presidents for a job well done. The state of the association today is very stronger with the emergence of the youth wing. The youths are coming up strong and they represent the future of BCAUSA. Muted Fofung President, BCA Nov 1988 – May 1990

A CELEBRATION OF CULTURE, FAMILY, UNITY, TRADITION, PROGRESS, AND VISION

BCA-USA Silver Jubilee 2013: Celebrating 25 Years of Our Culture With great excitement and immense gratitude, the Bali Community in the United States, in Europe, Cameroon, and across the world reunite on Memorial weekend May 2327, 2013 in Atlanta Georgia to celebrate The Silver Jubilee of The Bali Cultural Association (BCA-USA). Over its 25 year history, BCA-USA has organized annual conventions reuniting family and friends, and further championed projects in the realm of healthcare, education, economics, technology, social and cultural developments. BCA-USA credits its 25 years of success to the dedication of its members, the support of the Bali community, and the dedication of local and national 68

leaders who have worked hard for the progress of the association. In celebrating its Silver Jubilee, BCA-USA reflects on its 25 year journey while looking forward on its mission of developing the Bali community. BCA-USA is humbled and honored to Celebrate its Silver Jubilee with its Bali Family and Friends.

BCA-USA’s Sliver Jubilee: A Proudly Bali!

Celebration.

Happy Silver Jubilee!

Mary Nangah BCA-USA Publicity Secretary WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

NDAHTOD WASHINGTON D C attest to all these. From the definition and scope of its Name Ndahtod has done a lot in the area of good will, it supports its members during bereavement, marriage, baby shower, graduations etc.

Eighteen schools in Bali Nyonga have benefited from the goodwill of Ndahtod Washington DC with equipments like benches, table chairs and tables; they also did some renovation work in the Bali Nyonga Fon’s Palace.

Our meeting holds once a month on every first Friday of the month, if you are chance to be within the Washington Metro area please feel free to visit us at our Ndahkum, Location: 580 University Blvd East, Silver spring MD 20901

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Gilbert Nyonka Moderator / Publicity secretary Ndahtod DC.

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The history books have Ni Daniel Feh Sema as the pioneer President, he handed the baton to Ni Charles Nteh, the only president who ruled for three terms (six years), and he was succeeded by Ni Rudolf Njankenji who is the current president.

There are Ndahkums here in the US but Ndahtod Washington D.C is a different kind of Ndahkum; here is why, this is the only one stop shop where you will get almost all the traditional dances that you will find back home in bali Nyonga being played on the same instruments as back home with dexterity. The paradigm of our culture and tradition is followed with precision, (Apostrophe and traditional rites) our traditional food menu is given preference as these helps to identify us and to preserve the arts of cooking amongst the younger generation in the Diaspora as well as the friends of Bali who may want to learn about our culture. Visitors to our monthly meetings or cultural outings can

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“As people are walking all the time, in the same spot, a path appears” John Locke.

A decade ago twelve folks met in Maryland USA and pondered how a support group that will cater for the needs, ideas and ideals of the Nyonga people within that jurisdiction could be created. The idea was conceived with precision and the midwife was so prudent that the new born baby (Ndahtod, DC) was delivered without a cesarean section. To the founding fathers, we say thank you and hope that Ndahtod will continue in the same spirit and the ideas and ideals be handed down to the next generation of leaders. Today membership stands at one hundred and forty five. This growth is a testimony of the fact that the group has stayed within the context of its creation and ideals. On the eve of Ndahtod’s tenth anniversary it is worthy to go down memory lane and pay tribute to the great personalities who have been at the helm of this cultural group.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO BCA-USA ON YOUR SILVER JUBILEE

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From The Ndangam family of Clark’s Summit, PA BCA-USA MIRROR

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IN MEMORIAM

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As BCA USA celebrates her Silver Jubilee this year, she also remembers those who helped in creating and developing the organization but who are no longer with us to celebrate.

Between 1995 and 2005, BCA USA endured great tragedies. It witnessed the passing of some of the most memorable faces within the organization.

First there was Ni Vincent Benyella Fogam, who passed away on August, 13 1999, barely two months after the Dallas ’99 convention. Ni Vincent was a founding member of this association. He held office within the organization as a Secretary.

He was a strong and active member of the Atlanta Ndakum.

He attended all family reunions except the Dallas Convention in ’99. He was a ‘Bali Boy’ to the core both in upbringing and character.

The following year the association again lost another founding member, Ma Maggie Vakena Fogam. Ma Maggie was the ceremonial mother of BCA USA. Research on the history of BCA USA credits her with the conception of this idea. She and a few others agreed on this idea sometime in 1987 before the official birth of this association in 1998. Though Ma Maggie never held any elected position within the organization, she was the natural ‘big-sister’ to her peers, ‘auntie’ to all the children of her friends and friends of her nieces and nephews, and ‘grandma’ to all the kids in the Atlanta Ndakum. She was a ‘Bali girl’ to the core in both upbringing 70

and attitude. She was a trooper for the organization extending invitations and even encouraging the assimilation of non-Balians into the organization. This can be verified in the early make up of both the Atlanta and Dallas Ndakums. As one of the main architects of BCA USA, she would be proud of what her brain child has achieved in these thirteen years since her departing.

The organization had six years to recover from the almost simultaneous deaths of two of its founding members. Then on December 5th 2005, members were woken to the shock of the death of the beloved ‘bigbrother’ of the organization.

Ni Ben Dim Fondong was the victim of a hit and run accident in LA. Ni Ben was arguably, one of the greatest advocates for BCA USA. He nursed the idea of an international BCA. He believed that the desperation of any Bali person in the Diaspora was the business of BCA USA. When German authorities threatened to cremate the remains of a Bali son who had passed away in Germany and could not be transported back home for lack of funds, Ni Ben took charge. He organized an international online fundraiser.

The corpse finally made it to Bali.

Within the organization, Ni Ben held elected and appointed positions. He was a National President, a VicePresident, a Financial Controller, a Presidential Adviser and most memorably, the first Chair Person of the Fon’s Committee.

WWW.BCA-USA.ORG

As a traditional title holder, ‘Ba Sama,’ he promoted the culture at every opportuned moment.

The ‘baliness’ in Ba Sama Fondong was infectious. What a clown he was and a true ‘Bali boy’ in attitude and upbringing!

Ni Raymond Samgwa Fomuso passed away on Saturday, January 3rd 2004 in Minnesota. He was a registered BCA-USA member. A year later, Mami Agnes Yemdjo passed away on Feb 22nd 2005. She too was a BCA-USA member from the Houston ndakum.

2012 was again another sad year for BCA USA. The host of the 2012 Minnesota Family reunion and BCA USA’s 2nd National President passed away barely two months after convention.

He was a community organizer, a charismatic and formidable leader. His most memorable contributions were the reception of the of His Royal Highness the Fon of Bali Nyonga in MN in May 2004 and the riveting points against ‘Nkap Ngeuh’ during the 2012 MN Convention general assembly which lead to the new and reformed member benefit program called, ‘Nkap Ntod.

Between 2005 and 2012 the organization also suffered loses locally and nationally.

The Oklahoma Chapter lost two members. Ma Aggie Gang, with her bubbly personality left an imprint in the hearts of her sisters Nkumu Fed Fed members in Oklahoma.

Ni Walters Lih Ndamukong in his quiet and ‘professorial’ attitude left good memories with the Oklahoma community

IN MEMORIAM

C E L E B R A T I N G

of bonbani. He died an active dues paying member of the organization and was the first beneficiary of the ‘Nkap Ngeuh’ program Mamie Fokum, was an active member of the Boston Ndakum whenever she visited. Nationally, she paid her yearly dues and when she passed away in Cameroon, the association honored her through the ‘Nkap Ngeuh’ program and Mamie became the first member benefit recipient of this program abroad.

In Washington DC, there was Ni Charles Dohmagham. He was among the early members of BCA USA. He stayed active sporadically within the organization both locally and nationally. He died as an active dues paying member in July, 2010.

The local Ndakums too in Washington DC were there to assist the families in sending his remains to the family back at home when Ni Augustine Kehbila passed away.

In Dallas, the local Ndakum too had to say good-bye to Ma Feh. BCA USA pays tribute to these fallen heroes and heroines and recognizes their contributions not only to their families and BCA USA but to the growth of the idea of community service.

Ma Lilian Fomunung Chair, Social Committee•

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