MISS CAMEROON UK – NOT JUST ANOTHER SOCIAL EVENT
It is not a gimmick when Cameroon is described as Africa in miniature because the country has all it takes to lay claim to that status. The geography of the country reflects a huge variety – from near-desert in the Far North region through the sahel and savannah in the midlands, to the equatorial rain forest in the South; the only bilingual country on the continent, a rich cultural diversity, many national languages, rich variety of its cuisine and tourism potential in all the regions of the country.
Yet it seems all that the world knows and remembers Cameroon for, is the heroic performance of the one and only Roger Milla in the 1990 World cup, maybe by far the only event on the international scene which to date has positively registered and put Cameroon on the world map. Even so, how much advantage was taken of Roger Milla’s contribution to asserting Cameroon’s place on the World Map to sell our rich cultural, economic and tourist diversity is anyone’s guess.
The organisation of a beauty pageant for Cameroonian beauty queens in the UK is a laudable effort. It is not just another social event because it has the potential like any beauty pageant to contribute in its own way, to promoting the image of the country on the international scene. Our response to events of this nature is more often than not, very lukewarm thus giving the impression that Cameroonians are either shy as individuals or as a nation, and will not jump at an opportunity to showcase their individual values and potential as well as those of the nation. Of the many young, dynamic and beautiful ladies Cameroon can boast of living in the UK, only eight stood up to be counted for the Miss Cameroon UK 2008. Well-done to the brave!
In PR no event is too small to make an impact. The representation and active participation of the High Commission of Cameroon to the UK at the beauty pageant, at a very high level in the person of the Deputy High Commissioner, H.E. Denis Nyuydzewira, is praise worthy. The High Commission provides the right link to the international community here in the UK and has a challenge to sell the economic, cultural and tourist potential of Cameroon to the rest of the world. Miss Cameroon UK can serve as one of the many vehicles available within the Cameroon community in the UK and the rest of the Diaspora to project the massive potentials of the country.
An event like Miss Cameroon UK highlights our social and cultural values and has the potential to promote the huge tourist and economic opportunities in the country. The number of Cameroonian-owned business ventures that were on board to sponsor the event is proof of this potential. We look forward to seeing some of the contestants become the images of those businesses. That is promoting Cameroon and the Cameroonian.
I was watching the final of Miss World 2008 organised in Johannesburg, South Africa recently and the absence of Cameroon confirmed this feet-dragging attitude when it comes to measuring up against the rest of the world in events of that magnitude. It is not excusable that with all that the country has in terms of potential, advantage is not taken of public relations activities on the international scene.
Of the 112 contestants from around the world, 18 were from different countries on the continent, Cameroon not included. This is an event whose final is broadcast in 187 countries on a total of 373 Television channels with an annual audience of 2.5billion. It is a massive PR event which measures only with world events such as the Olympics and the World Cup and its tourist and economic spill off can be immense.
Yes we are Africa in miniature and so what? It is about time we stop talking the talk and get up, walk the walk and be counted. One of Cameroon’s great musical talents, Charles Epie (Etub’Anyang) now of blessed memory, described Cameroon in one of his popular songs as, ‘a lovely country with all a man can want. There are beautiful women, beautiful sites to see…..’ and he was right.
Yet it seems all that the world knows and remembers Cameroon for, is the heroic performance of the one and only Roger Milla in the 1990 World cup, maybe by far the only event on the international scene which to date has positively registered and put Cameroon on the world map. Even so, how much advantage was taken of Roger Milla’s contribution to asserting Cameroon’s place on the World Map to sell our rich cultural, economic and tourist diversity is anyone’s guess.
The organisation of a beauty pageant for Cameroonian beauty queens in the UK is a laudable effort. It is not just another social event because it has the potential like any beauty pageant to contribute in its own way, to promoting the image of the country on the international scene. Our response to events of this nature is more often than not, very lukewarm thus giving the impression that Cameroonians are either shy as individuals or as a nation, and will not jump at an opportunity to showcase their individual values and potential as well as those of the nation. Of the many young, dynamic and beautiful ladies Cameroon can boast of living in the UK, only eight stood up to be counted for the Miss Cameroon UK 2008. Well-done to the brave!
In PR no event is too small to make an impact. The representation and active participation of the High Commission of Cameroon to the UK at the beauty pageant, at a very high level in the person of the Deputy High Commissioner, H.E. Denis Nyuydzewira, is praise worthy. The High Commission provides the right link to the international community here in the UK and has a challenge to sell the economic, cultural and tourist potential of Cameroon to the rest of the world. Miss Cameroon UK can serve as one of the many vehicles available within the Cameroon community in the UK and the rest of the Diaspora to project the massive potentials of the country.
An event like Miss Cameroon UK highlights our social and cultural values and has the potential to promote the huge tourist and economic opportunities in the country. The number of Cameroonian-owned business ventures that were on board to sponsor the event is proof of this potential. We look forward to seeing some of the contestants become the images of those businesses. That is promoting Cameroon and the Cameroonian.
I was watching the final of Miss World 2008 organised in Johannesburg, South Africa recently and the absence of Cameroon confirmed this feet-dragging attitude when it comes to measuring up against the rest of the world in events of that magnitude. It is not excusable that with all that the country has in terms of potential, advantage is not taken of public relations activities on the international scene.
Of the 112 contestants from around the world, 18 were from different countries on the continent, Cameroon not included. This is an event whose final is broadcast in 187 countries on a total of 373 Television channels with an annual audience of 2.5billion. It is a massive PR event which measures only with world events such as the Olympics and the World Cup and its tourist and economic spill off can be immense.
Yes we are Africa in miniature and so what? It is about time we stop talking the talk and get up, walk the walk and be counted. One of Cameroon’s great musical talents, Charles Epie (Etub’Anyang) now of blessed memory, described Cameroon in one of his popular songs as, ‘a lovely country with all a man can want. There are beautiful women, beautiful sites to see…..’ and he was right.
A breath of fresh air at No. 84 Holland Park
Cameroon has a new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in the person of H.E, Nkwelle Ekaney who officially handed in his letters of credence to Her Majesty the Queen on 19 October this year. He has taken up duties in London, considered the World’s economic centre, at a very trying moment when the world economy is facing enormous difficulties and challenges, and will be riding rough for some time before things hopefully get better again.
The High Commissioner will be a living witness to the frantic efforts the British government is putting in place to try to revive the economy. Until things look upward again, there is definitely going to be a slow down in the economic and development assistance Cameroon receives from the British government through its development agencies within the framework of the cooperation agreements between the two countries.
More than ever before Cameroon will have to rely on its human and natural resources to face the crisis hitting the world at the moment. Apart from having potential in the resources at home, Cameroon has a massive potential (material and intellectual) in the sons and daughters in the Diaspora, those of the United Kingdom included. In fact the UK has a cream of very highly qualified Cameroonian professionals in various fields which could impact directly and effectively in Cameroon’s development efforts.
Here in the United Kingdom, Cameroonians through individual and collective efforts, do everything possible to help their loved ones at home either through direct remittance of foreign currency, by setting up micro businesses for family members, or creating Charities to liaise and work with non-governmental organisations back home. Talking to Cameroonians here in the United Kingdom, and it is not an overstatement to say that this is the common view of all Cameroonians in the Diaspora, it comes across very clearly that they are very interested in getting involved in the development of their country either through micro or macro projects but the hurdles are legion.
Proof of this interest is the plethora of Cameroonian cultural and professional organisations/associations (The Millennium Group, Friends of Cameroon, Cameroon Forum, Cameroon Young Professionals, Cameroon North-West Cultural Association etc. etc.) now existing in the United Kingdom, all with a mission to contributing, in their own way, to the development of Cameroon.
Nonetheless, the general complaint is that genuine efforts to effect some form of economic development initiative in the country is often stifled by the many hurdles and bottlenecks in place in Cameroon beginning with the excesses of the officials at the port in Douala to the unrealistic demands of the taxman in the Ministry of Finance in Yaounde.
The appointment of a new High Commissioner of Cameroon to the UK is a breath of fresh air and new hope as far as relations between the Cameroonians in the UK and the High Commission are concerned. Thank goodness H. E. Nkwelle Ekaney has already stretched a hand of fellowship to the entire Cameroonian community in the UK. He is throwing the doors of the High Commission open to Cameroonians because as he said in his own words, ‘the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom is above all to protect the interest of Cameroonians resident in the country’.
Cameroonians in the UK have felt estranged from the High Commission for some time now. Here in the UK, for example, the celebration of May 20, a national day for all, has hitherto been exclusive and not inclusive as is the case with the celebration of the national days of Ghana and Nigeria, which involves their communities. Within the wider Cameroonian community in this country, unfortunately, the day comes and goes unnoticed whereas this should have served as an occasion to bring together all Cameroonians resident in this country to show the British public our very rich socio-economic, cultural and tourist values. Most of them think, maybe mistakenly, that they are not welcome at the High Commission.
The task of getting the thousands of Cameroonians in the UK to identify with our diplomatic mission at Holland Park will therefore be challenging but doable. Cameroonians in the Diaspora care about their country (after all home is home) and all they need is someone who cares, to listen to their concerns as well as to what they have to offer.
The creation of the many Cameroonian groups in the UK as mentioned earlier in this article, is proof that there is potential in Cameroonians living out here and it is very evident too that they crave to be part of their country’s development efforts. All they are asking for is for someone to listen to them and give them a chance to put on the table what they have to offer.
In the days ahead, the new High Commissioner, H.E. Nkwelle Ekaney has the challenge of rallying Cameroonians to assure them of the fatherly role he will play to all and by the same token get the Cameroonian community in the UK to warm up to the High Commission again, for the diplomatic mission is there to serve the interest of Cameroonians resident in this country indeed.
Steve Nfor
Home Away from Home
A Cameroonian musician once stated in one of his songs that ‘home is home’, a three word phrase that summarises what nostalgia is all about – missing home and loved ones. In a bid to soften the low down feeling of missing home and family in spite of whatever material comfort one may have abroad, ‘Diasporans’ create and rally around organisations or associations that bring together people from the same ethnic or cultural backgrounds. For the most part, the modus operandi of such associations is to focus on the need for mutual assistance, support to community back home and the celebration of their cultural and traditional values.
One such organisations in the United Kingdom, is the Cameroon North-West Cultural Association (CNWCA). Since its inception and launch in May 2001, its aims and objectives have included, among others, the commitment to offer its members a forum for expression, education and mutual support in matters relating to their culture, as well as to help and support its members in times of need, difficulties, sorrow and happiness.
On October 12, 2008, in the hall of The Victoria Public House on Queenbridge Road in East London, the association held a very colourful and successful cultural celebration dedicated to its deceased members as well as members’ relations who had departed this world. Speaking at the opening of the occasion, the President of the CNWCA, Tah Ndifornyen welcomed all the guests, the leaders and members of cultural groups from the North-West province and the members of the association. He pointed out that dedicating the cultural celebration to the memories of deceased members and relatives of members, who had passed on, did not in any measure mean that it was a day for mourning. He said it was a celebration of their lives especially considering the selfless efforts they put into creating and sustaining the life of the association.
Speaking at the occasion, one of the founding fathers of the CNWCA, Pa Ferdinand Fru said the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication of the deceased members to the cause of the association epitomised the unbridled love they had for the community and called on all the members to emulate their example.
The highlights of the celebration were performances of traditional dances by the Bali, Baforchu, Metah and Mendankwe cultural groups as well as individual and collective dancing skills of the members of the CNWCA to the very rhythmic music of a very popular artist of the North-West region, John Menang.
Steve Nfor
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