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Pygmy Project
  Helping the Baka survive
Our goal is not to change the Baka culture. We are only preparing them for the inevitable change. And what better way than bringing the gospel which alone is able to bring positive and lasting change!

CAMEROON PYGMY PROJECT: A joint Project of BFLC and LWFC (Living Word Fellowship)

MAIN OBJECTIVE
* Bring the Gospel of Christ to this un reached people group.
* Bring sound Bible based teaching and training.
* Elevate their standard of living without bringing a false standard.

SPECIAL OBJECTIVES
* Provide elementary health facilities to the tribe by building and operating a health care unit and carrying out health education among the people.
* Build and operate a primary school where the children can learn to read and write.
* Provide at little cost clothing, farming tools, and other living facilities needed to improve their standards of living.
* Carry out evangelistic activities followed by spiritual edification of those who would believe.
* Create job opportunities for the Pygmies thereby introducing them to the industrial world.
* Create a mission station for missionaries and Bible school students on exchange programs.

The Bakas and Bayakas (otherwise known as Pygmies) are one of the most primitive and un reached tribal groups in Africa. They are found around the equatorial belt of many Central African States. In Cameroon, they are located in the forest zone, the Eastern province of the nation and are a nomadic group. Those who live in small settlements live in clusters of low huts, at most 2 meters high, with a small window serving as a door. These huts are made of sticks and leaves and are at the mercy of any fire accident, wind disaster, or wild animal. Though the surface area of most huts does not exceed 150 square feet, a large family (high birth rate) can conveniently squeeze in. Pygmies are spectacular dancers. Their meals are made up of tubers, wild nuts, fruits, and wild game. The young go around naked, the elderly protect their privacy with pieces of cloth, and only those exposed to the civilized non-pygmy population are able to enjoy the luxury of some clothing. They are involved deeply in sorcery, witchcraft and mysticism.
   Development Or Destruction?
The availability of timber has attracted both government and foreign corporations to this region. There is a lot of timber exploitation presently going on. Unfortunately, the Bakas are caught between development and destruction. Their way of life has been vastly affected and threatened by timber exploiters, interested only in their own gain, who come in the guise of development. However, when development comes ...the forest and the people are exploited, because when the timber is gone, so are the jobs.

For a few years BFL teams have been ministering to this whole people group, and by God’s grace we now have a church and have a pastor who also has a background in agricultural engineering stationed there. We have also purchased about ten acres of land. Using this land as our base we intend to reach out to this tribe and region with the transforming message of Christ, combining evangelism with social action. We are trusting the Lord to provide as we begin building the first mission station for missionaries with a building for multipurpose use.

Ryan Alex Frith visits a Baka house
Other Possible Projects include:
* Establishing agricultural projects that could create employment and enable the products harvested to be sold in and out of the country (this started last year with a tomato farm).
* Creating an elementary Bible school that would train local leaders with simple leadership skills.
* Encourage multipurpose missionary visits.


Project Summary

The Mission Station will provide:

* A mission station and base for BFL and others teams where outreaches can be launched to other parts of the region
* Rooms for team members to stay in
* A place where crops produced by the Bakas and Team can be stored for shipment to the city
* A meeting place

Bread for Life’s current administrative income is derived primarily from contributions to Ernest Ehabe, and from his occasional speaking engagements. This income varies from month to month. For the stability of Bread for Life's administration funding it is necessary that we develop other income sources.

This project will stabilize Bread For Life's Pygmy effort in 3 ways:

(1) BFL will not have to pay rent/motel anymore --- thus saving money . Teams usually stay in Betoua about three hours from Mbang, because of the harsh living conditions in the region.

(2) BFL and teams will have a greater sense of “ownership” of the ministry when a permanent base is established. We will have a permanent presence among those we are serving!

(3) BFL can generate additional income from: (a) renting out rooms to others passing through, and (b) BFL village teams will have adequate lodging/office space when staying at the base.

 

Our goal is not to change the Baka culture. We are only preparing them for the inevitable change. And what better way than bringing the gospel which alone is able to bring positive and lasting change!

©2001 Convergency Media Solutions Last updated October, 2003