Radio Program Fan Club Impacting Communities in Mbengwi

Radio Program Fan Club Impacting Communities in Mbengwi

Members of Bedtime Melodies Fan Club on Saturday August 21st 2021 paid an exchange visit to their peers of the Sang Youth's Union. The visit that lasted for over six hours was characterised by several socio-sportive and humanitarian activities.

Upon arrival in Sang, located about some 5 kilometres from Mbengwi central towards Munam, after Njindom, they were taken on a guided tour round the "village" in the course of which they offered food assistance to some 17 elderly/needy persons comprised of cubes of soap, loaves of bread, a packet of maggi and a litre of peanuts per beneficiary who were all met right in their homes. 

The "Android Generation Girls" Marvelled as Grandma Smokes her Pipe (Kwandang)

They expressed the desire to have offered something better and bigger but for now, that's what they could lay hands on. Most of the elderly/sick mothers and fathers reached out to heartily thanked the club members for thinking about them, saying what they think is little, to them receiving, it's plentiful and impacting. 

One of the most interesting mothers met was one in Tusang quarter that smokes pipe. The young boys and girls were marvelled to see such, some for their very first time. Mami Mah Deborah demonstrated  the process by filling her pipe with tobacco, lighted it and started popping out plumes of smoke as the club members watched amazingly while laughing. 

After the tour, the two youth groups then rallied on the Sang community field for a friendly football encounter, played under rain and which ended one goal on either side. They will later recess into a parlor at the the "village" square known as Sam-tang where almost all the villagers rallied to welcome the club members and get to know what brought them. 

Two Teams of the Two Youth Groups Pose for Pic at End of Match

While here, a few speeches were met during which it was revealed that the Sang Youth's Union was founded since in the 80s. The villagers were also enlightened on what Bedtime Melodies is all about and some of its achievements. Away from the humanitarian donation to the elderly, the club also offered the sum of one hundred thousand (100.000) Frs to support a project the Sang Youth's Union started way back before the Anglophone Crisis and later suspended. As plans are underway to resume work on the community hall construction project, the club deemed it necessary to support the initiative financially so they can obtain materials.  

Ndetan Nji Cyprain is the Financial Secretary of the Sang Youth's Union (SYU), doubling as Home Branch President of the Sang Cultural and Development Association (SangCUDA). Appreciating the move by Bedtime Melodies Fan Club to Mbengwi Online, he said "I wish to really thank Bedtime Melodies Fan Club for coming to Sang. Their coming here is a blessing and with what they've donated to the elderly persons in the village, everyone is happy. The package they brought too, we received with all our hearts and we are promising that work on this hall will resume immediately."

Ndetan Nji Cyprain, Sang Youth's Union

Ngu Emmanuel, Bedtime Melodies Fan Club

Ngu Emmanuel, the president of the club on his part regretted that most activities they had planned weren't carried out due to time constraints and other challenges. Such included tug of war, "bras de fer", eating and dancing competition between the two youth groups for fun. Despite these, all in all, he remained very satisfied  with the success of the visit. This success story was recorded thanks to some well wishers who supported the club financially in the realisation of the visit from whom one can cite a few names like H.R.H Dr. Fomuki W. Ticha, Fon of Guneku village and Honourable Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia, Member of Parliament for Momo East Constituency, Mbengwi.

On Rainbow Radio, FM 99.5 Mbengwi, there exists a program known as Bedtime Melodies aired biweekly, that is,  Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the evening period, geared at luring listeners to sleep with slow sounds. In December 2014, a fan club to the program was formed and it's membership grew right up to Bali Nyonga where a branch was formed. 

Club Members Entering Sang

Part of the Population of  Sang that Rallied to Listen to the Message from the Club

Before the advent of the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, the club members used to empty gutters around major roads in  Mbengwi, fill potholes, visit orphanages, other youth groups, clean public places like the Mbon motor park, make donations to support developmental projects just to name these few. Unfortunately, when the crisis came and escalated, insecurity became heightened. As such all the radio program and club's activities were suspended as members got scattered for safety and studies. 

By June 2021, after affirming relative calm had returned to Mbengwi, the program bounced back on the airwaves of Rainbow Radio and about a month after, the club also resumed it's activities beginning with the holding of monthly meetings. Upon resumption, the Sang Youth's Union sent an invitation to Bedtime Melodies Fan Club members for an exchange visit which was  paid on Saturday August 21st 2021. The club has as motto, Changing Mentalities, Impacting Communities