My Trip to Chaa (Encounter with visually impaired man that does farming, fishing, hunting, taps palm wine, harvests palm nuts etc)

My Trip to Chaa

(Encounter with visually impaired man that does farming, fishing, hunting, taps palm wine, harvests palm nuts etc)

Chaa is a border locality between the Meta people in Mbengwi, Momo division and the Bafut people in Mezam, North West Region of Cameroon. Located about some 2km down the famous Saint Joseph's Catholic Comprehensive College, Mbengwi, Chaa is purely a farming area with just a single resident, 57 year old Pa Nji Munya.

Pa Nji Munya's House in Chaa. Where His Parents Lived, Gave Birth to Him. Today He's Built His Own House Not Far From This One But Yet To Transfer Into It

It was on Monday June 29th 2020 that I embarked on a trip to Chaa to discover the area. I was guided by a friend, Tita Macleeve who's been visiting Pa Nji Munya quite often. Before the advent of the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, Pa Nji Munya was a fervent listener to Rainbow Radio, Mbengwi were I work and a regular contributor on a cultural program I used to host, known as Empty Basket (Fiti'i Zobu).

So, I had known Pa Nji Munya for years but not where he lives. I recall he used to leave from Chaa, guided by his son and trek to the studio just to play his guitar and go back. One of his records is still present in Rainbow Radio's studio computer and is being played from time to time.

Crossing The Dangling Bamboo Bridge Over River Mezam To Chaa. River Mezam Is Mixed With River Abbi

My trip to Chaa took me close to two hours of trekking on rocky and slippery footpaths, through while grass, climbing hills, descending valleys almost in isolation. Being a ghost town day, just few persons dare went to their farms. My first point of attraction was the dangling bamboo bridge hanging over River Mezam. If one isn't courageous, he/she won't dare step foot on the bridge. Being adventurous, I didn't only end at crossing the bridge but sat on it taking pictures. 

My guide, Macleeve told me the bridge was built by the people of Mbengwi many years back and it's through it that farmers have been transporting their produce. Having crossed the iconic bamboo bridge, we kept trekking through marshy raffia bushes and finally, empty sachets of whisky littered on the way was first indication that humans live around. 

My Guide, Tita Macleeve Leading Me Through Wild Weed To Chaa

Then we arrived. If I were alone, I would've been suspected but being with my guide, a familiar face in the compound, the two able boys we first saw felt relieved though from their piercing looks at us, I felt like being scanned. Pa Nji Munya was indoors and was quick to identify my voice. In a shocking tone, he called me "Euchwiyeuh" (meaning Teacher), one of the nicknames I bore on radio and I answered. 

Pa Nji Munya lives here with his family in an ancient looking thatched house. They are the only ones here. Their closest neighbours are metres away in Bafut. One peculiarity about him and his family is that all of them speak Bafut and Meta very well. Most of his children bear both Bafut and Meta names. Pa is Meta, his wife is Bafut.

Finally Arrived. Offering Gifts to Pa Nji Munya

I offered Pa some gifts I came along with and he felt them, removed the wine then gave the rest to his daughter to go keep at a secret corner in his room. Then he ordered for cups and we started sipping and chatting. I first wanted to know how he found himself in such an isolated area and in response he said, it's where he was delivered, grew and buried his parents, so he too as successor can't quite the area. "I'll also like to be buried here" he told me. 

Pa Nji Munya has been visually impaired for over 20 years now. As to what caused the blindness, he said it was as a result of wrongful manipulation of a gun. "I've been a hunter. There was a time gun powder exploded and entered my eyes. Bit by bit I started developing sight issues and at the end, the hospital couldn't restore my sight" he narrated.

Pa Nji Munya Offering Us Some Good Music From His Guitar

Talking about the origin of Chaa, Pa Nji Munya told me the land was previously occupied by the Bafuts and the Mankons. In his narration, he said his father was a soldier and upon retirement, he told his dad, one of the chiefs that had ruled Mbengwi that he's foreseeing shortage of land in the village as the population expands. Therefore, he should be permitted to cross over and fight the Bafuts and Mankons from Chaa so as to secure the land for farming and settlement in years to come. 

He was permitted and he had to swim across River Mezam, engaged the Bafut and Mankon inhabitants on the land in a fight, chased them away and constructed there. The administration later came and demarcated the borders between Momo and Mezam by planting boundary pillars. Today, Pa Nji Munya seems to be one of the very few persons that know where theses pillars were planted. Ok

Trying My Luck

He affirmed that the Bafuts have four pillars separating them with the Metas and Mankon has 7 pillars. He knows where these pillars are. In our discussion, he told me he's been recently contacted by the fon of Bafut to go and show him these boundary pillars. Quizzed on his daily life, he said "I clear my farms, prone my palm trees, harvest ripe nuts, tap my raffia palms, hunt, fish etc." All these he identifies by feeling with his hands. 

In addition, he practices African traditional medicine including suit saying. Pa loves playing his guitar. I had time to play some records with him before returning. I took about two hours to get to his house in Chaa. Interestingly, it's shorter to purchase basic items in Mbengwi than Bafut. Imagine one traveling for over 2km just to go and buy maggi, salt, soap etc. 

Pa's Fowls

Pa's Cats

Pa needs these in bulk and any assistance will be highly welcomed. I can be contacted for any intended assistance to Pa Nji Munya.