Youth Day 2011

Cameroon has two major political holidays.  The biggest is National Independence Day on the 20^th of May and the second is Reunification Day on the 11^th of February.  The day is supposed to commemorate when the two Cameroons, the area in the Northwest that opted to join Nigeria after a UN-sponsored referendum and the rest of Cameroon, formed a centralized United Republic of Cameroon.  This unification was hotly contested by the citizens in the Northwest Region who believe that because of linguistic and cultural differences a true and fair union is not possible and they have become second-class citizens.  In an effort to prevent political dissension the 11^th of February has been reinvented to Youth Day and very little is mentioned about unification.  

On Youth Day all of the school children gather in various fields and stadiums across the country and march in their school uniforms past a panel of judges.  The judges determine which school’s children march and look the best.  After the march pass, the children have races and engage in traditional dances.  It’s a big day for the children as they practice for days their marching, songs, and dances before the actual day.  On the day of the event, they wake up very early to wash their uniform and look as neat as possible, which is not easy at this time of year as everywhere is covered with thick, red dust which worsens with each harmattan wind blowing through in the afternoon.     

This past Tuesday I decided that the best place to spend Youth Day would be in Bafut.  This was not an easy decision because transportation is unreliable and the roads to get from Kumbo to Bafut are terrible.  Going to Bafut for Youth Day would require me to leave Thursday afternoon for Bamenda, stay the night there, go to Bafut on Friday, return to Bamenda  Friday night, and come back to Kumbo on Saturday.   But I knew Eunice’s children would be marching in Bafut and like a true auntie, I braved the journey to see Lord, Babila, and Kate.  I also figured it would be a good opportunity to see everyone in Bafut again and tell them that I am now working in Kumbo.  Once I was there and saw the children proudly march past and then spend the afternoon with them I knew it was well worth the trip. 

Lord, Kate, and Babila before the March Pass

Kate holding the sign board for the Pre Nursery Class at Sacred Heart Preschool and Primary School.  I have no idea why the kids are wearing crowns made out of construction paper on their heads.

Babila in the middle, marching past

Kate playing with me after her march finished

All of that marching and playing makes Kate very tired and she fell asleep in my arms

This was from Youth Day in 2006 when Babila held the sign board for the Pre-Nursery Class.  Its been neat to go back to Bafut and see how the children have grown and changed after five years.