(Baka Research Trip January 1998)
To discuss with the Baka group who had provided the music which has earned the bulk of Global Music Exchange funds as to what projects they wanted setting up. And to discuss these matters with other people in Cameroon who had experience working with the Baka and/or experience running development projects in Cameroon.
We travelled to Cameroon on 28th December 1997, flying to Yaounde. Here we made contact with Roger Ngoufo of Environment Watch and discussed possible ideas for aid projects for the Baka. He made us aware of the possibility of setting up a "Community Forest"
On Friday, 2nd January 1998 we travelled to Bertoua. Here we contacted the Archbishop, who has worked with the Baka for many years. He informed Nyamsi Emmanuel, the delegate of the Ministry of Culture for the Eastern Province, of our work. As a result of this we were delayed in Bertoua for several days while we justified our trip to him and waited for forms to arrive from the Société des Droits D'Auteurs to arrive before we could continue south. (Due to the fact that we had been selling the Baka's music without the proper authorisation from the authorities). These didn't arrive and he told us to go on to Moloundu and contact him on our return voyage. He made it clear that all money due to the Baka through the Société des Droits D"Auteurs (the Cameroonian equivalent of the PRS) would have to be administered by him, being the Baka's representative in Cameroon.
We arrived in Moloundu on Wednesday, 7th January and stayed at the Catholic mission, now run by nuns based in Congo. We found them to be very helpful and sympathetic to the Baka's needs.
On Friday, 9th January we walked to the Baka encampment at Loupé, several hours walk into the forest from Banana.
On Sunday, 11th January we walked on to Canya where most of the Baka were. Here we discussed at length why we had come and what projects the Baka wanted to see undertaken.
The Baka asked us to give them cash. This was to be given to Dondolo [the Baka headman] in front of everyone else so that he could distribute it and everyone could see that it was divided fairly. This we avoided as it would be problematic for various reasons:
i/. The Délégue du Ministre de Culture de l'Est had made it plain that he would be requiring us to let him administer any money that was due to the Baka through their performing rights. (We hope that this money will reach the Baka, but it is out of our control if it passes to the Ministry of Culture. We will be looking into different ways to ensure that the money does get passed on correctly). We were therefore limited as to what cash we could give directly to the Baka as other money has been donated to the charity for beneficial projects, not for direct cash aid.
ii/. Due to the level of poverty and obvious need for basics of life we did give Dondolo 60,000 CFA. This cash did cause problems. The word got round other camps that we had given money. As the news travelled further the amount of money we were alleged to have given got larger. This especially caused problems with the Bangandu (the local Bantu people) who do not have any money either and rely on the Baka to work on their farms. Gifts of money drastically upset the local micro-economy and should be avoided.
The Baka were very interested in the idea of setting up a Community Forest, however they expressly said that they would not want to do this with the Bangandu who they claimed treated them badly, did not pay them for their labour, treated them like animals and generally showed them no respect at all (we noticed that these were all justifiable comments). They would not be able to achieve this based around the village of Banana as they share this village with the Bangandu. To set up a Community Forest representatives of all people who live adjacent to the forest must be involved. A Community Forest run jointly by Baka and Bangandu would not work as in effect the Bangandu would run it and the Baka would have no say in what went on. Their situation would remain unchanged.
However the Baka also told us that they wanted their village to be at Loupé and not at Banana. They already have their own fields, houses and plantations there, but spend much of their time in Banana where the school and road are. It is worth noting that the police Commissar in Moloundou stated that he would not go to the Bangandu villages any more as they were populated by "bad people". The Baka too say this. They claim that if they ever have money and are alone in the village, Bangandu will get it off them by force. A village of their own at Loupé with legal status and their own chief (Dondolo) would seem to us to be a positive step forward.
We suggested and they agreed the following 3 stages towards establishing a Community Forest:
1. Obtain an identity card for each adult Baka in village. Each individual would then be recognised as a Cameroonian citizen with the same rights as any other.
2. Obtain legal status for a village at Loupé. This would establish a recognised village only populated by Baka and a few Bangandu who have been living in harmony with the Baka for some time. Dondolo would be chief.
3. Establish an area of forest that is not adjacent to any existing Bangandu villages, but which is next to/surrounding the village at Loupé, to administer as a community Forest.
Stage 1 has been completed for all adult Baka in the village of Banana.
Stage 2 has been discussed with the Police Commisar of Moloundou and the Delegue du Ministre de Culture de l'Est (M. Nyamsi) who could see no reason why this shouldn't take place. M. Nyamsi was asked if he could organise this as he knows the government official who would have to OK it. He says he will be going to the area to administer the funds that we shall have to send to him. We shall see.
For stage 3 to proceed a detailed map of the area needs to be drawn up. A volunteer with skills in this department needs to be found who can map the area and record all existing settlements in the area.
The Baka expressed willingness to accept help in developing their fields. Although the Baka are traditionally hunter-gatherers the community at Banana and Loupé are already growing bananas, cacao, maize and other plants on their own plantations. Since there is more pressure on land these days it is not possible for them to use traditional "slash and burn" methods of farming indefinitely without continually clearing more forest. Sound permaculture farming techniques could improve their standard of living and increase the productivity and biodiversity of areas of the forest where the large trees have already gone. The Baka said that they would welcome anyone who was willing to show them new farming techniques that would ensure long term, low cost productivity of the soil.
We are researching who might be able to help in this idea.
The Baka spoke about wanting to trade their chocolate direct with a European market, a "fair trade" outlet. We will persue possibilities of this through Traidcraft contacts.
The Baka wish to establish a basic health programme in the forest. A Baka who has knowledge of forest medicine will be trained in basic primary health care and will walk to the camps. This will overcome two major problems:
1. The Baka's dislike of being treated by sometimes insensitive non-Baka medical staff.
2 . Western medicine only being available in Moloundou (10km from Banana, which is itself a long walk from the camps).
The mission dispensary staff are willing to train a Baka as a 'barefoot doctor'. Pelembie, a Baka man from Banana is the obvious choice, as he has worked at the mission dispensary and had six months training in the hospital in Moloundou and knows forest medicine. He has agreed to be trained.
A small amount of money will be collected for treatments and will go towards the cost of drugs. The money will be accounted for by Pelembie and looked after by the oldest woman of the group. We will explore the possibilities of getting generic (much cheaper) drugs.
Possible future developments of the health programme would be to set up a secure building as a health centre in Banana where a microscope could be housed and childbirth could take place. Another long term possibility envisaged is to provide a scholarship for an able Baka student to go to medical college and then return to work in the forest. Aid for schools where Baka attend may be a necessary first step. Merely buying the school and course books could enable more Baka to be educated to a higher level.
Anyone interested in helping the Baka with any of these projects, or who has useful practical information to offer e-mail us on oneheart@baka.co.uk
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