Chomba
Encyclopedia
Chomba is a village under the Bamenda
municipality in Cameroon
. The village is located six km outside of Bamenda town. Before the 1960s, no motorable road linked the village to Bamenda town. The main road that links the village to the town was constructed manually by the villagers themselves. It was until the late 1970s/early 1980s that motor vehicles could reach the village. Today, the village is linked to the Bamenda town, by a half-tarred/half-untarred road.
The village is noted for its hilly land scape and rocky terrain. Development in the village is actually slowed down by the hilly and rocky terrain. Vehicles have never reached certain parts of the village due to this hilly nature. The hills are so steep that climbing is very difficult on some slopes.
The population of the village is made of two groups of people: the indigents who are part of the Ngemba tribe, and the Fulani
who are migrant settlers. The village survises mainly on subsistence agriculture
. The main food crops are cassava, cocoyam, potato, corn, beans, plantain. Achu
is the staple food and a delicay. The Fulani are cattle rearers and live on the rocky hills. The grass that grows on these hills is very good for cattle, and the hills are burned every dry season so that fresh grass can grow when the rains return. This fresh grass can support the cattle throughout the year.
The people of Chomba are united by their culture and by their fon
(chief). There is religious freedom, but all the villagers recognise their traditional religion. By this the villagers believe in reaching God through their ancestors. Most households have family shrines through which the spirits of the ancestors can be consulted. The shrine is consulted when settling family disputes. However, the entire village is united under the village shrine which is the highest in the village. This is consulted annually under the leadership of the fon. Rituals are performed at the village shrine before each farming season to ensure a good harvest. The shrine is also consulted before any important ceremony can take place in the village, such as the fon's annual dance called Lereh.
Development in the village is carried out by the village development association, CHODECA. CHODECA has an annual meeting every April, during which sons and daughters of the village raise money for the development of the village. through CHODECA, the village enjoys rural road maintenance and pipe-born water.
Bamenda
Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the North West Province. The city had a population of 269,530 at the 2005 Census, and is located 366 km north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé...
municipality in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. The village is located six km outside of Bamenda town. Before the 1960s, no motorable road linked the village to Bamenda town. The main road that links the village to the town was constructed manually by the villagers themselves. It was until the late 1970s/early 1980s that motor vehicles could reach the village. Today, the village is linked to the Bamenda town, by a half-tarred/half-untarred road.
The village is noted for its hilly land scape and rocky terrain. Development in the village is actually slowed down by the hilly and rocky terrain. Vehicles have never reached certain parts of the village due to this hilly nature. The hills are so steep that climbing is very difficult on some slopes.
The population of the village is made of two groups of people: the indigents who are part of the Ngemba tribe, and the Fulani
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
who are migrant settlers. The village survises mainly on subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
. The main food crops are cassava, cocoyam, potato, corn, beans, plantain. Achu
Achu
The name Achu refers to more than one person:*Simon Achidi Achu, Cameroonian politician*Aju, the commander of Mongol Empire*Fufu made with new cocoyams is called Achu...
is the staple food and a delicay. The Fulani are cattle rearers and live on the rocky hills. The grass that grows on these hills is very good for cattle, and the hills are burned every dry season so that fresh grass can grow when the rains return. This fresh grass can support the cattle throughout the year.
The people of Chomba are united by their culture and by their fon
Fon (Cameroon)
A fon is a chieftain or king of a region of Cameroon, especially among the Tikar and Bamiléké peoples of the Bamenda grassfields . Though once independent rulers, most fons were brought under the German rule or military subjugation during the colonial period...
(chief). There is religious freedom, but all the villagers recognise their traditional religion. By this the villagers believe in reaching God through their ancestors. Most households have family shrines through which the spirits of the ancestors can be consulted. The shrine is consulted when settling family disputes. However, the entire village is united under the village shrine which is the highest in the village. This is consulted annually under the leadership of the fon. Rituals are performed at the village shrine before each farming season to ensure a good harvest. The shrine is also consulted before any important ceremony can take place in the village, such as the fon's annual dance called Lereh.
Development in the village is carried out by the village development association, CHODECA. CHODECA has an annual meeting every April, during which sons and daughters of the village raise money for the development of the village. through CHODECA, the village enjoys rural road maintenance and pipe-born water.