Handicrafts and Appropriate Technology

Cameroon Blog

Inauguration of Royal University Centre, RUC, Alahkie

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Edited by PSA, LHE
Prof. Dr. Norbert Pintsch / IPC (pvt) LTD
and; Njini King Caro / CAT (NGO)
© DGFK e.V., 201218


This movie is part of the collection: Community Video





Producer: Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Audio/Visual: sound, color

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:02 PM, ,

Prof.Dr. Norbert Pintsch With Team Members at Mobil Stall

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:30 AM, ,

Cameroon Gold Study

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West Africa-focused African Aura Mining plans to deliver a definitive feasibility study for its New Liberty gold project, in Cameroon, during the first half of next year.

The TSX Venture Exchange and Aim-listed company told shareholders in a statement on Tuesday that it would start with a 4 000-m resource definition drilling programme at satellite prospects near New Liberty during this year.

These prospects, including the Silver Hills, Weaju and Ndablama prospects, were expected to provide further near-surface ounces that could be trucked to the New Liberty project.

Further, a resource drilling programme at the company’s Knout iron-ore project, in Cameroon, would start during the second quarter of this year

African Aura would also now start with drilling for a prefeasibility study at its 38,5%-owned Putu iron-ore project, in Liberia, which it was planning to have completed by 2012.

A definitive feasibility study would be delivered about 18 months thereafter, it stated. In April, African Aura undertook a £11,3-million capital raising to ensure that its gold and iron-ore projects in Cameroon and Liberia were fully funded over the next year.

“The outlook for the company is very promising, despite the difficult trading conditions in the financial markets. The company is now well positioned in its chosen commodities, gold and iron-ore, to pursue strategies that will maximise the value of the company,” president and CEO Luis da Silva commented. Edited by: Mariaan Webb

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:14 AM, ,

Traditional Medicine and Environment Protection

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Edited by PSA, LHE
Prof.Dr.Norbert Pintsch, Ndifor Alahkie,
Pres. of Royal University Centre / IAM@BUST
& Njini King Caro / CAT (NGO)
A© DGFK e.V. 20120216



Producer: The Development of Natural Medicine in Cameroon By King Simon Leshey I.
Audio/Visual: sound, color

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:41 AM, ,

I am a Cameroonian African

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:37 AM, ,

CAT Team Handing Over Letter for Special Guests

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 7:35 AM, ,

Visit of King Simon Nsoh Tabufor Leshey I. And Ndiffor Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch to the Fon of Bafung “MMENâ

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RTN Studio 1
Camera: Groukapasir Martial P.
Editing: T. Sikali Valery
© Febr. 2012



This movie is part of the collection: Community Video

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:10 AM, ,

The Afoakom Statue! Emblem of a people’s identity

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Afo-A-Kom is a carved wooded statue used annually by Kom inhabitants, for ceremonial purposes at Laikom the seat of the Kwyfon, the secret Kom mobilization force in Boyo Division of the North West region of Cameroon.

Afo-A-Kom literally translated means something that belongs to Kom people and land, promoting the ideals of solidarity and social stability; love, hospitality, unity, diversity tolerance; and of justice and sovereignty and a powerful symbol of continuity, These two Royal standing human form made statues has a female considered as the mother of the queen and a royal wife holding a baton in front of the chest and lined with cowries at the head supported by buffalo heads. The male statue depicts the reverence of the Royal family and is a portrait of Fon Yuh the first well known legendary leader of the Koms. The Afoakom statue is beaded in red and blue for unity and diversity of the vast Kom land and it people. The Koms see it as the strength of their heritage and authority.

The statue was made at about 1865 by Fon Yuh, the 7th ruler of Kom. And by ill fate one of the attendants stole it out form its hiding and sold to outsiders and it was ferried to Douala through Foumban and next to New York City in August 1966. During the absence of the statue it is believed that calamity failed on the kom land and a fog of guild and curses hang on the people. A lot of people are reported to have died from epidemics and natural disasters. This necessitated the finding of the Statue which the people considered the source of their problems. Search teams around Cameroon and the world finally got relief when a missionary pastor who had photographed the portrait of the statue saw it in a New York exhibition gallery. The Fon of Kom at the time is known to have pledge all the money in the Kom land for it return. The Afoakom statue while in the USA was shuttling between musums and bazaars not only as a lost ritualistic symbol of the Kom people but like a commercial commodity. Thanks to good diplomacy between the Cameroon government and the US embassy in Yaounde that the statue was returned to Kom 7 years later. The arrival of the statue was heralded by all night dancing and gun firing at the fons palace plaza where the people of koms played the wildest xylophone music tones in memory of the event. The return of the statue and the controversial history and tales associated with it brought elated the Kom culture and tradition to international people.

Kom is traditionally divided into 43 villages. The villages make up the kingdom and compounds or homesteads make up the villages. The villages are grouped into traditional councils for administrative purposes with each village governed by a village Head appointed by the Fon.

The origin of Kom is not known but according to oral tradition, Kom people came to settle in their present day location after being led by a track of a python.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:54 AM, ,

Radio TV RUC

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Please visit Radio TV RUC Live Stream http://radio-tv-ruc.com/. It is on all the time. Click here to listen and enjoy!

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:26 PM, ,

Hand Made Crafts

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Bamenda is one of Cameroon’s 3rd largest cities with a steady population growth as a result of urbanization and rural exodus. Unlike most Cameroon cities Bamenda is reputed for lack of industries and plantations. . Despite the high level of the scholarisation in the city 30% of the city youths are with out white collar jobs. In a bid to make ends meet most of these youths have taken up crafts arts and design as a profession. The availability of wood and natural low cost material like grass, bamboos, fiber and special beat has seen the city youths producing crafts ranging from bags, baskets, chairs, caps and cupboards etc. some of these Crafts like bags carry message of love and unity and are insignia of cultural heritage and pride.

These crafts pot ray not only the rich vast traditional cultures of the grass field of Cameroon in color, styles and design play an important part in the decoration of the city streets and handicraft shops. Wood works also occupy a major pre occupation of the youth. Carpentry workshops line the main streets in the city and provide a source of income for the boys. Carves made in the best of traditional cultures like mask and foot tools float the city handicraft shops and carry with them the strengths and inspiration of the respective designers. These crafts have remained a tourist attraction for the city.

These crafts which are now a source of hope and joy for the youths in these sector preserve the not only the artistic know how of the people of the grass field of Cameroon but sustain the various cultures The high demand for the products and the importance of the forest and nature has seen the high cost of protecting the environment by the government and the local people.

It is on this effort that the Cameroon government is calling on the citizens of the country to sustain and protect the environment and forest home to these natural resources that boast and foster the socio economic and cultural development of the youth and country at large.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:58 PM, ,

Mini Solar Hydro Electrical Power in the Akwaya

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CAT Cameroon installs a Mini Solar Hydro Electrical Power in the Akwaya Municipality in the South West Region of Cameroon

Aaron Kaah Y

The Center for Appropriate Technology CAT Cameroon under the 2012 Cameroon government investment budget will installed a mini solar hydro electric power in the Akwaya council area of the south west region of Cameroon. The electrical power will generate low cost energy for the council area tele center and other government structures in the divisional head quarters. The Project piloted by the Akwaya council is executed with funds from the 2012 investment budget. The low cost energy will boast life and economic activities in Akwaya sub division which faces a plethora of challenges brought in by lack of a good road infrastructure and communication net work.

Travelers to Akwaya from other parts of Cameroon must go through Nigeria before getting there. The very bad nature of the roads and the many multiple notorious police checks points give passenger’s headache, some times leading to the exchange of hot air and street fights. Akwaya sub division may also enter the Guinness book of record as the place in the world today which has a total black out in communication net work. Some reports say residence have to climb a tree a certain top before access communication net work. The municipality is the bread basket of the south west region of Cameroon and other parts of Nigeria but the lack of a road to connect to these places leaves the locals very misery and poor. Illiteracy and ignorance is also high in the area because of basic well equipped learning institutions. Letters from there to the outside world are done by hand and sent by mail. People in the Akwaya area have never seen an electronic money transfer agency. Residence of the municipality throng a lone tele center communication to send messages out of the land locked area. Even government structures are non functional in the municipality due to lack of power and energy to run their reports. A lot of professional work is still done manually with type writers and by hand making effectiveness and efficiency lost. The tussle between the SDF and the CPDM to host the council in this area has brought in more frustrations. The people because of their plight have vowed never to vote for the ruling party but their choice of the SDF has brought no changes yet.

The teaching of ICT’s in school out there has never been thought of. Most students and residence of the area see ICT’s gadgets only when they travel to other areas of the country or on papers. The construction of this mini hydro solar energy plate will also provide energy for the revitalization of the government services often empty for lack of workers who take pretext that there is no energy to run the equipment. The excitement in the Akwaya sub division is high ahead of the proper inauguration of the solar energy plate. The director of CAT Cameroon Njini Victor has mobilized a crack team of technicians to see this dream came true.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:10 AM, ,

Knowledge on Appropriate Technology

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CAT-Cameroon and its volunteers bring knowledge on Appropriate Technology to the Staff and Students of the Baptist Comprehensive College Nkwen Bamenda

The learning community of the Baptist comprehensive college Nkwen Bamenda has pledged to continuously keep their environment neat and to manage waste in a sustainable manner. The principal of the institution Mr Bominang Eugene made the recommendation last Feb,14th 2012 on behalf of his students and colleagues on the occasion of an open door day organized by CAT Cameroon in collaboration with two German visiting volunteers Lutz and Renate from the German Senior Expert Service under the theme youths for a better environment.

In a brief lecture to the students during the event, the director of the Center for Appropriate Technology NjiniVictor thanked the BCC student community for accepting to share with them the benefits of sustaining and protecting the environment. Victor appreciated the staff for embracing their wish to talk to the students about renewable forms of energy that was a solution to the needs of people in the rural areas. He further explained to the students that the role of CAT Cameroon was to promote and provide solar energy plates and low cost building material so as to maximize the protection of the environment and nature. In a question and answer session on what could be done to protect the environment the students said tree planting, pollution control and proper waste disposal were the solutions. Talking on the advantages of solar energy victor told the students that it was cheap and affordable as well as efficient for house lighting and cooking. The CAT director laid the students through a demonstrative exhibition on how solar plates trap energy for storage and usage.

In response to the lectures and demonstration the principal of the school Mr Bomingang Eugene said that they were over whelmed with joy and excitement to be part of the CAT open door project. Mr Eugene thanked the CAT director and his volunteers for thinking about them for the second time running in the knowledge sharing campaign on appropriate technology. The school boss called on his students to keep the knowledge and to be custodians of environmental protection in school and off the classroom. He pledged to make appropriate technology lesson a compulsory course for those students of the technical department of his institution.

The CAT volunteers from Germany Lutz and Renate animated the event with musical drills and comic displays to the excitement of the students. The gift of a football to the students by the volunteers brought thunderous applauds in the hall. In appreciation to the gift and sketches, the student’s senior prefect said the lessons as well as the sketches and ball were very significant not only for their entertainment but learning process. The senior student thanked CAT and the volunteers for thinking about them every year and for working to improve the lives of people in the semi urban centers and in the rural communities.

The Baptist Comprehensive College Nkwen Bamenda has some 176 students enrolled in to the three learning departments of the school. (Commercial, Grammar and Technical.)

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:04 AM, ,

CAT Cameroon Blossoms at 10

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Aaron Kaah

The year 2011 marked ten years of existence for the Center for appropriate technology CAT¬ Cameroon. The center and the wish to provide handicrafts and low cost energy alternative sources to the rural people in Cameroon saw the light of day in 2001 in Bamenda Cameroon under the diadem of the present Director Njini Victor. This dream shifted gear when the center came in contact with the Prof Norbert Pintsch and Dr Senta Siller of the German Senior Expert Service SES and the German Society for the Advancement of Culture DGFK in those early days. This partnership has delivered capacity building, mentoring and material support to the CAT Staff through Prof Pintsch over the years. The need to create awareness on its activities saw CAT negotiating unprecedented cooperation with many institutions of learning in the North West region of Cameroon to expand the knowledge and was able to make alliances with an array of people across the society to markets its goods and services.

Ten years down the line the untold success story of CAT in the domain of affordable renewable energy has been unparallel. The center is a proud owner of more than ten awards and prizes won through competitions and workshops organized by the Cameroon government as a befitting tribute to his achievement and hard work. The center for appropriate technology prides itself with a vast rich digital equipment laboratory, computers, books and workshops and exhibition stands reason why the institution is the best option to research students and local community members interested in improving their knowledge and skills on renewable energy sources and handmade dolls. A team of volunteers from the German Senior Expert Service are annually visiting CAT to create awareness in schools and colleges on environmental protection and sustainability, climate change, holistic approach to housing construction and handicrafts. Hand made dolls produced in CAT have not only sourced cash for low income young girls and women in some community in Cameroon but have helped to market the cultures traditions of the Grass field of Cameroon across the boarders.

As the months roll in to more years the Center for Appropriate Technology CAT Cameroon intends to expand its existing scope to other regions of Cameroon.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:06 AM, ,

Sustainable farming

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Aaron Kaah

Mamma Bitang, is a Heifer International Cameroon resourceful farmer at the Noubou village in Moutourwa sub-division in Mayo Kani Division of the Far North Region of Cameroon. Mamma, mother of ten (6 boys and 4 girls) received relevant knowledge on treating animals with herbs through her Groupe d’Initiative Commune Wudmezle in 2009 during a Heifer International Cameroon sponsored training workshop on livestock rearing and donation. Mamma like other women in her group was offered a series of lessons on animal husbandry, gender equity, sanitation and hygiene and ethnoveterinary medicine. To strengthen the trainings each farm family was given 4 animals a ram and 3 sheep each in compensation of their loyalty to the teachings and prescriptions. Mamma had her share.


Before Heifer International Cameroon’s gift of knowledge and animals to Mamma and her group, they kept a few animals locally and depended on veterinarian doctors for treatment. This was costly for the poor peasant farmers, whose only source of income was their farm out. Mamma retained the ethnoveterinary sensitization campaign as a best option of remembering her roots “When I was growing up, I saw my father using herbs to treat animals and the method was very effective” she said.

With little or no vet doctors present in those days Young Girls like Mamma saw herbal treatment of animals as a cultural practice but it soon died off with the passage of time. Heifer International Cameroon’s drilling ignited the passion in the woman. “I do treat bloat in sheep with groundnut oil by giving the animal small quantity of the oil and in about six hours the stomach releases all the gas” Mamma said. Mamma treats diarrhea in sheep by giving the animal Cassia occidentalis (Kenkeliba) plants mixed in their feed. To sustain her treatment process the farmer has planted these plants around her family house for easy accessibility.

Mamma has passed on this gift of treatment with other community members. “Mamma’s knowledge of animal treatment is very effective” Djouma Boukoi president of Groupe d’Initiative Commune des Djinandra, explained after applying the treatment procedures from Mamma to treat her animals of diarrhea. Mamma has been on hand for trainings within and beyond her community for the training of farmers on building animals health with plants and herbs. “I am happy to know that other farmers have learnt from me” she said. After receiving her animal from Heifer international Cameroon, the farmers has recorded only one death in a community where animals die on a daily bases. “I now have six sheep after selling one during the feast of the ram,” Mamma said elatedly.

This woman knows when and what to give to a particular animal when it’s sick. This experience has attracted other farmers to her and she is making a steady income from the treatment of animals. Mamma has also passed on the knowledge of treatment to her children and her animals have received proper care and management. She has used income for this venture to afford basic food crops for her family and her children school needs and medical bills. As Mamma’s project continued to flourish she had extended a word of thank you to Heifer International Cameroon for stabilizing her animal welfare.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:26 PM, ,

CAT hand made dolls, an icing on the cake

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Aaron Kaah

The handicraft section at the Center for Appropriate Technology (CAT) brought forth the doll making project in 1998 under the supervision of Dr Senta Siller of the Germany Senior Expert Service. That same year a self help women’s initiative group called Akwatinuighah with 9 members located in the depths of the Mankon community in Bamenda Cameroon picked on the idea and over the years transferred and shared this knowledge with another self help group called Akaankang in the year 2002. The idea spread like wild fire amongst many women self help groups in the North West Region of Cameroon.

The dolls making project was hatched to provide another entertaining alternative way for rural women and young girls in the communities to earn income and shun urban migration and other social vices that were detrimental to themselves and families. These dolls made out of ethnic knowledge have garments, Jewries and furniture for the needling of attractive marketable dolls in a family friendly way depicting the life, fashion and color of the people and places of the grass fiend of Cameroon. While helping these women to boast the local development of the communities and traditions, the project also imbued in them craft art skills.

The Dolls produced at CAT range from 50CM to 12CM and are sold at 3-30US Dollars. In Bamenda Cameroon these dolls can be accessed at the Prescraft center and handicraft shops and at the German embassy in Yaounde Cameroon and the Seaman Mission in Douala in Cameroon. Dr Senta from DGFK, too, had also helped to market the dolls in bazaars and events across the Atlantic. Also available at on the shelves are post cards designed with the portraits of the various traditional instruments in the grass field of Cameroon.

These post cards bear so many entertaining messages and description about these traditional musical instruments that translate the traditions and customs of the Cameroon people. The cards are made out of environmentally friendly paper that can be recycled for further use.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:13 PM, ,

Institute for Alternative Methods IAM@BUST

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Prof.  Dr.  Norbert Pintsch

The idea for the establishment of the IAM originated out of inquiries from students of local universities, who received information on various occasions at the CAT (NGO) about Appropriate Technology.

Objects mentioned in the literature can be seen at CAT and their working is explained.

Apart from NGOs, companies and private persons, there are CAT clubs in 7 Sub-Divisions and a Youngster-Club since 2009. Future students learn here in a playful manner among others handling devices, which are friendly to the nature.

The basic concept of IAM was initiated due the excellent relationship with BUST.

Of course one finds reference to Appropriate Technology in the brochures of universities, these are however understood as an extension of the regular study programs.

But Appropriate Technology is lot more !

It is a complete way of thinking and therefore to be placed equally along with disciplines like economy, trade, society and politics etc.

It is important here to differentiate between the rather holistic approach with elements from traditional culture, like visible in rural life, and the rather open resource depleting system, a it can be seen in urban and semi-urban regions and the closed independent system.

The holistic system is however not to be understood as an escape into the past, but on the contrary, it carries forward the futuristic approach by building upon the existing open system.

One can understand it well from the following example: the low-tech method of faeces-disposal on one side and the high tech recycling method as used in the europeon space lab.

Brainstorming about new concepts also finds its place at the IAM: The Organization of Climate Conserving Nations (OCCN) as an alternative to OPEC...

We can see, AT is more than only a technical aid.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:01 PM, ,

Internet Radio

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InternetRadio is now in lifestream and available for 24 hours with interviews and music. Click here for information for the Internet-Radio-Project in Cameroon and Pakistan.

www.radio-tv-ruc.com
http://www.radiotv-thattavillage.com

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:34 AM, ,

Volunteers from the German Society for the Advancement of Culture (DGFK)

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Aaron Kaah

Two volunteers from the German society for the advancement of culture (DGFK) Lutz Fluegge and Renate Perner on a cultural exchange program are in Cameroon on the invitation of the Center for Appropriate Technology CAT-Cameroon. The two volunteers are gifted entertainers who are assisting CAT –Cameroon on its knowledge sharing campaigns on alternative sources of energy and the importance of solar energy to households in the rural areas of Cameroon, low cost building materials and the need to sustain and protect the environment.


Lutz and Renate have accompanied CAT to schools, villages, and institutions to share knowledge on the above topics and to bring aspects of German culture closer to the people of the North West Region through song and dance. The high point of their visit was the organization of a tombola and puzzle at the CAT head office last Feb 18th 2012 which pulled across section of the public. Lots of prizes and gifts were won by some people in the audience.


Lutz Fluegge is the Dean of studies in the faculty of Cultural entertainment and development while Mme Renate Perner is the Vice Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Bamenda Royal University.

This is the third conservative time the two volunteers are in Cameroon.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:23 PM, ,

Sajshirazi.com

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See how I got PageRank increase on May 3, 2012

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:59 AM, ,

Thatta Kedona

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Volunteers: Dr. Senta Siller, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Jane Carew-Reid, Dr. Karola Groch, Inge Keindl, Uta Moeller, Dr. Sophie Kuppler, Berhard Staeck, Erika Burchhardt, Gertrud Baier, Renate Perner, Lutz Fluegge, Dr. Nadine Jaeger, Isabel Merkel, Marleen Hamid, Monika Kuppler, Sabine Piltz, Stephanie Walter, Gundula Gomoll, Alexandra Scherer, Rainer Schmitt, Helga Schmitt-Pritz, Dr. Tobias Leonhardt, Marlies Bartkiewitz, Dr.Gwendolyn Kulick, Gittebritt Pintsch, Dr Leila Siller, Dr. Elizabeth Carew-Reid, Ursula Huette, Dr. Amir Malik, Khalid Javaid, Lok Virsa, S A J Shirazi, Ulrike Vestring, Omar M. Ali, AFA (NGO)

Thatta Kedona cooperation with: SPARC, FPAC, BNU, IPC, DGFK

Projects: Kite-project, LC-project, Village Museum, Internet Radio Station, Buffalo Pond, TTTC, WAC, BHU, WaterProject, IEC@BNU

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:43 AM, ,

Visit to the Fon of Bafmeng

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THE VISIT OF KING SIMON LESHEY I AND PROF NORBERT PINTSCH TO THE FON OF BAFMENG. FON FRANCIS ANENG PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH-WEST FONS - NORTH WEST REGION CAMEROON.

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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:48 PM, ,


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