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>> Ichoumba Village Project
My name is Jacky Essombe and I am originally from Cameroon. I grew up in Paris (from age 9) and I have been a permanent resident in Vancouver (Canada) since 2000, after nearly 2 years spent in London (England). I have been going back to my country on a regular basis to visit my family since I was a child (every one or two years). Here in Vancouver I promote my African culture as a dancer, storyteller, speaker, MC, etc., because I absolutely love so many aspects of that culture! But my education is a western one, therefore I am able to present it in such a way that it is more accessible to westerners who have an interest in the African culture. When I go back to my country, I can see the changes that have been happening over the years, especially in the villages. Each year I see a noticeable shift. As people embrace western values more and more, they do so at the expense of their own values and their true identity and they tend to reject their own traditions and culture (unless they can make money out of it!). In their desperate desire to be accepted by the western world, they fail to see that it can only happen when they remain truly authentic and show the best of themselves, rather than trying to fit in a model that someone else created for them. This is why I have this vision of creating the Ichoumba Village. I know the beauty of my culture, I know the pain of living without it, and I know that the western model does not have all the answers no matter how attractive it looks! I also know that both worlds can help transform each other for the better. This project is to be started in my own village in the East of Cameroon. Here is an outline of the project:
Ichoumba Village Project (IVP) What is it about? I would like to set up an entire village in my country in order to create a model where people are empowered to choose to live happily and harmoniously from the fruits of their own work, and where they are satisfied with their living conditions in such a way that they do not feel the need to go to the cities or abroad for economic reasons, or they would do so only if they consciously choose to. The village will be a statement of what is possible when we know who we are and we choose to be true to ourselves, and we are able to live our lives from a place of power rather than fear because of the pressure to fit into someone else’s model. I want to create a model that will show African people, Cameroonian people, and more specifically to the villagers that it is possible to live a fulfilling and satisfactory life in the village, a life that even Westerners would envy us, and therefore we do not need to resort to exile in the city or abroad in order to build proper living conditions. We can create a sustainable model using our own traditions and our own land and people. Western life and values are not necessarily suited for all people in the world, and it is important that we, African people, learn to create a model that truly represents who we are and what our values are, while allowing room for positive outside influences.
It all starts with my own personal experience of wanting to fit in at all cost and needing to be accepted by westerners, and seeing it manifest at the level of many African countries and especially in villages. As the pressure of “globalization” or “westernization” grows, the focus of most countries and therefore most people is set on economical development but it is often done at the expense of people’s lives, their culture, identity, values and true heart desires. We tend to forget to take care of each other in our pursuit of money and social status. The situation in my own village (Abong-Mbang) is a good example of what is happening in other villages, where young people either decide to go and live in cities as they do not see any value in the village life, or if they cannot make the move, they become bitter with their own lives, ashamed of their living conditions and of their status as “villagers” (a term which has become very negative and tends to designate a somewhat “primitive” state – all the while we forget that it is those same villagers that are feeding the rest of the country!). They tend to find their escape more and more in alcohol, they reject the traditional role of the elders and therefore create a vicious circle that simply leads to more dissatisfaction in regards to their lives. Meanwhile, those who live in the city dream about “a successful life in Europe / North America”, without really knowing what this means. There is the saying that the grass is always greener next door, but in the case of African people, many are literally willing to risk their lives because of the illusion and unchecked assumption of a better life in western countries, with no awareness of the real price they would have to pay in order to pretend that they live a “successful life”. Also, they seem not to realize that what they are truly after is a deeper sense of self worth and self esteem, which they wrongly believe they will find or get as a result of following the western model of material wealth accumulation and by becoming “westernized” in the way they live their life. In many African countries, the status of permanent resident in a western country becomes a symbol of one’s success, regardless of the actual living condition that people experience when they settle in those countries. As an example, a lot of people in Africa tend to use the term “real life” when they refer to life in western countries, but they have absolutely no idea of what this means!
The primary goal of the IVP will be to restore the villagers’ self esteem and help them appreciate the value of what they have to offer and what the village life stands for. By setting a successful example, people will start to feel more comfortable about their own way of life and build on that to grow, rather than trying to force western values that do not align with our traditional ways and tend to disrupt and negatively affect people’s lives. Why start in the village? Why not in the city? This is where are roots are. This is the land of our ancestors, and if we believe that they are around us, lovingly guiding us in our search for a happier life, we have to start in the place where we can better hear them and where we can more easily find ourselves again. We need to reconnect with our own African Soul.
In my opinion, we need to go back to and acknowledge the wisdom of our ancestors and their way of life. They passed down to us ageless truths that are too often betrayed nowadays in exchange for a couple of dollars. Even though we know from experience that those dollars do not bring the happiness or the peace of mind that we are looking for, we continue unconsciously to make choices that will ensure that we travel the same road of dissatisfaction and suffering. We tend to forget that we always have the choice to come back to our own authentic nature, and that we can choose to determine for ourselves what is important in life. This idea that life in a village is primitive, without any interest and unfulfilling is simply not true and the Ichoumba Village will help to bring out the best of the values, the goodness and the qualities of village life. Right now, those in some parts of Africa who would be tempted by a life in the village do not dare express their desire for fear of being tagged as “primitive”. Nobody wants to be called primitive! There are many people who currently live poor and unhappy in cities across Africa, and their lives could be better if they were to go back to their land in the village. But most of the time, this could hardly be an option for them! For many, the return to village life equals failure or social regression, unless they go back as retirees. Because of such misconceptions, they are not able to make the decisions that would truly help make their every day lives better.
When people are generally satisfied with their lives, fully aware of their own choices, the appeal of western life looses its power and they are therefore free to create the life that they themselves determine is suitable for them, instead of being driven by outside influences (which do not necessarily align with their true heart desires). The ultimate goal of the village is to give back to Cameroonians and Africans our dignity and the freedom to be proud of our history and our origins, aware of the REAL value of our own traditions and our way of life, and also aware of our TRUE contribution for the world, while maintaining our integrity and our cultural identity. It is to give ourselves our power back so that we KNOW that we do not have to become somebody else in order to be worthy, we can be exactly who we are and know that we are worthy of respect and love from the global community. To empower ourselves enough so that we know that we do not have to accept somebody else’s definition of Who We Are, but instead we can create and claim our own definition of Self.
Together, we can create a sustainable model that can be duplicated not only in other areas in Cameroon, but also elsewhere in Africa and even abroad. A story board was displayed at our very successful launch event on June 16th to outline the project in more details. We were able to raise $ 2,475 at the event plus various donations received by mail (after expenses for putting up the event). Thank you very much for your generosity! The money will be used to: · bring an offering to the villagers and open the dialogue in the respect of the tradition, · Register Ichoumba Village Project as a non-profit organization · open a bank account on behalf of the organization in Cameroon and here in Vancouver, · and any other expenses directly related to the start of the project in Cameroon (i.e. zoning, official paperwork, etc…). It is my hope that the villagers will agree to donate the piece of property (2,500 ha) in order to be a full partner of the project rather than simply recipient.
Also, I intend to organize for donations of clothing for children and other materials on a regular basis, and some of the money raised will be used to ship those clothes and any necessary equipment to Cameroon. More details about how you could contribute will be posted soon. This project is very dear to me, and I am and will continue to put all my energy to make it work. It is an ambitious project, but I know that with the help of all the beautiful angels that I have been blessed to meet since I have been in Canada, it will be a success. This is my own “giving back” commitment.
I am looking forward to having you join this exciting adventure where you can both give and receive so much back. Please check again soon as the website is currently being updated in order to properly present this project. Thank you. With love and blessings, Jacky Essombe
To make a donation: Please make cheques payable to Ichoumba Village Society and mail to: Ichoumba Village Project
192 West 47th avenue
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 2X9 We will soon be able to issue a tax receipt for your convenience. Thank you for your kind support. |
