Mbengwi Online : Discovering Sang, the Pseudo Village

Discovering Sang, the Pseudo Village

Sang is one of the pseudo villages that make up the Meta clan in Mbengwi. Without any gazetted statues of a state recognised village, Sang is mostly referred to as a community. Located about some 5km from Mbengwi central town on a semi plain terrain, Sang shares boundaries with Bessi Fomukong, Zang Tembeng, Munam, Mbengeughang and Mbengbu.

Christians of PC Sang After Attending their Pastor's Sendoff Service

Ndetan Nji Cyprain is the home branch president of the Sang Cultural and Development Association (SangCUDA). In presenting Sang to Mbengwi Online, he disclosed that administratively, Sang is a speedily growing community that originated from three different fondoms in Meta, having three main quarters being Tusang whose inhabitants are from Wumnemburg, Tonsang whose inhabitants are from Mbemi and Njinsang whose inhabitants are from Guneku. "As a community we work as one. We have one development association, three different traditional councils for each quarter and a grand joint council embodying members from all three." he added.

In terms of infrastructural development and social amenities, he revealed that Sang has a catholic nursery and primary school plus church opened since the 90s, a presbyterian church, a community hall under construction, two football fields, pipe borne water, electricity, a weekly market (Tang) and a tele-centre constructed, equipped and abandoned by the government in 2016. As to how life has been in Sang in the midst of the ongoing crisis, Cyprain said "Things have been very difficult as you can see, no school, many have moved out in search of jobs and education."

Palm Wine Bar in Sang

His opinion was corroborated by the Rev. Mbanwi Jonathan, pastor of P.C Sang. To the man of God, he's been having few challenges administering the gospel mostly on a one on one with some Christians but he thanked God the challenges were there to strengthen him.

Still in line with Mbengwi Online's recent visit to Sang, the home branch president of SangCUDA told us that back in the village, the community is now made up of mostly the ageing population and few youths. In terms of security, he gave assurance that the village is very safe and habitable. "Sang is void of the presence of both parties. So, any Sang son or daughter out there should feel free to come home and be sure of a safe return."

Rev. Mbanwi Jonathan, Sang Parish

Ndetan Nji Cyprain, SangCUDA Home Branch President

His last word of advice to all Sang children out of the community was that they should always keep in mind that home is home. No matter where they are, they must look for a way to develop their village because one day, they'll be back. "I'm encouraging them to continue assisting us in one way or the other to see that we develop Sang" he ended.

On Sunday June 28th 2020, Christians of Sang parish embodying PC Bessi Fomukong, PC Mbengeughang and PC Sang held a sendoff service for their pastor. After over four years of shepherding God's flock, Rev. Mbanwi Jonathan is going for further studies. As to the memories he shall be taking along from the parish, he said "The memories are too much because God has dealt with us in this place so abundantly and wonderfully. We came here when the place was seemingly abandoned but by the grace of God, it's been transformed to the envy of the Meta presbytery. Today, almost all pastors in Meta want to work here because of what God has used us to do."

Sang Tele-centre. Constructed, Equipped, Abandoned

Post Boxes at the Tele-centre. Villagers Don't Know Where the Keys Are

Within his stay, he won more souls for Christ, engaged all three congregations in new church construction project, planted many food crops mostly plantains whose fruits shall be reaped by the in coming pastor. No doubt his send off service was massively attended by Christians and non Christians alike. While others laid low when the ongoing armed conflict reached fever peak, Rev. Mbanwi marched on. Hear him, "Throughout the crisis, our service has been going on and on everyday. For four years now, we've been holding our morning prayers day by day non stop. We believe the prayers we've been offering to God here is what has brought peace to the Meta land. However, it's not been all rosy."

Luckily enough for him, he had prepared the minds of his Christians for a very long time to accept his departure from the parish and welcome any other pastor that shall be coming. Reports say he shall be furthering studies in next door Nigeria. His critics mostly found faults with his preaching style which they described as being more of Pentecostalism than Presbyterian yet it's this his style that tremendously built the parish.

Sang Community Hall Project, "Killed" by the Crisis

Catholic Nursery & Primary School Sang, Shutdown by the Crisis

The population of sang depends mostly on farming for livelihood with food crops like corn, beans, cassava, groundnut and cash crops like palm trees being the highly cultivated. Most young boys in Sang do extract sand from the rivers for income generation. Sang has a motorable road linking Mbengwi central, a furniture and welder workshop, provision stores, beer parlours and lots more.

The Sang Youth's Union (SYU) has been very renowned until the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis. In the 70s and 80s, the union used to organise cultural weeks, bringing in Guinness and Brasseries from Bamenda, organise massive crowd pulling sporting jamborees, summer holidays (computer and Meta language) classes, offer scholarships just to name these few. It's the union that's been championing the construction of a community hall. For now, the development pace of Sang has been slackened by the ongoing crisis but hopes remain high that one day, it shall be well.