In the Absence of 11 February, Young Presbyterians in Mbengwi Manage Rally

In the Absence of 11 February, Young Presbyterians in Mbengwi Manage Rally

Without getting into the nitty gritty surrounding the controversies of 11 February as advanced by scholars, a day annually commemorated in Cameroon as National Youth Day, a day that has lost steam and stamina in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon because of the ongoing crisis that has resulted to a shutdown of schools for over two years now and still counting, with the rural areas being highest affected, kids of school going age in these two regions have for no just reason been deprived of their right to education and celebration of their once cherished Youth Day. Before the advent of the current crisis, 11 February meant so much to the kids even more than Christmas day. The preparations prior to the commemoration of the day were indicative of the importance children paid to 11 February.

Aerial View of Y.Ps in Church

All this while, thousands of these kids especially those born prior to or during the school shutdown era have little knowledge of neither spoken nor written English. Many don't know the alphabets, they can't count. They are ignorant of how a school setting looks like and what goes on there.

Y.Ps of Njembeng Congregation Parading

Having been deprived of national youth day related activities for over two years now because of the shutdown of schools in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon, youths in Mbengwi Central Sub Division are now looking for any least opportunity to commune with friends and rekindle memories of the lost glorious days like 11 February. This was the case last Sunday March 10 2019 as a Young Presbyterians rally of Mbengwi Central zone that was hosted by G.H.S Congregation could be mistaken for 11 February celebrations. Clad in their Y.P uniforms, the hundreds of Young Presbyterians drawn from Mbengwi, Station, Njembeng, Ngyen-Mbo and G.H.S Congregation were so full of excitement. Having been deprived of their basic right to education as schools in Mbengwi just like in several parts of mostly the rural areas of Anglophone Cameroon have been shutdown, it was a rear opportunity for the kids to once more ride a bicycle, eat biscuits and rice as a group, suck what is commonly called "alaska" and go back home with sticks of cane sugar.

Cane sugar to carry home

Buying & Selling of "Alaska"

Munyam Philemon, Sabi Edith and Tekwi Precious are Y.P members from Station, Njembeng and Mbengwi Congregation respectively. The trio expressed total satisfaction with the successful outcome of the rally. Edith wished she could remain a Young Presbyterian forever but hopes to join the Christian Youth Fellowship (C.Y.F) soon while Precious felt proud being with his friends and felt excited to have partaken in singing, bible quiz, brain trust and parade. Philemon will just simply give God all the glory.

Tekwi Precious, Y.P of Mbengwi Congregation

Apart from the merriment, some elders saw the rally as a remedy to the increasing rate of illiteracy among youths and thus called on the government to end the war for it's by the grace of God that those living today are still alive. According to Mr. Foncham Emmanuel, the Congregational Chairperson of G.H.S Congregation, some weeks prior to the  yearly rally, the children meet everyday to study songs, the Bible, recitations etc and this improves their educational level. "All what we are hoping for is that the government of Cameroon should do something to remedy the situation" he ended.

Mr. Foncham Emmanuel, P.C G.H.S Congregational Chairman

Edward Tangyi Morikang is the Y.P Station leader for Mbengwi Central. Assessing the outcome of the event, he expressed satisfaction with the activities as they were actively carried out but regretted the absence of one congregation, Nongmekweh, out of the six that make up the zone. He also extended appreciation to the National Youth Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon for choosing a theme that focuses on God's grace. He ended with a way forward to the crisis. Hear him, "I pray that this our political crisis come to an end because it's by the grace of God that we will solve this problem, not by man, not by weapons, not by any other means."

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At the end of the rally the children went back home satisfied though none knowing when they'll once more be given their well deserved right to education.