2023-07-04 15:35:29
The conservation of the Apinzi culture still has good days in the Ekanga village in the Banda canton via the department of Tsamba Magotsi, of which the commune of Fougamou is the capital. Fishing and agriculture are now the main activities of the populations
(Gabonews): Ekanga is a peaceful village where modernism and tradition come together. To get there, the visitor must take a rowing canoe, about 2h30 from Fougamou. With the evolution, outboard motor canoes facilitate the adventure of an hour depending on the thrust of the machine, it is sometimes less. “It’s been more than 10 years since I last made the trip“says Ulrich, an original student from the village.
Along the Ngounié, the panorama is attractive, even giving ideas for tourist projects. In Ekanga, the community now lives from fishing. “Even during the school year, we go fishing on the weekends here“says Miché, a holidaymaker from Fougamou, let’s say, a fan of the village. In the past, hunting by wire or with a pack of dogs, hunting produced income. ” We are not far from Waka National Park, it made us change activities“ underlines Paul Romuald.
When the eco-guards arrive we talk frankly with them. We have no alternative, but we do our best to avoid entering the park, says Mathias.
Agriculture is threatened by the wild animals in the index, the elephant which ravages the fields of the populations. “This is why for some years the men of the village have been asked to set up camps” notes Firmine Meka. This is a strategy that the inhabitants of Ekanga have chosen to fight against the presence of elephants in the cassava and banana fields. The agricultural camps are inhabited daily by these brave men and women.
Ekanga village has a full cycle school. Moreover, this school year, the 5th year pupils all passed their examination for the Certificate of Primary Education. “We do the best we can with our students ” rejoices the director of the school, Nestor Mbongo Missolo. A particularity at this school is the learning of the Apinzi language, the teachers started with the translation of the poems into the mother tongue.
It’s a subtle way of keeping the Apinzi language, which is one of the minority languages in Gabon.
The Apinzi people struggle with modernism to maintain their many ancestral riches. Female and male initiation rites are practiced there despite demographic problems. The female gender has the niembè and the men have the mweli as well as the bweté. “You have to be born of an Apinzi mother” firmly specifies Pascal Ghessisso, the guardian of the temple.
Among the knowledge kept by the Apinzi community of the Ekanga village is the manufacture of mbiba, a seasoning obtained from the almonds of the andock, the wild mango tree. Patricia Tsova still masters the production process.
It is expressly necessary to let the almonds rot in a container containing water for 2 weeks. The almonds are first wrapped in marantancées leaves. When Patricia Tsova is asked the origin of the appreciated aroma, she is categorical, it is the secret of the Apinzi woman. Even to our husbands, we don’t say a word. The mbiba is part of the local culinary art. Young girls are already learning basket weaving.
Ekanga, the village of light, Ekanga the frankness is said in front of the public. The young executives of the Ekanga village plan to bring the area back to life by calling on all the children to build there.
DKT
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