LOBE, CAMEROON – Edmond Motule, 40, is the president and chief of the Oroko community in Lobe, an estate in southwestern Cameroon. He founded the Oroko Festival of Arts and Culture, which will take place here for the fourth year on Dec. 26.
Motule says the festival aims to bring together the 10 tribes of the Oroko community from hundreds of villages scattered across the region.
“The Oroko Festival of Arts and Culture is all about celebrating a people in diversity, bringing together the unique cultural heritage of the 233 villages,” Motule says.
Motule, a neat and jovial man, was crippled by polio at age 5. He says that his parents staved off pressure from the community to kill him by throwing him in a river or leaving him in the forest because of his disability, and his gratitude has motivated him to make the most of his life.
In his village, Motule is likened to Socrates for his questioning personality. His brothers and sisters have nicknamed him “the Diplomat” for the smooth way he addresses family issues. His admirers call him “the butterfly that has taken the status of a bird.”
In addition to his Oroko community duties, Motule works as a medical laboratory technician at a local hospital, as he says his disability propelled him to study science. Motule also wrote a book about the diversity of the Oroko ethnic group. He says that the diversity of the Oroko people is worth celebrating, which is why he founded the festival in 2008.
Referencing an excerpt from his book, Motule says that each of the 10 tribes of the Oroko community has its own unique characteristic. While the Balue tribe is known for its intelligence, the Ngolos are known for their wisdom. The Balondo Banangas are rumored to be marvelous singers, and the Batangas are recognized for their oratory skills. The beautiful queens of the Bima make this tribe stand out, while the Mbonges are known for their handsomeness. The Ekombes are recognized for their courage, the Balondo Badikos for their patriotic spirit and the Bakokos for their foresight.
Motule, who hails from the Ngolo and Balue tribes, puts their characteristic traits of intelligence and wisdom into action in the management of the Oroko people of the Lobe estate and in the organization of the festival.
Motule says that the festival strives to bring the Oroko people together so that they can culturally interact, exchange values and understand each other in order to nurture a peaceful coexistence and productive development. He says the festival also provides a medium to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
“It is my duty as a laboratory technician to talk to the people about HIV/AIDS, to get themselves tested, to tell them how to prevent and manage the disease, and also try to erase stereotypes and stigma attached to this disease,” he says.
He says the festival also aims to expose the international community to the rich cultural practices of the Oroko people. He says the festival calls especially on the Cubans, who are believed to have Oroko origins, to better understand their roots.
Many say that the Oroko Festival of Arts and Culture, which brings the diverse people of the Oroko community together this month, is the best day of the year. Some say the festival also offers the opportunity for the Oroko people to connect with distant relatives in Cuba as well as other ethnic groups in Cameroon. Organizers and participants aim to expand the festival’s reach this year to preserve Oroko culture and strengthen its people’s ties in the region, nation and abroad.
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