Commemorating World Heritage Day

An amazing experience on the first day of community activities for the celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites. Commemorative activities began at 9:00 a.m. with a visit to the CRTV radio regional station for the program "Yours and Mine." On this program, we spoke about the historical significance of World Heritage Day, telling the audience about its history and conception, and also the cultural significance of this day within our local context. We talked about the heritage sites within the northwest region of Cameroon, also giving them a rundown of the importance of protecting these sites and some of the activities that have been carried out to do so.

Next on our program was a visit to a series of heritage sites within the region with students from the University of Bamenda's Faculty of History and Archaeology. On this visit, we started at the German fort, where we showed students buildings over 112 years old, also showing them the graveyard on the fort where German and British soldiers were buried in Cameroon. Next up was a visit to Menteh village, a village that holds one of the most prestigious heritage sites within the region: the Menteh Waterfall.

Upon arrival at the village, we were taken to the house of the sub-chief, also known as "MOOH." At his house, he welcomed the entourage, giving us a brief history about the village, the festivals carried out there, and some historical practices. In a question-and-answer session, students were able to learn about the cultural significance of the Menteh waterfall and also some practices that were significant to the cultural values, such as the annual festivals where water is carried from the falls to the Fon of the villages to be used for the year. Next up was a visit to the site by the entourage, led by the MOOH and some elders of Menteh village.