SakerPride - "Telling the Saker Story & MORE"
The History of Saker Baptist College
1962 - Date
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Committed to Tracing, Piecing, weaving and unraveling
THE SAKER STORY
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN??
FROM THE GENESIS TO MODERN DAY!
FROM JANUARY 29 1962 TO DATE!
Dear Don and Ruth, Eunice, Roger, and Egbe,
Thank you for piecing together some of the history of Saker Baptist College. During the late 1950s and the early 1960s leading up to national independence, Cameroonian nationals and missionaries both were intensely interested in girls education in Cameroon, at a time when girls education was devalued and neglected. The Cameroon government offered monetary grants to mission organizations for the opening of needed secondary schools from international funds given to Cameroon at the time around independence in 1960-1961. The Cameroon Baptist Mission/Cameroon Baptist Convention chose to open a girls secondary school in Victoria (now Limbe). The Catholics chose to open a boys secondary school in Small Soppo. And the Presbyterians chose to open a boys secondary school along with the Baptists in Bali.
Land for the Baptist girls school in Victoria was partially granted by the local native authority and partially paid for from the grants. Influential Cameroonian Baptists including Ernest K. Martin and others from the area helped to acquire the land at minimal cost to the project. Part of the land finally acquired held a neglected cemetery so body remains and marker stones had to be transferred to another area before that part of the land could be developed. Missionary Ben Lawrence was made the project builder, contractor, and manager with help from Earl Arhens and the best carpenters, masons, and laborers available to the Cameroon Baptist Mission and Cameroon Baptist Convention. Decisions regarding architecture, site plan, budget, admissions, and staff all were decided by the Cameroon Baptist Mission field committee with representatives from the Cameroon Baptist Convention. I was the Field Secretary/Field Treasurer for the Cameroon Baptist Mission from 1960-1964 when the college was planned, constructed, and opened.
Eunice Kern has given an excellent account of early staff for the college. She and others who were on the scene early in the school's history can give the clearest commentary. Berneice Westerman, the first principal, is now living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and should be contacted for her perspective.
Cordially yours,
Fred
** I did contact Miss Westerman. See her Preliminary & Full responses further down, on this page **
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS!!
I just got home from church and found your emails...
You will notice in my email to you, cc to Egbe and the Witts, your order of principals and tutors is the same as mine. The booklet "Now we are 88" was written when Saker College was in its infancy. When Wilma and I along with 6 other "Short Term Missionaries" as we were referred to met in Chicago the middle of August 1965 for our Orientation before departing for Cameroon I held a copy of that booklet in my hand.
In the early years of missionary work in Cameroon, missionaries were moved around a lot. I was asked to go to Soppo (Teacher Training School) I had been at Saker about one year. Guess what, I declined the request. That decline was not accepted very well, but thankfully all 15 years were at Saker.- 1965-1980. The reason for such moves was to fill vacancies, because of illness, or people going on leave. Thus, when Saker opened its doors they needed help..(Roger, one thing I think you are not aware of and that is that Saker did not begin its first classes in September but January of 1962. (That in itself is another part of the story. Ask someone from the Senior Class). But – Berneice Westerman was the first Principal. Geraldine Glassnapp, a nurse by trade, was transferred from Mbem, Banso, Belo; was the school nurse, besides doing some teaching. When Berneice went home on furlough, Esther Schultz became Acting Principal (one year). When Ruby Salzman returned from furlough in August of 1965 she became principal. Esther Schultz retired and returned to the US. Laura Reddig entered the picture when she developed some heart problems because of overwork at Mbingo. She was transferred to Saker where she became the school nurse, did some teaching and later assumed the responsibility of Bursar. Tina Schmidt, was also transferred to Saker.. I believe she did some of Cookery (Home Economics) teaching, perhaps some Bible. I taught Bible in Form Four and Five my entire time at Saker, and after Don left I carried on with the music program as well as directing Christmas programs and then the Easter Pageant which was presented outside. When Don and Ruth Witt arrived in 1966, there were a number of Volunteer tutors on Staff. On staff during the early years were volunteers from US Peace Corp, French Volunteers, Miss Renae Saive being one of them. Then in 1966 there was this dashing young volunteer who came from Great Britain, Roger Hand. He remained at Saker until he found his wife , Carol McGee and then they both left. (Roger, you might be interested to know that George Henderson passed away several years ago). Wilma assumed Vice Principal duties at the beginning of the 1965-66 term.
As for the change of name; yes it did happen. When I arrived at Saker in 1965, my official documents all said I was a tutor at Saker Baptist College. All the changes had taken place by then.
Don and Ruth Witt were at Saker for 3 years. Besides being Principal, Don taught Chemistry, and Ruth (I am sorry, Ruth, I forgot what you taught - you will have to fill us in.) Although Alma Henderson had done some teaching of music - mostly singing, it was Don who really got the Saker girls love of singing going. He helped to select and train the choir that eventually toured Canada and the United States. At Saker he directed a student choir which performed for the public at Christmas time and then for two years such a choir toured within Cameroon. I had the privilege of assisting. (My job was to transpose staff notation into solfas - very easy to make mistakes) The first year we visited colleges in West Cameroon. The girls traveled in the back of a lorry, sitting on planks that rested on the side racks of the lorry. We came to a place on the road where someone had dug a trench ,and then instead of refilling it with ground they put grass into this trench. When the driver drove over this grass, the girls had a big bounce and coming back down they broke the board they were sitting on. I don't remember what we did so that the girls had a place to sit, because we were a long ways from Mamfe. (Don, do you remember your violin falling apart in Mamfe - It was so hot, it had completely dried out. I don't remember where you got some glue to put it back together, but the repair job was good enough so that you could use the violin for the next concert.)
The following year our tour took us over to Douala, Yaounde and back into the grassland area of West Cameroon. But for this tour we had the best of transportation. We were able to charter a large bus. When traveling across Ndop Plain, the women sitting alongside the road selling their produce could't believe what they were seeing- they had never seen anything that large. By the way, the staff traveled in the Land Rover.
I look back at those choir tours with fond memories. Because Saker was so new, education for young girls was not that popular in some areas, but because singing is something that Cameroonians love to do; it was an excellent way to create interest - if not in the minds of parents, but certainly in the minds of young girls. Just recently, a Saker graduate told me that a friend of hers said: "I don't know why my father sent me to that other school? I wanted to go to Saker and sing."
I have done a lot of reminiscing over the last few weeks. Many, many memories. Eunice
P.S. I had noticed the errors in Wikepedia. I mentioned it to Yolanda (Nokuri) Hegngi, and she inturn told someone who contributes info.
That is when the change took place.
Good to hear from you Eunice,
I showed your birthday photo to the 85 Sakerettes at the EXSSA-UK meeting in Coventry last Saturday, and I gave them your best wishes. They were delighted to hear from you, and there was a 'Kern' table in your honour. There were 85 Sakerettes present, plus some husbands, children, etc. You may have seen my photos in a Picasa Album kindly posted by Egbe.
Chronological list of Principals
I received a letter of welcome from Ruby Salzman that was sent in August 66 -she was clearly Principal at that time. When I arrived in mid September 66 I was met at the airport by Don Witt, who was the Principal. His dates were 66 - 69, of that I'm sure.
Wikepedia would now appear to now have the Principals correct - its entry has recently been corrected, and updated with the addition of Karen Lyonga.
Principals:
•
1962 - Miss Bernice Westerman (followed by Miss Geraldine Glassnapp as Acting Principal, succeeded by Miss Esther Schultz,and then by Miss. Ruby Saalzman)
1962 - Miss Bernice Westerman (followed by Miss Geraldine Glassnapp as Acting Principal, succeeded by Miss Esther Schultz,and then by Miss. Ruby Saalzman)•1966 - 1969 Mr. Donald Witt
1966 - 1969 Mr. Donald Witt•1969 - 1972 Dr. Norman Haupt
1969 - 1972 Dr. Norman Haupt•1972 - 1991 Mr. William Nso Tayui
1972 - 1991 Mr. William Nso Tayui•1992 - 1998 Mr Tetevi Bodylawson
1992 - 1998 Mr Tetevi Bodylawson•1999 - 2009 Mr. Paul Luma Haddison
1999 - 2009 Mr. Paul Luma Haddison•2010 - To date Mrs. Karen Lyonga
2010 - To date Mrs. Karen LyongaVice principals:
•Mrs Wilma Binder
Mrs Wilma Binder•Miss Jabea
Miss Jabea•Mrs. Karen Lyonga/Mr. Festus Takoh
Mrs. Karen Lyonga/Mr. Festus Takoh•Mr Karngong
Mr KarngongIn retrospect it does seem strange that the school started with a succession of short-term appointments - 4 Principals in 4 years is not ideal! Nevertheless they clearly did a first class job between them in getting the Pioneer group right through to graduation and the college off to a good start.
The early names of Saker
The article on Trip Advisor (what an unlikely place to find such an article!) states:
At its inception, the school was known as the Baptist Girls Secondary School, followed by the Cameroon Christian College, and was eventually renamed Saker Baptist College in the late 1960s in honor of Alfred Saker, the first Baptist missionary to Cameroon.
I note that the article was posted in October last but the author is not named. I wonder whether it was Irene Tamajong as this was what she read out at Coventry.
My point is that I never knew the school had any other name than Saker, and I never heard mention of any other name during my 2 years at Saker. Not only was it called SBC when I arrived, but it was referred to as SBC in the letter several months earlier to me from International Voluntary Service telling me where I was being assigned.
Carol has a publication 'Now we are 88 - The Mission story across the years'. At the foot of the inside front cover is '1500 6-64 - PRINTED IN U.S.A'. i
From: Eunice Kern
Subject: Saker History
To: "Egbe Monjimbo"
Cc: "Hand, Roger, Carol"
Date: Saturday, 31 March, 2012, 2:34
Egbe, I read Mr. Hand's letter to you with great interest. I think I can answer some of his history questions. (You will note that I have Cc him.
1. When did Miss Salzman take over the position of principal?
The order is this way I believe. Miss Westerman was first. Then when she went on leave, Miss Glassnapp assumed the responsibity of acting principal.(I don't know for how long.) When Miss Binder and I arrived at Saker in August of 1965, Miss Esther Schultz was acting principal. Soon after we arrived Miss Schultz retired from missionary service and returned to the US and that is when Miss Salzman took over - September of 1965 and she continued in that position until Mr. Witt arrived - not sure just when - I think he took over that position in September of 1967. I believe the Witt's were at Saker for three years and then returned to the US when Dr. Norman Haupt became the principal. (If you contact the Witt's they can give you the exact details.
2. In regards to Kate Nyajro's accidental drowning. I was at the beach when it happened. (Roger, were you there as well?) Following the accident, Mr. E.K. Martin, the then Cameroon Baptist Convention Education Secretary was informed (of course the students returned home, very shaken). Mr. Witt was the principal and he was at the compound, because he and Mr. Martin scoured the beach for several days, hoping to find her body. Eventually they found what was left of her remains.Mr. Martin believed that the undertoe took her body into what is believed to be a stream in the shallow waters that flows toward the beach, because that is where they found her remains. If my memory is correct, Mr. Martin kept going back to that area feeling that is where they would find her. ( He obviously knew the area.)
3. As for the name - yes it changed several times. Check out this address www.tripadvisor.com/ and you will find an article entitled:
"History of Saker Baptist College". This article spells it out very well.
Have a good evening and week-end.
Eunice
Sorry about that - I really must train this wayward laptop to do as it is told, and not to suddenly take it into its own head to 'Send' an email whenever it feels like!
To continue where I left off regarding the North American Baptist General Conference publication 'Now we are 88'. Eunice you might well have a copy! It lists all the NABM missionaries, devoting a page to the life story and witness of each - it makes fascinating reading.
The articles were clearly written at different times. Going right through the book, the latest specific date mentioned was 19 Sept 1963 (the date Richard and Frances Mayforth sailed for Kobe, Japan). The very latest reference is that "At the 1964 sessions of the Board of Missions he (Oryn Meinerts) was appointed as a missionary to West Cameroon and for the time being he was given preference as to placement at Ndu Baptist College" (i.e. at the time of writing Oryn had not yet gone out to Cameroon). Elsewhere references are to Board meetings taking place in April. I find no evidence of any of the articles having been written after April1964, supporting my interpretation of 6.64 (mentioned previously) as being the likely publication date. . Thus the name Saker Baptist College dates back no later than mid 1964, and possibly earlier. Hence earlier names for the school lasted at most 2 years.
As soon as I have sent this email to you, I will email Dr Belinda (Dora) Ekiko of the Pioneer class to ask about her recollections.
Taking the early Principals and Acting Principals in chronological order here are some quotes, with added info for interest:
Berneice Westerman
Born 7 April 1924 and sailed for Cameroon in Dec 1949.
"When she returned from her last furlough she took over the responsibilities as principal of the Ndu Teacher Training College where she is doing a commendable work." [Note the "is doing" - no mention of being Principal of the august SBC!]
Geraldine Glassnapp
Born 12 March 1931 and left N.Y. for Cameroon on 26 June 1956.
Her backgropund was in nursing. "... she has served faithfully and joyfully at Mbem, at Belo and at Banso." [Note that there is no mention of Victoria or Saker.]
Esther Schultz
Born 29 Jan 1912 - she would have been 50 on the day Saker was founded, and 100 at the Jubilee! First arrived in Cameroon in 1947.
She " began her influential ministry as manager of the Soppo schools and later as supervisor of schools for the entire Cameroons Baptist Mission." Subsequently she taught "the children of our missionaries' families" in Banso". "Presently, she is stationed in Victoria at the Saker Baptist College where she is making an important contribution to the young African leaders of tomorrow." [No mention of being (Acting) Principal however]
Ruby Salzman
Born 11 Nov 1910. .
Several months after arriving in the Cameroons in 1946 "she was put in charge of mission schools at Ndu and later at Belo. She has also served in Soppo, Bamenda and Victoria, where she is stationed at the present time." [Note, no mention of being Acting Principal].
Significant quotes re 6 people who served at SBC in my time:
Laura Reddig
Born 21 Oct 1912. First sailed for Cameroon in Oct 1938.
Nursing background and, starting 1952, worked "among the patients who have leprosy." Many facets to her ministry including teacher, station manager, supervisor of schools. Described as "the last of the great pioneers" in the Cameroons, by Paul Gebauer. [No specific reference to Victoria or SBC].
Ernistina Schmidt
Born 10 Sept 1918. Sailed for Cameroon Sept 52. "...she managed the mission schools of Ndu and Soppo ..." "At the present time she is on the teaching staff of the Saker Baptist College in Victoria."
Donald and Ruth Witt
Don born 6 May 1930, Ruth born 23 June 1938. Married 1957. [Note they celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2007 by taking a trip to the UK, when Carol and I met them at the hotel the party were staying in at Chester. Don was Best Man at our wedding in 68]
Don has a degree in Chemistry. "Because of his profession, it was difficult to
find an open door in many of the mission boards. Rev. George W. Lang challenged him with the need for a missionary teacher at the Cameroons Protestant College at Bali." [Note that once again there is no reference to Victoria or SBC]
George and Alma Henderson
George born 6 Dec 1918 in Alabama; Alma born 19 March 1920 in Wisconsin. Both studied at Toccoa Falls, Alma graduating from the Missionary Flying School!!!
They sailed for Cameroon in1947, and worked in evangelism in Victoria on their first tour of duty. Their second tour took them to Kumba. "They will be returning soon to take up their work in Victoria where they will continue to witness for Christ." [Personal note: George is one of the most loving and inspirational people I have ever met]
As regards the archives, I see no conflict. After careful selection of material as many things as possible need scanning and placing on the internet so that all have access to them. It is also important to archive original historical documents and artefacts, where they can be referred to by future historians (e.g. of education in Africa).
Hope that you are having a relaxing day.
Roger
FROM MISS EUNICE KERN, TUTOR
FROM Mr. FRED FOLKERTS,
Field Secretary/Field Treasurer for the Cameroon Baptist Mission, (CBM), from 1960 -1964
FROM Mr. ROGER HAND, TUTOR
PRINCIPALS OF S.B.C. (1962 - DATE)
The 1968 Visit to Saker Baptist College,
of Honorable Z.Mongo So'o,
Cameroon's Minister of Education, Youth and Culture.
The "BASIC" Facts about Saker Baptist College, Limbe are not that hard to come by. You could do a websearch and have Wikipedia "educate" you, or just ask any informed Cameroonian. In fact, just a cursory glance at our Alma Mater's Anthem, (available on this Website's MUSIC page), would provide you with a pretty decent sketch. You'd easily find out that:
- Saker Baptist College is an all-girls secondary school located in Limbe, Cameroon.
- It was founded in 1962 as one of the first two secondary schools for girls in Cameroon. (The other one being Queen of the Rosary College (QRC) Okoyong)
- Its Pioneer class of 36 students arrived on January 29, 1962.
- The school has grown to almost a thousand students.
- It now has 2 cycles: A 5 year Secondary Education Cycle, and a 2 Year High School Cycle
What is NOT so easy to lay hands on however, are FIRSTHAND, EYE-WITNESS, "BREATHING" ACCOUNTS which, in and of themselves, are AUTHENTIC, and therefore CREDIBLE accounts which shed light on how things unfolded and evolved, not to talk of actual PICTURES that are really "worth a thousand words", because they "SPEAK" loudly and eloquently, for themselves.
This page therefore contains the UNEDITED narrative of people who saw it all unfold before their very eyes. As for the pictures they took and painstakingly preserved ALL these years, (5 Decades), - like the two above, and even the ones that show what "VICTORIA" looked like before it became "LIMBE", they have been scanned and uploaded onto several Web Albums which are available in the GALLERY section of this website. I will, most certainly, be adding material to both pages, in the days and months ahead!
I hope you will be as thrilled as I was, to read and see HOW IT ALL STARTED ...
From: Bee
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 10:20 PM
To: Egbe Monjimbo
Subject: Saker History
I have been very happy to find some one who wants the real story of the opening of Saker. God has given me a good memory and I will dig out the letters I wrote home to my family during that time. Both will give me an accurate accounting of the events as they happened.
I have looked at some of the material on the internet and find some errors that did not happen. I do hope the persons who thought they were correct will be able to correct the material and have the story as it happened.
Miss Kern was the House Mother and the person who produced all those lovely Christmas and Easter Programs but was not the Principal.
Don Witt took the first singing group overseas to sing but was not there to begin the Music. That honor goes to Mrs. Marg Lawerence. I will include how Music became the vital part of Saker from the very beginning.
When do you expect the material? I do hope that you will not expect it too quickly because I want to do a good job of the story. Can I include some of the things that happened that made it a very challenging task?
While you wait for the story, ask God to help me remember accurately so we can all see what God has done in our lives.
Part of my delay in this reply time is because I celebrated my 88th birthday and I am still working 4 afternoons every week as Archivist of our Baptist Conference by doing research for people and churches who want to know the History of their families and churches.
I will be glad to have you suggest which areas of Saker’s History you want included in the story. Thank you for the pictures you included in your information that you sent to me.
With Gratitude, Ma Bee Westerman
(A former student told me by e mail that my name is still on one of the Saker dormitories.)
À SUIVRE … TO BE CONTINUED!!
Miss Berneice WESTERMAN
January 1962 - December 1962
Miss Geraldine GLASENAPP
January 1963 - August 1963
Miss Esther SCHULTZ
1963 - August 1965
Miss Ruby SALZMAN
August 1965 - July 1966
Mr. Donald WITT
July 1966 - June 1969
Dr. W. Norman HAUPT
July 1969 - June 1972
Mr. William Nso TAYUI
July 1972 - June 1992
Mr. Tetevi BODYLAWSON
July 1992 - June 1998
Mr. Paul Luma HADDISON
July 1998 - June 2010
Mrs. Karen LYONGA
July 2010 - 2012
Ms Stella MATUKE
July 2012 - July 2016
Mr. Wilfred Ghawi SHOMSI
July 2016 - DATE
TRIBUTES!
TO S.B.C. STAFF
TO MISS EUNICE KERN
From: Egbe Monjimbo
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 3:39 AM
To: 'ExSSA_USA'
Subject: E NO GO SURELY GO EMPTY HAND OH!!! (TRIBUTE TO MISS KERN)
My Dear Sakerette Sisters!
I am positive that I am NOT the only one who finds some hymns and choruses a little difficult to sing because of their guilt-generating lyrics:
-“ALL to Jesus I Surrender”? For woosai?! Say if God cam ask me, like he asked Abraham, to sacrifice my son, ah go ‘gree?
“ALL to Jesus I Surrender”? For woosai?! Say if God cam ask me, like he asked Abraham, to sacrifice my son, ah go ‘gree?-“ Master, Speak Thy Servant Heareth”? For where?! For me, most of the time it is “LORD, LISTEN! THY SERVANT SPEAKETH” instead oh! – Gimme dis one, Gimme da one!!
“ Master, Speak Thy Servant Heareth”? For where?! For me, most of the time it is “LORD, LISTEN! THY SERVANT SPEAKETH” instead oh! – Gimme dis one, Gimme da one!!-“Follow, Follow, I Will Follow Jesus; ANYWHERE? WHEREVER? For real, Mammie?!! “Bu pè, Bu pè, Ah ma bu pè YESU” true-true? Before why mah mbondo stop for chair when people were standing up and volunteering to go to The Ukraine last “Szrondi” (Sunday) at my Church?
“Follow, Follow, I Will Follow Jesus; ANYWHERE? WHEREVER? For real, Mammie?!! “Bu pè, Bu pè, Ah ma bu pè YESU” true-true? Before why mah mbondo stop for chair when people were standing up and volunteering to go to The Ukraine last “Szrondi” (Sunday) at my Church?For me, who has only learned in the last decade to progressively come out of my “Shell” or “Comfort Zone” (hence the tons of “Dis pikin wey e be quiet so for Saker?” I got used to hearing at the beginning), the most challenging of songs is Charles Luther’s “MUST I GO, AND EMPTY HANDED”! Here’s the history of the song:
Luther heard Rev. A. G. Up¬ham tell the story of a young man who was about to die. He’d only been a Christian for a month, and was sad because he’d had so little time to serve the Lord. He said, “I am not afraid to die; Jesus saves me now. But must I go empty handed?” This incident prompted the writing of the song; Stebbins wrote the music when Luther gave him the words.
Here are the first verse and refrain of the hymn:
“Must I go, and empty handed,”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?
Refrain
“Must I go, and empty handed?”
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?
One person, My Dear Sisters, who can honestly and whole heartedly sing this song with absolutely NO guilt, is a woman who gave up starting and building a family of her own, left the comfort of her North American home in the mid sixties, headed to Victoria, and proceeded to MINISTER – Year, after Painstaking Year, to her adopted daughters, THROUGH MUSIC & THEATRE!!! None of these “daughters”, not even those who never had the privilege of meeting her, can deny the POSITIVE IMPACT those “Dining Hall Songs" she taught us have had on their lives. Here’s an excerpt from an email one of my class of ’81 Sisters posted on our Class e-group just last week:
You know the song I have been singing since my brother died?
“I know who holds the future, and I know He holds my hand, with God things don't just happen, everything by Him is Planned...”
What song did my sisters and I sing at my Dad’s funeral all deh way in Besongabang last August? “Day by Day and with each passing moment”.
Where did we all learn these songs? IN THE DINING HALL! Under whose tutelage? MISS KERN’S!!!
I got “re-connected” with this AMAZING, now 80 year old Servant of God just before the Golden Jubilee, because of the Picture Tribute to S.B.C.’s Staff that I put together, which someone forwarded to her. I feel compelled, in fact, I think it is my DUTY and OBLIGATION, to share the correspondence I have copied and pasted below with you all, because I consider Miss Kern’s response, (further below), a VITAL and INTEGRAL part of S.B.C’s MUSICAL & THEATRE HISTORY that deserves to be DOCUMENTED, ARCHIVED and PRESERVED for Posterity!
From: Egbe Monjimbo
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 1:49 AM
Subject: THANK YOU, MISS KERN!
Dear Miss Kern,
It is 2 a.m. out here in Charlotte, North Carolina, so I know you must be fast asleep, and will only see this when you wake up but I just felt like I needed to say this right now before I go back to bed.
My bedside Radio is permanently tuned to a station called BBN (Bible Broadcasting Network). They broadcast the most BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONAL hymns and songs which I know only too well from my Saker Dining Hall, Morning Devotions Days, because YOU, MISS KERN, taught them to us! Then, what I enjoyed most , was the melody; Now, what means so much more to me are those WONDERFUL lyrics. Throughout the year, my ears and soul are blessed with:
- Someday when this earth has run the course that God intended … Jesus is Coming, though we know not when …
- Troublesome Times are here; Filling men’s hearts with fear …
- Once my way was dark and dreary … I can never tell how much I love Him …
AND I CAN SING ALL 3, 4, 5 verses of these hymns and songs BY HEART! WHY? BECAUSE YOU TRAINED US THAT WAY!!!!
AMAZINGLY though, in my mind’s eye, as I sing along, I still see the LONG BLUE SONG BOOK and the SHORT PINK SONG BOOK that YOU typed and compiled yourself, complete with the solfa notes, and the FALLING-TO-PIECES Hymn Book that had piano scores in it!!!
As I was drifting off to sleep, BBN began to play “THERE’S A WONDER OF SUNSET AT EVENING, THE WONDER AS SUNRISE I SEE … OH, THE WONDER OF IT ALL”!! I hadn’t heard this particular song in AGES!!!! I sat straight back up, sang the entire song along with the broadcast, and then headed straight to this computer to just THANK YOU for your ASTOUNDING MINISTRY THROUGH MUSIC!!! It has uplifted, consoled, admonished, reassured and just plain BLESSED me - and so many of your other SAKER DAUGHTERS, over the years!
Having said ALL that, I can now creep back into bed and get a few more hours sleep before I head out for another day’s work, teaching French at Mallard Creek High School!
GOD BLESS YOU MA’AM!!!
Egbe
P.S. Attached is a page from the THANK YOU SAKER Magazine that should let you know that I am NOT the only one that’s grateful for the work you did. It certainly was NOT in vain!
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
From: Eunice Kern
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 12:34 PM
To: Egbe Monjimbo
Subject: Re: THANK YOU, MISS KERN!
Egbe:
It is 9:30 am. I've been up for about an hour. I like to sleep in in the morning. I am what some would call "A night Owl." During the day I do what has to be done, but in the evening and into late at night, I can find all kinds of things to do, and as a result I stay up late. I think you and I would get on quite well when I see the times you write your emails.
Thank you for your words and comments in your last e-mail. You have no idea how much I enjoyed teaching the songs you girls learned. When I first arrived at Saker, I knew nothing about Solfas. I had always known only Staff notation. It was Mrs. George Henderson (her picture appears in the Staff Tributes section) who showed and taught me how to transpose notes to solfas. It was a lot of work - the most was the typing and to make sure that I hit the correct type writer key. But - I ENJOYED IT ALL, and today when I hear Saker girls sing I get goose bumps and it brings tears to my eyes - all the time and work it took is forgotten. I too remember both the blue and pink books. The Pink one came first. When everything had been typed which I did myself and the typing was done on what was called Mimeograph sheets. Then I took these sheets to the office and either Bate or Monono would run them off on the machine. I think sometimes the Principal and Miss Binder thought it was using too much paper - I did have the Principals permission to do this. Then when all the mimeographing was done, the pages had to be assembled. The pages were spread out in stacks beginning with the cover to the last page - now you remember how thick the books were - that was the thickness of each pile and if each would in the end have 50 pages that is how many piles there were. So the girls would go round and round and round the table making sure the pages were in correct order - until every page was picked up; front cover and back cover included. Now the piles were too thick to be stapled with an ordinary stapler - so they were taken to a printing press in downtown (Victoria) Limbe, and they stapled them and also put a binding on them. Quite a process. Today it would be done quite differently. Although the typing would be done on a computer keyboard - I don't think there would be a solfa (spell checker) -probably would have to be done by reading each page. Yes, it was a lot of work, but so rewarding!!!!!!!! I wonder if any of those books are still around, or have they gotten new owners? By any chance did you help to assemble the blue book? Or was the book already there when you arrived at Saker?
When I read your email and you were thinking back I was also reminded of the number of trips I made to Christian Bookstores looking for suitable music that I could use. I also remembered how I searched for plays that someone else had written but that would be suitable for use at Saker. Now the Easter Play - the one done outside - I wrote that myself. Before I went to Cameroon - when I was in Bible College, I had the opportunity to assist in directing something like that but on a much smaller scale. I also had opportunity to attend a presentation of a miniature Passion Play. ( Have you heard of the one that is presented in Lead, South Dakota? That is near where you find the rock monuments of the presidents. Also the Passion Play is presented in oberammergau, Switzerland. In any case, I had read and was somewhat familiar with this idea, BUT, one Christmas after a Missionary Conference that always took place in Bamenda, I had the opportunity to go and visit some of my fellow missionaries who were working in Mbem, if you know where that is. It's like the end of the world in Cameroon - right on the border between Cameroon and Nigeria in northeastern Cameroon (I think). In any case, while I was visiting there, the idea for doing this kind of a presentation was born. When I came back to Saker, I spoke to the Principal about it - he agreed and I went to my house - in between all my other responsibilities, and began to write. Now, if you remember, all of the spoken parts were direct Scripture passages. I used passages from all the gospels - the idea being to make the story complete.
But the beginning started with the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. (You know I haven't thought about this for a long time, and reminiscing like this is good for me too). The writing did not take that long - it was the selecting of the characters - choosing people whose personalities fit the part. Somewhere in all that has been written for the Jubilee Celebrations, someone tried to remember who characterized some of the parts, and one of those, is the part of Jesus - I will never forget who that was - it was Anna Bonde. I don't know if you were at school when she was there. But she fit it very well.
All of this thinking back is great and good. I am grateful to God to have been given the ability and talent to have had the opportunity. Yes it was work - the many hours of practice - frustrating sometimes, the sewing of all the costumes, working with Mr. Bawe - who did the preparing of the different stages and putting up the lights, etc., but I know he enjoyed it immensely. There is one thing I will never forget and that is - The girls in the play had a difficult time understanding why they were not talking, and everything was being read by a narrator. And it wasn't really until Dress Rehearsal night when they were in full costume and the choir did their part and we even had a few people making up a small audience, that it all came together for them. There is one student who did a lot of work and did a great job, and I referred to her as the stage director. She made sure that everyone was in the right place at the right time, because I was busy directing the choir - BUT I can't remember who she was.
Well enough reminiscing. I must get going. I have to go to the store. Hope you don't mind my rambling, but I think that is good sometimes and these last few weeks have caused that to happen.
Talk again soon. Love you – Eunice
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Just as the Scriptures promise, God's Word does not return void. Lives were changed by this THEATRE Presentations; Souls were and still are being saved through the MUSIC. My Dear Sisters, as we continue to sing those songs of faith, we share the Gospel with others, and grow in our own faith, and that is something we will always cherish, and be grateful for!
Would like to end by dedicating this touching song to Miss KERN, and to ALL the others who, through their sacrificial service, invested in us! IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT IN VAIN!!!
http://youtu.be/UFrdJ2V3r7Y (THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE LORD by Ray Boltz)
Egbe Mbiwan Monjimbo (Class of ’81)
From: Egbe Monjimbo
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 4:43 PM
To: 'ExSSA_USA'
Subject: THE WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS - A PICTURE TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF OF S.B.C. ACROSS THE YEARS!
HAPPY GOLDEN JUBILEE/FOUNDERS’ DAY TO YOU ALL, MY DEAR SISTERS!!!
It is with a whole lot of GRATITUDE to GOD that I share this with you, to mark the 50th Birthday of “THE SCHOOL BY THE SEA” that binds us all together. I so THANK GOD ALMIGHTY for answering the prayer of THAT (OR THOSE) PERSON(S) who prayed our alma mater into existence. If their prayer was that God should help them start a school that would raise SUCCESSFUL, WELL-ADJUSTED, and GOD-FEARING WOMEN who would, TOGETHER, “BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE THEY ARE”, their prayer has, so obviously and glaringly, been answered a thousand fold!
I am not privy to the thoughts or mindset of the Sakerette who came up with the lyrics of our Anthem either, but it seems to me that the following line:
“With the help of our tutors we’ll thrive, and the battle will be won”
expresses her hope, her optimism, her confidence, in fact, her STRONG BELIEF in the future success of Sakerettes, based on the strength of their teachers’ invaluable support!
Because Saker Baptist College is now 50 years old and majority of its ex-students only lived within its walls for 5 years or less, it stands to reason that many of them would just NOT know the INCREDIBLE Ladies and Gentlemen who gave their blood, toil, tears and sweat to get the school the reputation that we all benefit from today. Go ANYWHERE within Cameroonian circles and say you are a Sakerette and what happens? Immediately, Instantly, heads turn, the bar is set high, and they EXPECT a certain kind of behavior, demeanor and even language from you! Our EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESSES & EXPLOITS as GOD-FEARING INTELLECTUALS, MUSICIANS/SINGERS, ENTREPRENEURS, HOMEMAKERS, POLITICIANS, etc., are certainly not a stroke of luck or a chance happening. They are due, in no small part, to the SELFLESSNESS, DEDICATION & SACRIFICE of many Men and Women whose common and singular purpose it was to help mould, shape and raise girls who would, with God’s help, turn out to make a difference in the world around them, making sure to leave it a far better place than they met it.
My intention, therefore, in putting this PICTURE TRIBUTE together is twofold: To simply
-Help Document/Archive our Alma Mater’s History, and most especially,
Help Document/Archive our Alma Mater’s History, and most especially,-Recognize, Salute, and Thank all the valiant Men and Women who played a role in making us the well-adjusted, successful and influential group of women we have turned out to be!
Recognize, Salute, and Thank all the valiant Men and Women who played a role in making us the well-adjusted, successful and influential group of women we have turned out to be!I was, obviously, inspired by the Golden Jubilee to undertake this “task” but it did not take me long to realize that it would take way more than the 4 days it has taken me so far, to put together, much less keep such an endeavor going. The pictures may be few, but each one really filled me with an incredible sense of awe and appreciation, especially when I consider how young some of the teachers and Principals were! Just seeing the faces of a good number of the individuals whose names were given to the dormitories we lived in, was, in and of itself, very gratifying. I hope everyone not just learns something from looking at the collection and reading the captions, but resolves to help – in one way or the other, TO KEEP THE LEGACY OF THESE TUTORS GOING STRONG. Contributing pictures and providing accurate information would be a GREAT start, so that, what we are able to collect and document can be archived for posterity. DO EMAIL ME WITH ANY ADDITIONAL PICTURES & NAMES OF S.B.C STAFF, (corrections also), so this album can be more complete and accurate!
To the staff and tutors themselves I say:
You may not have lived or be living a life gilded with wealth and ease this side of the Jordan, BUT “GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN”!
WE THANK YOU!
And to our Dear SAKER BAPTIST COLLEGE, it’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and MANY, MANY, MORE FRUITFUL YEARS!!
Special THANKS to Sister JANET MBOTI NGONGI (COMRADE CLASS OF ’67) who not only contributed some of the most PRICELESS pictures in this ALBUM, but fed my very soul with the names and stories behind them. It was a 2hr and 15 minute conversation like no other!
LONG LIVE SAKER, and SAFE TRAVELS to all returning to their respective homes after THE TOTAL JAM-PACKED BLAST that took place in LIMBE over the last 4 days!
NOW, CLICK, LEARN & ENJOY! (**Album available for viewing on "GALLERY" Page**)
God bless,
EGBE MBIWAN MONJIMBO
TO MR. WILLIAM NSO TAYUI
"BABA"
Mr. William Nso Tayui will certainly always be remembered as the first Black Principal of Saker Baptist College, as well as the longest-serving. He took over as principal of SBC from Dr. Norman Haupt in 1972, and served in that capacity for 20 solid years, before retiring from active service. When he passed away, he left behind a wife, two sons, a (Class of ’81 Ex-Sakerette) daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren, no doubt, but also a throng of very grateful former colleagues, staff members and students, to mourn his demise.
That is what the official records and documents would state – and rightly so. However, what we, “SAKER GIRLS”, remember about the man we all fondly called “BABA” goes well beyond that cut and dried nutshell.
JUST MENTION THE NAME “BABA” and
-I hear his voice calling out in his far-from-perfect but endearing French: “BON APPÉTIT!” as he leaves the Dining Hall after morning Devotions, or “BONNE CHANCE” if Midterm or Final Exams are going on!
I hear his voice calling out in his far-from-perfect but endearing French: “BON APPÉTIT!” as he leaves the Dining Hall after morning Devotions, or “BONNE CHANCE” if Midterm or Final Exams are going on!-I hear him bravely scream “I don’t think I care what I see anymore”, as he decides he is finally going to engage in a face-to-face confrontation with the bevy of Form 5 girls who have developed the ludicrous habit of “bathing outside” on the lawn at day dawn! Poor man! He really did hope that the ladies would take to their heels upon hearing him voice that “threat” but, to his greatest chagrin, not even the “fear-fearest” of the girls made the slightest attempt to budge! Why? They all knew he would never have the nerve to peek, much less look at any of his teenage “daughters” in their birthday suits!
I hear him bravely scream “I don’t think I care what I see anymore”, as he decides he is finally going to engage in a face-to-face confrontation with the bevy of Form 5 girls who have developed the ludicrous habit of “bathing outside” on the lawn at day dawn! Poor man! He really did hope that the ladies would take to their heels upon hearing him voice that “threat” but, to his greatest chagrin, not even the “fear-fearest” of the girls made the slightest attempt to budge! Why? They all knew he would never have the nerve to peek, much less look at any of his teenage “daughters” in their birthday suits!-I chuckle as I see him nodding away, or dozing off on the stage while a sermon was being preached or an address delivered, only to wake up with a start and laugh or clap along with everyone else, like he had been paying rapt attention all along! What was the poor man to do? If I had spent most of the previous night chasing a bevy of mischievous Class of ’81 Form 5 girls clad in just a “wrapper and singlet”, and calling out to “Mr. MANFIE”, the night watch man to please assist me with his spear, I bet I would be snoozing too!
I chuckle as I see him nodding away, or dozing off on the stage while a sermon was being preached or an address delivered, only to wake up with a start and laugh or clap along with everyone else, like he had been paying rapt attention all along! What was the poor man to do? If I had spent most of the previous night chasing a bevy of mischievous Class of ’81 Form 5 girls clad in just a “wrapper and singlet”, and calling out to “Mr. MANFIE”, the night watch man to please assist me with his spear, I bet I would be snoozing too!-I remember him going on forever and a day, about “Shylock and the pound of flesh” when he doubled as our Form 4 English Literature teacher, back in 1980. Too bad if we didn’t quite get what there was to laugh about; he was very capable of laughing out loud on our behalves, and oftentimes, he did just that!
I remember him going on forever and a day, about “Shylock and the pound of flesh” when he doubled as our Form 4 English Literature teacher, back in 1980. Too bad if we didn’t quite get what there was to laugh about; he was very capable of laughing out loud on our behalves, and oftentimes, he did just that!-A shiver goes down Constance Ozimba’s spine as she hears him make an announcement in the Dining Hall, asking her to “SEE ME IN MY OFFICE BEFORE CLASSES”, an “utterance” which could very easily spell a suspension or outright dismissal, only for the poor scared-out-of-her-wits girl to be told upon arrival at said office: “I SAW YOUR FATHER YESTERDAY IN BUEA; HE SAID I SHOULD GREET YOU!”
A shiver goes down Constance Ozimba’s spine as she hears him make an announcement in the Dining Hall, asking her to “SEE ME IN MY OFFICE BEFORE CLASSES”, an “utterance” which could very easily spell a suspension or outright dismissal, only for the poor scared-out-of-her-wits girl to be told upon arrival at said office: “I SAW YOUR FATHER YESTERDAY IN BUEA; HE SAID I SHOULD GREET YOU!”-We all reminisce about the countless times he would assign punishment to someone, and then walk by a few minutes later, and ask them what on earth they thought they were doing “wandering around”, missing classes! Very rarely was the culprit stupid enough to say “You punished me”; they would instead quickly drop their “lance and sprint off, bewildered but jubilant, as he swore to report them to their father!
We all reminisce about the countless times he would assign punishment to someone, and then walk by a few minutes later, and ask them what on earth they thought they were doing “wandering around”, missing classes! Very rarely was the culprit stupid enough to say “You punished me”; they would instead quickly drop their “lance and sprint off, bewildered but jubilant, as he swore to report them to their father!DEAR “OLD” BABA!!! He was such a caring, compassionate, and kind person, who really did not relish seeing anyone suffer. Even when he did approve a student’s dismissal for whatever reason, it was clear that it pained him to do so. Watch him chat with his driver, Mr. Elias, talk to The Workshop “manager”, Mr. Baweh, or even the cooks, Mr. Ojong and Mr. Francis, and you would not notice the slightest trace of condescension, and would not guess from his stance or tone, that he was their boss. Having had the chance, post SBC, to observe other Principals at work, I do have to look back and say:
Mr. William Nso Tayui was no Miss Binder, with a laser sharp memory; he was no Miss Kern with remarkable musical skills; he was no Mr. Ntonifor, Mr. Ekema, or Mr. Monono either! He would have failed woefully, had he tried to be anyone else but himself. He was simply what we needed him to be:
A father figure to each and every one of us in the absence of the Dad, Uncle, or Guardian we were away from, 9 months out of the year, for 5 years straight – 7 for some, actually! There was just something very endearing about this man who was genuinely sad to see a student sent home because their school fees had not been paid, who was sincerely happy to see us when we returned from the “long holidays”, and who beamed with pride when he “showed us off” to all and sundry, outside the school gates. His face would literally light up, like any proud father’s ought to! We did not feel unsafe, insecure or unduly anxious; never felt threatened, harassed or violated; that, alone, provided us with an environment that was conducive for positive personal growth during those delicate, formative teenage years when chaos, instability and a lack of discipline or structure could have produced catastrophic long-lasting and far-reaching negative results. Instead, we, Sakerettes, have turned out, largely, to be level headed, well adjusted, high achieving women, and that is due, in no small measure, to OUR BELOVED BABA!
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE!
Fondly Remembered By Egbe Mbiwan Monjimbo (Class of '81)
““BABA” (Mr. W.N. TAYUI), front-center, flanked to the left by Pa Ikome and Miss Binder, and to the right, by “Aunty Clo” and “Pa Haddie” (RIP)
TO MISS WILMA BINDER
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, MAMMY BINDER (Sunday, May 9 2010)
DISCLAIMER: This is in no way an attempt to “cajole” Ms Binder into removing my name from any “Punishment List” she may have scribbled on that magical left palm of hers which, in my opinion, puts all the world’s BlackBerries and iPads to shame! I just happen to think, now that I am older and, I hope, wiser, that she deserves a MOTHER’S DAY TRIBUTE because, from the time we each tearfully waved our “real” mothers goodbye at the beginning of 1st, 2nd and 3rd term, (for every year spent in Saker Baptist College), it really was Mammy Binder who took over the task of raising us till we went on “holidays”. I don’t have a phone number, snail mail, or email address for her so I thought I’d just “post me my thing” on this “weti-person-fit-do-me” forum! So, here we go!
Who, by supplying us with potent “MALARIA MEDECINE” every Sunday after Siesta, soothing “TOUCH AND GO” pink liquid for tooth ache, amazing HEAD LICE-KILLING WHITE POWDER, organizing those dreadful “CHOOKING FINGER” gynecological examinations, and escorting “High Fever” screaming students to Victoria General Hospital in that white 504 PEUGEOT lift back, meticulously looked after our health??
Mammy Binder!!
Who, by organizing “BANKING” once a month during Saturday evening PREP where you HAD to state what you wanted the money for, and the highest amount you could withdraw was a “WHOPPING” 200 francs, taught us how to plan and live on a budget??
Mammy Binder!!
Who, by her PALAVER LETTER sessions did her best to keep us on “the straight and narrow” to the greatest chagrin of many a SASSE, GHS and BBSS boy??
Mammy Binder!!
Who, seeing little Thumbelina-sized AZA TEH struggling with her iron water bucket from Likomba, came out of her house (opposite Baba’s) and helped her carry that bucket to her dormitory??
Mammy Binder!!
Who, instead of chastising and punishing VERO UGWU for yelling “Miss Binder, see your trong backfoot” had the “grace” to just shoot back a terse “like your own too!”??
Mammy Binder!!
Who saved HELEN NTONIFOR and many of us from being the wheelchair-bound paraplegics we would certainly have become if there had been no ban on climbing up those mango trees in search of “one bite”??
Mammy Binder!!
Who made a bunch of very blessed people out of the patients in MBINGO BAPTIST HOSPITAL by sending them the clothes we preferred NOT to claim from “The Stage” during Saturday morning’s Puff-puff & Pap breakfast because we would rather give up our “nighties”, “waist slips” “loin cloths” and “Crimplene gather-waist” dresses than have her write down our names for punishment??
Mammy Binder!!
Who knew each one of us so intimately that she could:
- Tell every single set of identical twins that ever went through SBC apart in a heartbeat (Nice try, ETHEL OBENSON, trying to pass for your twin sister PATRICIA (R.I.P.)
- Stand in front of KENNEDY Dormitory after Lights Out, identify a student standing all the way in front of HENDERSON Dormitory (de lass dormitory for King House) from the back (wehda dat “security light” bulb in front MERRICK be don die or not), and call her out by name – including her “kontri” name if need be!
- See only your "back head" for a fleeting second as you “branched” into the New Town Market on your way back to school from EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH (just trying you to buy your Blue Band margarine or Sardine to put in your “Blockade” you) and still write your name down, make no mention of it such that you were convinced that she really hadn’t seen you, only for her to suddenly call your name for punishment a good two weeks after!!! (MBALUCK!!)
Mammy Binder!!
Who saved the CBC (Cameroon Baptist Convention) a fortune in Maintenance Expenses by supplying us with “lances” to “chapear” our plots on Thursday afternoons to golf course standards, iron brushes to scrub the moss off the sidewalks and steps, and ladders to wash all the windows so clean that Sister CATHERINE ILONGO, my REDDIG Dorm Head, could actually use the glass window panes to check if GLORY FONYONGA and I had oiled the scalp lines between her “troway” adequately??
Mammy Binder!!
Who, on top of her innumerable duties as Vice-Principal, also did an outstanding job teaching Biology (no “wanda” there are so many ExSSA Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists), and Typing??
Mammy Binder still!!
Who left the comforts of this country, had absolutely no qualms about “parading around” in a pair of “Sans Confiance”, “a Kaba” or an occasional “Wrapper & Buba” outfit, and valiantly battled the heat and the annoying “BAKWERI FLIES” for years on end just to keep what is UNDISPUTEDLY THE BEST GIRLS BOARDING SCHOOL IN ALL OF CAMEROON not just running, but THRIVING, in spite of the most challenging and daunting obstacles??
Mammy Binder!!
MA WILMA, ah go late for Church if ah continue dis list and, even though 30 years don pass, ah dey still fear punishment so ah go leff’am so! But MA, for this and all the many, many other things you did to make us the PHENOMENAL WOMEN we have turned out to be, I want to thank you and wish you a VERY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!!!
Egbe Mbiwan Monjimbo
(Just one of the thousands of the “pikins” you helped raise, on her way to church “one time”!!!)
Miss Binder attending the SBC Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Limbe. Jan. 29 2012
Miss Kern on her 80th Birthday,
May 13 2011
(Leduc, Canada)
NOTE: Miss Eunice Marie Kern passed away on Friday, June 5th 2015.
R.I.P
This sad and traumatic incident occured on October 7 1967.
This TIMES Newspaper Article recounts the story in detail, even listing those present at the funeral, one of them being my dad! It's also probably safe to assume that the "Mr. Lindsay Roger" mentioned is none other than Mr. Roger L. Hand?!
Saker Compound in 1965.
Miss Kern, (far right), and SBC Choir, en route to Mamfe for one of the Choir's Tours within Cameroon (May, 1967)
The Beginning years of Saker
By Berneice Westerman
1960: I served at Soppo
May 14 1961: I was told I’d probably move to Victoria (Limbe)
To prepare for the opening of the new girl’s secondary school. I visited two of the Girls schools in Cameroon. I remember hearing about their discipline and some of which I encountered later.
The fall of 1961:
Our beginnings meant that I needed to choose the girls for the first class and was given a list of 300 names to make my choice for our new school. Those were the ones that had passed the same examination that was set for the girls in England. My challenge was to find those who had attended our Baptist Schools but the requirement was also to include others who had not come from that background. So my first choice went to the selection of those with the highest scores and who were qualified with the other two government requirements. The area from the coast all the way from Limbe up to Mbem and Ndu would need to be considered.
At first the limit I was given was 30 but later it was extended to 36. Dormitory space was one of the limiting reasons.
The first classroom was a recycled building - a previous Carpenter's Shed, and it was also used as a chapel, study area, domestic science classroom, as well as a kitchen . The first Dormitory had been used as housing for some of our Mission workers. These buildings were in the valley to the right of the present Saker Campus. (The gate picture on this website shows the road that leads to those buildings. It is the one on the right side of the picture.) I remember the first Government inspectors that came to see us left with some of our mud from the valley on their shoes. New buildings were underway before the end of the year of opening.
The most trying time was to talk to: Mothers, Fathers, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Brothers, & Sisters who had money in their hands to pay for fees for the girls who were not on my chosen list. I knew that if I touched the money they offered they would assume that their relative had been put on that list. The walk to my house was almost worn down by such visitors. It was a constant stream of people. To have to say NO was such a difficult thing for me to do .
One girl who was chosen and the first payment was made by her Father, a Pastor, who was not at all sure that the family could manage the fees each year. Her Family had applied for a Government scholarship, but she was not sure of getting it. A couple who knew the situation gave me a check for the next payment if the Government Scholarship was not given. But the student did not know about that check because I was told not to tell anyone about it. When the Confirmation of the Scholarship came to me, I took it down to the classroom and gave it to her. She was so happy that she danced up and down the only aisle in the classroom for a very long time. I had not seen such a dance of joy before in my life! (The girl was Miriam Ngwang, now Mrs. Jator.) Last I heard she was a nurse in Yaounde, training other nurses and co-wrote a book about nursing.
Jan. 29, 1962: 29 girls arrived on time, the 36th girl arrived Feb 4th.
Subjects: In consideration of what the girls could use later in life, I felt the need to have Mrs. Lawrence teach them how to type. When I presented my desire to the Government Education officials they said, “ No this is a secondary school not a secretary school.” I went home and realized that Mrs. Lawrence was also a good music teacher and so we added Music to our curriculum. Yes, Saker was a School that taught Music from the very first day. Later, Eunice Kern came and produced those fabulous plays at Easter and Christmas time. Those productions all had three major times of being seen; first by the Student body and staff, the next night by the parents and friends of the students, and then the third night was reserved for the leaders of the city and officials of businesses and government. Usually all three nights were full to capacity. (I was told much later that the students would dress up as visitors and go to the concerts! They got by when some newer staff were on duty but not when Miss Binder was there: she could recognize them from the front or back. (As Florence said: “She knows us if we front her or back her.”)
... THE CONTINUATION ...
**"Ma Westie's" Stories & Anecdotes about these early days are featured in the "STUDENT LIFE" Page of this Website!**
(She sure is "SHARP AS A TACK" at 88 if you ask me!)
1962 June: I left to go on leave until June of 1963 .
When Don Witt came he trained the first group of specially talented students from Saker and our Boys schools to go to America to sing.
1963: I was at Saker for a short time and then transferred to Ndu.
1965: There were 282 students at Saker.
1972-1975: I was back as House Mother and Vice Principal at Saker until June
1972: I was in Limbe as House Mother at Saker . There were two Saker graduates teaching at Saker, Claudia Fokam and Dorothy Ikome, and there were 330 students. The school was double stream.
THE NAMIBIAN "DIMENSION" ...
It is not uncommon for a Cameroonian to attend a "SAKER MUSICAL CONCERT", (one of the MANY Ex-Sakerettes typically stage ALL OVER THE GLOBE), glance at the Program, see a Song Title within the Event's Repertoire such as "MAMFUWETU", and ask - all BEWILDERED & PUZZLED "Na which kontri talk too dis"? That's because they are unaware of Saker Baptist College's "NAMIBIAN SIDE". Below, is the Keynote Address which Mrs. NDESHI HANGULA-SHIKWAMBI (Class of 1984) presented at the ExSSA-USA Annual Convention in D.C. in 2009. IT TELLS "THE SAKER-NAMIBIA STORY" brilliantly - complete with the "WHAT HAPPENED AFTER SAKER" side of things! A RIVETING READ FROM START TO FINISH!
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY NDESHI HANGULA-SHIKWAMBI AT THE SAKER CONVENTION IN WASHINGTON DC – AUGUST 2009
Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me, to share this wonderful occasion with you. I feel honoured and privileged to have been invited to this prestigious occasion, not only to witness this annual gathering but also to have been chosen as keynote speaker at this convention, in this beautiful capital city of the United States of America.
Firstly, it is important for me to give thanks to the Almighty God, for making it possible for me to reconnect with so many of my Cameroonian sisters. I am truly so blessed to be alive today and to be reunited with my Cameroonian family present here today, college sisters, classmates, friends and schoolmates.
Since my arrival here and reconnecting with my sisters, I have been feeling like a kid in a candy store. Seeing everyone, recognizing faces and remembering names from more than 24 years ago has given me so much thrill and excitement. It was difficult as to who to pick, choose or talk to in a short period of time.
At the same time, I am joyfully overwhelmed by your abilities in presenting such a big showcase, in your efforts to transcend national and international boundaries, by bringing so many alums of Sakerettes together on one platform – to reconnect and to forge mutual beneficial linkages.
When my good friend Agnes Njaba informed me about being the keynote speaker at this occasion and that I was to give my testimony, I asked myself whether it was really necessary, as I thought my story was so simple and who would have cared to listen anyway?
But again I told myself, as simple as it may be, for the first time I would be telling it to many of you before my time, during my time and after my time at Saker Baptist College. I also asked myself whether, I would be able to present my life history in such a short possible time – as my story is also your story.
My story started with my birth in the country of Namibia. Mine was a normal upbringing as best as it could be, considering that I was born of a woman, who had made politics her life. I grew up witnessing the daily harassment that she, other members of my immediate family and members of my neighbourhood endured, as a commitment to paving the way for Namibia’s independence.
It was in 1979 when I found myself on a journey to Angola. A decision I was never part of and had no idea where I was heading to until I found myself in the bush, crossing the borders of Namibia into Angola, together with members of my family and other companions. My mother had decided that, as a result of the daily oppression of the colonial apartheid South African regime, that enough was enough and it was time to seek for refuge in Angola.
I guess she just did not see any future for herself and her children (my two younger sisters and I) and she decided to take that long, long journey into exile, to join the rest of her comrades under the auspices of the South West Africa People’s Organisation – (SWAPO of Namibia), the armed liberation movement.
In Angola, one of my immediate younger sisters and I were separated from our mother, to join the rest of the youth in Kwanza Zul, at the education camp where our peers where already in school. My mother and my youngest sister went to another camp where elderly people and younger children were hosted. My mother was a nurse by profession, so she took up the duty of caring for the sick in that particular camp.
The education camp was a big camp that accommodated children of primary school education and the number was just growing on a monthly basis as many more young Namibians were leaving Namibia into Angola. Once you left Namibia into Angola there was no way of turning back or going back to Namibia, as we became “terrorists” according to the South African regime and you could be jailed or killed depending on the circumstance if you had gone back to Namibia.
At the time there were very few qualified teachers to cater for the thousands of exiled children in the camps. Like any other refugee situation, international organizations were in solidarity with liberation movements from Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa just to mention a few. The United Nations, through its agency the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) played quite an important role in supporting our cause.
Like many other Namibian students before us, it was through this support that about twenty of us were sent off to Cameroon for secondary education at that particular time in 1979. The UNHCR facilitated this role since the exodus of Namibian refugees started pouring in the camps of SWAPO in Angola and Zambia, from 1975 till at the dawn of Namibia’s independence in 1989. Through the UNHCR programme, Namibian students not only studied in Cameroon, but were in secondary schools, higher institutions and technical colleges all over West Africa, in nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leon, Senegal, and the Gambia, to name just a few and the world over.
From my group of about twenty that left for Cameroon in 1979, I was the only one that went to Saker. The rest went to other secondary schools in Buea, Molyko and Kumba. On arrival at Saker, I realized there was a group of Namibians students studying there, hence I felt very relieved that I was not alone, even though I had never met them before.
Some of you here might recall the Namibian sisters some before me and those I found there, such as: Eunice Mayumbelo, Hilda Lukileni, Libertine Kautwima, Rebecca Munyandi, Ndilimeke Shikongo, Penny Moses, Maria Hiyalwa and Sarafina Kapalondwa. Unfortunately, some of our sisters have journey on and gone beyond us, such as ...the late Ndahafa Mavulu, Esther Mathe, Hileni Nahole, Helena Shimbudhi, Emily Hangula, Teresia Nailenge, Milka Kalomoh, Paulina Shimbudhi, Eivy Magdalena Kambangula!....may their souls rest in peace!!!
My going to Cameroon, let alone Saker was not easy for me. At that tender young age – I was alone in the world and in a country with so much diversity in terms of culture, language, history, landscape and diet -- everything was new to me. One of the challenges I encountered when I arrived in Cameroon was the language barrier. I came from a country whose medium of instruction at the time was Afrikaans and was suddenly expected to communicate in English. Oh!, what a challenge it was!!!!
PLEASE CLICK ON ICON BELOW TO CONTINUE READING THE RIVETING ACCOUNT!!!
NDESHI HANGULA SHIKWAMBI
Late Pauline Haushona Shilongo
(Class of 1981)
Caroline OKIE, Christine NJOKI & Ndeshi on Graduation Day
Ndeshi conducting Choir on Graduation Day
Ndeshi & Friends
(Down Beach, Victoria)
LIST OF FACULTY MEMBERS FROM 1962 - 1971
PAGE 1
1.Miss Berneice WESTERMAN (Principal) 1962
Miss Berneice WESTERMAN (Principal) 19622.Miss Ernestina SCHMIDT 1962
Miss Ernestina SCHMIDT 19623.Mr. NJINKE 1962
Mr. NJINKE 19624.Miss AMONIBA 1/1963
Miss AMONIBA 1/19635.Miss Gladys BANNISTER 1963
Miss Gladys BANNISTER 19636.Miss BECKETT 1963
Miss BECKETT 19637.Miss Jewell ECHELBARGER 1964
Miss Jewell ECHELBARGER 19648.Mrs. Anna FORBANG 1965
Mrs. Anna FORBANG 19659.Miss HUSSIEZ 1963
Miss HUSSIEZ 196310.Rev. Flavius MARTIN 1/65
Rev. Flavius MARTIN 1/6511.Miss Ngo BIMAI 9/63
Miss Ngo BIMAI 9/6312.Mrs. FREEBAIRN 9/63
Mrs. FREEBAIRN 9/6313.Mr. Richard KING 9/64
Mr. Richard KING 9/64PAGE 2
1.Miss Berneice WESTERMAN 1962
Miss Berneice WESTERMAN 19622.Miss Esther SHULTZ, Principal
Miss Esther SHULTZ, Principal3.Miss Jewell ECHELBARGER 1964
Miss Jewell ECHELBARGER 19644.Miss Eirene MARTIN
Miss Eirene MARTIN 5.Miss Barbara STROH,
Miss Barbara STROH, Vice Principal 1964
6.Mrs. Jane SHODUNKE,
Mrs. Jane SHODUNKE, Housemother 1964
7.Miss Darnelle KNOWLTON 1964
Miss Darnelle KNOWLTON 19648.Miss Eileen GILMORE 1964
Miss Eileen GILMORE 19649.Miss Martha BECKETT 1963
Miss Martha BECKETT 196310.Miss Laura REDDIG, Bursar 1965
Miss Laura REDDIG, Bursar 196511.Mlle Renée SAIVE 1963
Mlle Renée SAIVE 196312.Mme Regine SAILLOT
Mme Regine SAILLOT13.Mrs. Alma HENDERSON
Mrs. Alma HENDERSON14.Miss Jane SMALL 1964
Miss Jane SMALL 196415.Miss Judy RAGER 1963
Miss Judy RAGER 196316.Miss Ernestina SCHMIDT 1965
Miss Ernestina SCHMIDT 196517.Miss Eunice KERN, 1965
Miss Eunice KERN, 196518.Miss Wilma BINDER,
Miss Wilma BINDER, Vice Principal 1965
19.Miss Ruby SALZMAN, Principal 1965
Miss Ruby SALZMAN, Principal 196520.Mr. James 'Eddie' SPRINGS 1965
Mr. James 'Eddie' SPRINGS 196521.Mrs. Vivienne SPRINGS 1965
Mrs. Vivienne SPRINGS 196522.Miss Marilyn SILL 1965
Miss Marilyn SILL 196523.Miss Peggy PENNINGTON 1965
Miss Peggy PENNINGTON 196524.Mlle NÈGRE 1965
Mlle NÈGRE 196525.Mrs. KIRWAN 1965
Mrs. KIRWAN 196526.Miss Agnes TANYI 1965
Miss Agnes TANYI 196527.Mr. Donald WITT, Principal 1966
Mr. Donald WITT, Principal 196628.Miss Carol McGEE 1966
Miss Carol McGEE 196629.Mr. Roger HAND 1966
Mr. Roger HAND 196630.Mrs. Ruth WITT 1966
Mrs. Ruth WITT 196631.Mrs. Priscilla SONA 1966
Mrs. Priscilla SONA 1966PAGE 3
1.Miss KEMMER, Housemother
Miss KEMMER, Housemother 2.Miss Dora Belinda EKIKO 1966
Miss Dora Belinda EKIKO 19663.Miss Ruby FOMUNYAM 1966
Miss Ruby FOMUNYAM 19664.Miss Janet SECLUNA 1966
Miss Janet SECLUNA 19665.Mr. Dave BOCK 1967
Mr. Dave BOCK 19676.Mrs. BOSE 1967
Mrs. BOSE 19677.M. Giles CHAPOTON 1967
M. Giles CHAPOTON 19678.Miss Sue KINGDON 1967
Miss Sue KINGDON 19679.Mr. James RESSEGNIE 1967
Mr. James RESSEGNIE 196710.Mr. Larry STAIR 1967
Mr. Larry STAIR 196711.Mrs. Sue STAIR 1967
Mrs. Sue STAIR 196712.Miss Broeke TEN 1967
Miss Broeke TEN 196713.Mrs. ABUNAW 1968
Mrs. ABUNAW 196814.Mrs. Yvonne EWANGA 1969
Mrs. Yvonne EWANGA 196915.Mrs. HENSHAW 1969
Mrs. HENSHAW 196916.Mr. Carl MABS 1969
Mr. Carl MABS 196917.Miss Victoria NDANDO 1969
Miss Victoria NDANDO 196918.Mrs. QUAN 1968
Mrs. QUAN 196819.Miss Pam RUSH 1968
Miss Pam RUSH 196820.Mr. Norman WOLFE 1968
Mr. Norman WOLFE 196821.Mrs. Marilyn WOLFE,
Mrs. Marilyn WOLFE, Vice Principal 1968
22.Miss Sophie WOLOA 1968
Miss Sophie WOLOA 196823.Dr. W.N. HAUPT, Principal 1969
Dr. W.N. HAUPT, Principal 196924.Mrs. June HAUPT 1969
Mrs. June HAUPT 196925.Janice AALBERTS 1969
Janice AALBERTS 196926.Stanly BETOW 1970
Stanly BETOW 197027. Alain CASIMIRI 1969
28.Janice CHAMBERS 1969
Janice CHAMBERS 196929.Jane ETTA 1969
Jane ETTA 196930.Carole HELL 1969
Carole HELL 1969PAGE 4
1.Miss Grace MBAERI 1969
Miss Grace MBAERI 19692.Janis MITCHELL 1969
Janis MITCHELL 19693.Mrs. Katrena NDANG 1969
Mrs. Katrena NDANG 19694.Mr. Curtis RADKE 1969
Mr. Curtis RADKE 19695.Mr. Christopher SAMA 1969
Mr. Christopher SAMA 19696.Mr. Carl TAMBE 1969
Mr. Carl TAMBE 19697.Sophie WOLOA 1968
Sophie WOLOA 19688.Mr. Larry SCHEFFLER 1970
Mr. Larry SCHEFFLER 19709.Susan KRIER 1970
Susan KRIER 197010.Wilma BINDER,
Wilma BINDER, Vice Principal 1970
11.Dale WILCKE 1970
Dale WILCKE 197012.Sharon WILCKE 1970
Sharon WILCKE 197013.Rev. Flavius MARTIN 1970
Rev. Flavius MARTIN 197014.Gerhard PAHL 1970
Gerhard PAHL 197015.M. ROBERT 1970
M. ROBERT 197016.Kathy KROLL 1970
Kathy KROLL 197017.Mme SAILLOT 1970
Mme SAILLOT 197018.Anna SIMO 1970
Anna SIMO 197019.Mrs. NJIE 1970
Mrs. NJIE 197020.Miss Miranda BELL 1971
Miss Miranda BELL 197121.Miss Barbara DAMINABO 1971
Miss Barbara DAMINABO 197122.Mr. Martin ANYANGWE 1971
Mr. Martin ANYANGWE 197123.Miss Daisy HADDISON 1971
Miss Daisy HADDISON 197124.Miss Claudia FOKAM 1971
Miss Claudia FOKAM 197125.Susan MILLER 1971
Susan MILLER 197126.Julie COCOBASSEY 1971
Julie COCOBASSEY 197127.Mr. Tunde AGBABIAKA 1972
Mr. Tunde AGBABIAKA 197228.Helen HORNE 1972
Helen HORNE 197229.Tegwen WILLIAMS 1972
Tegwen WILLIAMS 197230.Mr. Valentine ITOE 1972
Mr. Valentine ITOE 197231.Mr. Simon NGAKFUBE 1972
Mr. Simon NGAKFUBE 197232.Mr. Bernard EWANG 1972
Mr. Bernard EWANG 197233.Miss Dorothy IKOME 1972
Miss Dorothy IKOME 1972PAGE 5
1.Frida NANA 1972
Frida NANA 19722.Mr. William TAYUI, Principal 1972
Mr. William TAYUI, Principal 19723.Miss Berneice WESTERMAN,
Miss Berneice WESTERMAN, Housemother 1972
4.M. Bernard REGIEN 1972
M. Bernard REGIEN 19725.Helen PEYECHU 1971
Helen PEYECHU 1971
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO THE LEFT TO VIEW ORIGINAL/UNEDITED LISTS
F11 (FULL SCREEN VIEW PREFERABLE!
U.N. Ambassador ANDREW YOUNG'S 1979 Visit to S.B.C. He is introduced by Principal W.N. TAYUI to Mr. E.K. Martin, Mrs. B. Nokuri, & Mr. & Mrs. Hoffman.
BELOW, Student Annette Rooks presents flowers to the August Visitor, while Staff Members look on.
From L to R.: Mr. Haddison, Mr. Ikome, Miss King, Miss Bean & Ms Christy Enow.
British Missionary, Alfred Saker, after whom Saker Baptist College is named.
1. Miss Eirene MARTIN (Later Mrs. MBONGO)
2. Mrs.Jane SHODUNKE (R.I.P.)
3. Miss Eunice KERN
4. Miss Berneice WESTERMAN
5. Mrs. Eyere Mbiwan TAKOR
6. Mrs. Claudia Fokam BUMAKOR
7. Miss Irene ANDOSEH
8. Miss. Christie ENOW
10. Miss Elizabeth KEMMER
HOUSE MOTHERS
SOME UPDATES ON EARLY S.B.C. STAFF
(Information obtained from Miss B. Westerman & other sources on March 2 2013)
Alma Henderson: Lives in Alabama. Her brother is in SD doing research about Cameroon.
Kathy Kroll: Has not recovered from a sickness contracted in Cameroon.
(*Died on Tuesday March 12, 2013)
Susan Krier Aaldyk: Lives in Canada. Her husband is Peter Aaldyk;
a former Pastor and Missionary.
Janis Mitchell Gruber: Lives in S.D.
Gerhard Pahl: Lives in Canada quite near his Mother and Sister.
(**"Found" him in Sept. 2013. See update further below on this page)
Curtis Radke: He and his wife are most probably living in Vancouver, Canada.
Laura Reddig: Has died
Ruby Salzman: Has died
Larry Scheffler: Lives in Oregon, USA.
(**"Found him in December 2013! See note to the right!!)
Ernestina Schmidt: Is in Canada and is suffering from Alzheimer’s.
(*Died on Friday March 8, 2013)
Esther Schultz: Has died
Sue & Larry Stair: Last known to be living in the Denver Colorado area.
Bee Westerman: "Living in Sioux Falls SD and still working in the Heritage Commission of the North American Baptist Conference. I am considering a new a task: That of writing my autobiography while I still have the ability to think clearly and put my thoughts into clear thought out words." (* She passed away at age 95 on May 21st 2019)
Dale & Sharon Wilcke: Last known to be living in Washington State or Oregon area, USA.
Carole Hell: ??
FROM MISS B. WESTERMAN
- First Principal of S.B.C.
ENTER MR. GERHART PAHL - MATH TUTOR, FROM 1970 - 1972 ...
Lord knows I am still wiping away tears of MIRTH and trying hard to keep my poor "banja" from splitting with "laff" as I try to recount this Mr. Gerhart Pahl's story on this Sunday October 6th 2013 "ivining", just a couple of weeks after I "found" him with the oh-so-miraculous help of the internet!
It all started one Saturday morning with an email from Big Sis Didi Ndando "notifying" me that she had just seen the following 2 year old post on a rather obscure Saker Page on Face Book:
"I was a math teacher at Saker for the 1970-72 school years. Would love to contact any of my former students."
Share • August 14, 2011 at 1:34pm
The poor guy got a one word response - "WOW", from a certain Bih 2 months afterwards (in October), and then this other hilarious but definitely NOT helpful comment-answer, another 2 months down the road (on Christmas day), from dear "little" Sabrina, who simply went: "WOAH i wasnt yet born"!!!
Realizing that chances were strong he would not be frantically searching for any updates on his query from Face Book, and believing I could do better than chime in with "... and I was only 6 years old", I embarked upon an aggressive internet hunt for his contact information, and before long, I found an email address I felt pretty sure was his. I then proceeded to send him an email to which I got this PROMPT response:
From:Gerhart Pahl
Gerhart Pahl Sent:Mon 9/16/13 12:06 AM
Mon 9/16/13 12:06 AMTo: Egbe Monjimbo
Egbe Monjimbo Hi Egbe,
I can't fully express how delighted I was to get your email. I must say that I am so very impressed with your website. I have written several very simple websites and so I think I have some idea of the work, time, and dedication you have put into this work of love. The information you are collecting is invaluable as far as I am concerned. Do you need any information from me that would be useful to you?
I would be very pleased if you could put me in touch with some of my students for the 1970-72 school year period. The email address you can use for this is gerhart_pahl_xxxxxxx
I would like to get reconnected with Saker and if there is anything I can do for you and your website and any alumni society please let me know.
I'll forward your email to another teacher that was there with me, Larry Scheffler. He will enjoy looking over your website and he may even write to you to reconnect with Saker as well.
Again, thank you for writing me. My time at Saker was a highlight of my life and I have many many fond memories of my time there. Fond memories of Saker, the students, and even Cameroon. It was all great and formative to me as a person.
God bless you too,
Gerhart Pahl
This class of '81er wasted no time in emailing about 20 of his former 70s students, many of whom have since emailed him back, to his greatest delight!!
He gave us the following update on himself:
Hello ladies,
Just want to confirm Egbe's message that I would love to reconnect with any of my former students. Any greeting or longer reply from any of you would be so warmly received.
Much has happened to all of us since those Saker years and I trust and pray that, when looking back, all the good things that have happened to each of us far outweigh the bad. My personal faith has led me and carried me over some difficult times and given my much comfort and strength over the years. After leaving Cameroon in 1972 I worked outside of my home country, Canada, in the Pacific Islands for another 13 years as a teacher, i.e., until 1985. Since returning I have lived in Vancouver, Canada, with my family. I have been married 38 years to a brown-skinned lady from the pacific Islands. I have four sons, one of which lives in Hong Kong. But no grandchildren yet! I am 64 years old and have officially retired from regular work. I did not always remain a teacher but did graduate work in investment finance (lots of math :-) ) where I made my work career. I now keep busy with some constructive charity responsibilities and I have now time to do things that interest me most. I have managed to travel quite a bit. I have always debated returning to Victoria/Limbe but have not done so.
I have attached a photo to give you an idea of what I now look like. As well there is a picture of my family taken a few years ago.
Again, I'd be so very pleased to hear from any of you to just say "Hi" or to learn a bit of how your life has unfolded since those great times at Saker.
Thank you so very much Egbe for your great site and personal effort that has helped facilitating this reconnection.
Gerhart Pahl
I can only imagine how he must have felt when he received an email like the one below, (on which I was copied), with the highly impressive SIGNATURE that concludes it:
Woo, thanks Egbe.
I remember Mr. Gerhart Pahl; he taught me Maths in Form 3/4. How nice! He will probably not remember me, as we were so many, and have all evolved a lot.
But I remember those bases he set for us in those days in Saker, later solidified by others.
I turned out to be a good Maths' student - had an A at O'Levels and even went on to do and obtain it at A'Levels. And I still love math-related issues till date. You know how some teachers have a way of putting off students from their subjects! At least that was not my story with Mr. Pahl. Let me say "thank you" here.
Good to read about how he has fared and would like to wish him well with his family too.
Warm regards and God's blessings,
Dora Shu now Mbanya
Dora Mbanya MD; PhD; FRCPath
Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
University of Yaounde I &
Haematology & Transfusion Service
Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire (CHU)
B.P.8046, Yaounde; Cameroon.
Tel. +237 22xxxxxxxx
Fax. +237 22xxxxxxxx
Email: dmbanyaxxxxxxxxxx
Now, if that had been the end of de whole mattah, I would not be cracking up as I stated earlier! Let me continue the "tori"!
Earlier this evening, I got the following email from him which accompanied the 2 pictures from 1971, and na so de laff be start, once I saw the "Room & Parlor" (Rainbow/Pa Tambe J.U.) umbrella he was carrying in his hand:
From:Gerhart Pahl.
Gerhart Pahl.Sent:Sun 10/06/13 6:48 PM
Sun 10/06/13 6:48 PMTo: Egbe Monjimbo
Egbe Monjimbo Hi again,
Talking about pictures, I found these pictures that my dad took in the summer of 1971 between school years. I never had a camera while in Cameroon and he came to visit. He loved Africa and we had some great adventures in Victoria and also traveling via local transportation as far north as Ndu and Mbingo and Mbem. (I have forgotten my detailed geography of West Cameroon and forget which one is furthest north.) I actually learned how to move and live around in the country and when I left Saker I traveled by myself using local transportation to Maroua, into Nigeria through Maiduguri, down through Jos and Enugu, through Lagos and along the coast into Ghana. I had some "interesting" experiences through all that. I came to no harm or illness even though I eat only local food. As you can see from one of the pictures, I lived alone in those apartments below the main campus (turn right as soon as you go through the gate instead of up to the main campus buildings) along a little stream (when it rained anyway). There were 3 or 4 apartments in that building and I had one. It was great because the tutors living around me were all African and not "white". I had a great time with them. I'll say it again, it was a great place to live. I believe the car in the picture belonged to the late Flavius Martin.
- Gerhart
Mr. G. PAHL TODAY!
In his early 20s at SBC, 1971
Mr. Pahl, some 40 years later, with his wife & 4 sons.
I emailed him back to thank him for the pictures, and in his response, he sent his number, asked for mine, and expressed his wish to get a chance to revive and brush up on his PIDGIN!!!!! You better believe I called right away, but wound up only leaving a message, because the call went unanswered. However, I still had the phone in my hand when it rang seconds after, marking the beginning of a conversation I wish I had recorded!!! It felt for all the world like I was talking to some "MOLA" I'd known all my life!! Never have I heard our Saker "BLUE SACK" so humorously likened to "da blue wrappin dem", (plastic bags), that were hung loosely over "Molyko Bananas" to protect them back in the day! How I wound up singing along with him to "MARIA MBOKA" (Motema Mwanga) - which he revealed is his cell phone ring tone, na "Papa G" E one sabi!!! Ah don sing de song finish before e dey ask'am say: "How old did you say you are again?", as na song wey be commot siiiiiiince in those days!! (LOL!!)
Think I'm fibbing?? Well then, read the email exchange below:
From: Gerhart Pahl.
Sent: Sun 10/06/13 10:31 PM
To: Egbe Monjimbo
Thanks for the Eboa Lotin link. I just listened to them all. The two songs I recognized right away were Da Longo and Ngon'a Mulato. I did not remember the others but I really liked BUN' A BA KWEDI and MARTINE and Jaale.
Who knew what a treat I'd have this evening. Thanks again.
And then before I could even respond, I noticed this other (previous) email:
From: Gerhart Pahl
Sent: Sun 10/06/13 10:06 PM
To: Egbe Monjimbo
Hi again,
It was wonderful and great fun talking with you this evening.
Here is one of GREATEST tunes ever made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCvZyQ5jlbY
I have attached the ringtone I made from it.
"Walka Fine now"
-Gerhart
... And here, for your own enjoyment, is the link to the ringtone he sent, which I have duly converted to a "SakerPridable" format!!
BLESS YOUR DEAR, HUMOROUS & OUTGOING HEART, Mr. P. and Welcome Back into the "SAKER WORLD"!! Sure hope I get to meet you in person someday!!
Mr. Pahl in front of his "Bachelor Pad" on Saker Campus, 1971!
DR. W. NORMAN HAUPT
PRINCIPAL OF S.B.C from 1969 - 1972
When the Golden Jubilee came around in 2012 - and even prior to that Milestone, practically everyone with some connection to Saker Baptist College "made some noise". Many who seemed to have vanished into thin air, RE-SURFACED, and all the"Major Players" when it came to Principals, Staff and Alumni were "accounted for": Former Principals Paul Haddison & Tetevi Bodylawson were there LIVE! Vice Principal, Miss Binder as well, alongside staff members like Madam Yvonne Ewanga and Mr. & Mrs. Hand all the way from the U.K., as well as other auxiliary staff like Mr. Ekema, the Bursar, Mr. Fawoh, the Handyman & Mr. Francis, the cook. Miss Kern and Ma Westerman who were not physically present in Limbe "spoke up". Saker Pride was birthed 4 months after the Limbe Event, and when I sat down to compile various lists - the list of PRINCIPALS especially, it definitely made sense that we hadn't heard from Miss Schultz, Miss Salzman and dear old "Baba" (Mr. William NsoTayui), as there was no way they could be expected to Chime In from HEAVEN! THE ONE PERSON who was clearly "MIA" in the whole mix was the PRINCIPAL who had the same initials as his "Chop Chair", (Successor), namely, Dr. W.N. HAUPT!! I asked around and tried unsuccessfully to find him, and gave up, until finding Mr. Pahl gave me renewed zeal to try, try, try again! So, Friday night, a week ago, I decided to "SIGN DIE" on my laptop and just search my heart away and BOY, were there zillions of HAUPTS, quite a few of them with some bettah criminal records oh!! Finally zeroed in on one who was listed as being in his 80s and living in South Dakota with a "relative" named JUNE! Swung over quick-quick to SakerPride's GALLERY page to check a LABELED staff picture that had he and his WIFE in it, and that was all the confirmation I needed. Dug a little more, and found a number, and I can only credit The Lord God for the restraint that kept me from calling that very "Middle Night"! I tied heart until 10 a.m. the next morning, cleared my throat and called. The phone was answered on the 3rd ring and there I was telling this lady on the phone - in my "bestest", most innocent voice, that I was an Ex-Student of Saker Baptist College who was trying to find a Dr. Norman Haupt who had served as Principal there from 1969 - 1972! I fully expected to be grilled - CIA/GESTAPO style, but none of that happened. It was simply "hold on", and seconds after, I was actually TALKING to "PA HIMSELF"!! MUNYENGE NO BE SMALL! Well, he was kind enough to give me his email address and here's how "things" unfolded:
From: Egbe Monjimbo
Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2013 9:32 AM
To: nj.haupt
Subject: SO GLAD I FOUND YOU, Dr. HAUPT! (Website Info.)
Dear Dr. Haupt,
I'm just THRILLED to have had the chance to talk to you this morning!!! GOD IS INDEED A GREAT GOD!
I know I already said so on the phone, but I still want to just say THANK YOU again for your service to God and to Us, SAKERETTES. Your work was certainly NOT in vain, as you'll soon find out when you visit the SAKERPRIDE Website - http://www.sakerpride.com/
I hope you enjoy it all!
GOD BLESS & KEEP YOU SIR!!!
Mrs. Egbe Mbiwan Monjimbo (Graduating Class of 1981)
Here's his response which I am posting, with his Blessing:
From: nj.haupt
To: emonjimbo
Subject: Not much to say
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2013 19:33:56 -0500
Dear Mrs. Monjimbo:
Thank you for all the work you have done to record the history of Saker Baptist College in Limbe, Cameroon. You have done much. I have looked through the links you sent me and am overwhelmed by all the good information and pictures.
Unfortunately, after 41 years it is difficult to remember any details of interest anymore. My wife and I were at Saker during a time of even development. There were not the large number of students that there are now. Nor were the buildings as extensive as there are today.
A few things that I remember is that the principal’s office had an air conditioner, which was unusual in those days. Also, the College had a good Bursar, Mr. Richard Tonga Ekema, who served the College well during the days I was there = 1969-1972. He was a big help to me in administration. The students were well-behaved. My wife, June Haupt, taught them Bible. We had some teachers helping us from the U.S. Peace Corps as well as some missionaries and Cameroonian tutors. Beyond that, our experience at Saker was well worthwhile and we enjoyed being there a great deal. We do not feel we made any sacrifices but, instead, learned much and were thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord there.
I’m sorry that I’m not able to write more about our time at Saker. Also, I’ll not be able to send you pictures because I do not know how to do that on the computer. We older folk are not so adept on these machines. LOL
Thank you for contacting me. May the Lord bless you, your husband and family.
Sincerely,
Dr. W.N. Haupt
(** Must add that he has since "revised" his "Not Able To Send Picture Status", after I proposed the good old fashioned "snail mailing" of the original pictures option to him!! Cannot wait ... )
Saker Staff in the early 70s: Seated from Left to Right: Mr. Martin ANYANGWE, Rev. Flavius MARTIN (R.I.P.), Madame SAILLOT, Miss KERN, Miss Daisy HADDISON, Mrs. KABA, Miss Claudia FOKAM, Mrs. MILLER(?) Standing from Left to Right: Mr. Dale WILKE & Mrs. WILKE, Miss KROLL, Mr. Willy EKEMA (The Bursar), Mr. BATE (The Secretary), Miss Wilma BINDER, Miss Miranda BELL, Miss Barbara DAMINABO (deceased), Ms Susan KRIER, Mr. SCHEFFLER, Mr. Gerhart PAHL , and Reverend Dr. Norman W. HAUPT, PRINCIPAL
FROM: LARRY SCHEFFLER
Wednesday, 12/4/13, 10:03 PM
Mr. Gerhart Pahl called me and let me know of your fabulous website on Saker. I recall my three years at Saker 1970-73 with great fondness, as a tutor in Chemistry, Math, Bible and one year I even taught history to form II. There were so many fond memories that I do not know where to begin. It had such an impact on my life, that I returned to Cameroon and worked with Rev, Flavius Martin in founding the Baptist Boy's Secondary School in Buea. My oldest daughter was born in Cameroon in 1976. When illness plagued her we made the decision to remain in the USA and I later took a position teaching International Baccalaureate Chemistry at Lincoln High School in Portland OR, where I remained until I retired 2 years ago. A part of my heart has always remained in Cameroon shaped by those years at Saker. It was there that I really discovered and God confirmed a desire to teach. God has so blessed Saker Baptist College over the years. I have such a rich treasury of stories and memories from those early years at Saker that has been so instrumental in shaping my life. Perhaps in the months to come I will be able to share many more reflections from those rich years of my life.
Yours in Him,
Larry
From:Bend, OR USA
From:Bee
Bee Sent:Sun 5/13/12 7:17 PM
Sun 5/13/12 7:17 PMTo: Egbe Monjimbo
Egbe Monjimbo THE WOLFES - NORMAN & MARILYN
TUTORS AT S.B.C from 1968 - 1970
From: Norman Wolfe
Norman Wolfe Sent:Wed 7/23/14 10:17 PM
Wed 7/23/14 10:17 PMTo:Egbe Monjimbo
Egbe Monjimbo Dear Egbe,
We have been totally overwhelmed by the website you have established. It is amazing! We are not techies but this website is so much more than we ever thought possible. Thank you!
Not only are we overwhelmed by the technology of the website but all the information and memories it holds. We knew we were among the pioneers contributing to the education of girls in Cameroon but what so many of the graduates of SBC have accomplished is something we could never imagined. To God be the glory!
As we read through all the information you have posted, it thrills us to see that God is still the focus in so many lives. Yes, we came to teach classes but our calling from God was first to tell His story, sharing Christ and His transforming power, and it appears that many of you heard and received that message, also.
Being in Cameroon and at SBC changed our lives forever. We learned so much from you. Coming from the USA with all its creature comforts, we learned to discern what is a need from what is a want.
Our first days in the classroom are hard to forget, looking out at a sea of dark brown faces, all with dark brown eyes(except for a couple), wearing the same blue dress and all having the same haircut. Because we had not yet picked up on the English with a British accent, there were many times we had to ask for you to repeat your answers.
We both served as class five sponsors for the two years we were there ('68 -'70). It was a great way to get to know our girls better. They taught us how to make chin chin and sugar coated groundnuts.
Both years we were able to accompany the class four girls on their trip to Duala. These were some fun experiences. Thank heaven you all had to take French because the only words we knew were "bon appétit".
One thing that stood out the second year were the Saturday nights at the dining hall. There were movies, skits, etc. The most memorable skits were the night the tutors imitated the students who then in turn decided they should have a chance to imitate the tutors. They borrowed our clothes and mimicked us perfectly! As the tutors left the dining hall we said, "well, we survived." one tutor who they mimicked well said, "Just barely!"
There are so many great memories. Thank you to each of your Saker girls who were there during our time.
Marilyn and Norm Wolfe
THE WOLFES (February 2014),
Celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
It's no secret that my math is no good but given the fact that I'll be turning 50 myself in a few months, I don't need any mathematical prowess to figure out that this formidable couple got married in 1964 and that, if they got to SBC in 1968, then they'd only been married 4 years when they made that choice to drop everything and go chill with the "Bakweri Flies"! Certainly makes me appreciate their sacrifice even more!!!!
GOD BLESS'EM. REALLY!
SBC STAFF - 1969
Mrs. Marilyn Wolfe is seated first from left
Mr. Norm Wolfe is standing first from right at the back
SBC STAFF - 1968
Mrs. Marilyn Wolfe is seated second from right.
Mr. Norm Wolfe is standing fourth from left at the back.
(Ever Green Photos, 15 Church Street, Victoria, West Cameroon)
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