For the first time in years, the Njinteh community echoed with cheers and laughter as over 200 women, youth and men took part in a cultural jamboree organised by the Community Women Peacebuilders Network (COWOPNET) as part of the project 'community driven actions for the promotion of grassroots women participation in peacebuilding through awareness raising on UNSCR1325.'
The day-long celebration featured women’s football, tug of war, the ring game, basket filling, bottle flipping, dodging contests and other traditional recreational activities rarely seen in Njinteh since the outbreak of the armed conflict more than eight years ago.
For many residents, the jamboree was was a sign that their community, long battered by violence, displacement and fear, was rediscovering its cultural heartbeat.
“When we play together, we forget our divisions,” said 25-year-old Judith Sirri, who led her team in the tug of war adding that “for years, we have only known silence and mistrust. Today, we are living like a family again. I am very happy."
Before the conflict, Njinteh’s open grounds like market square and fields served as cultural rallying points for the people of Bafut. Music, dance, communal games and storytelling were part of everyday life, helping to bind generations and reinforce values of tolerance and togetherness.
But as violence swept across the North West, such spaces went silent. Fear replaced laughter. Gatherings became dangerous. Communities shrank into survival mode.
That silence was broken on Saturday. The jamboree saw older women cheering younger girls on the football field, children racing in playful contests, and men and women laughing side by side during the tug of war.
COWOPNET’s organisers say the decision to revive cultural games was intentional. In communities fractured by years of crisis, culture and play offer a non-threatening path to reconciliation.
Andiensa Clotilda Waah, Chief Executive Officer CAGEAD
“Culture unites where politics divides. By reviving these games, we are reviving trust. These activities create bonds across gender, age and background, which is what peacebuilding is truly about.” Andiensa Clotilda Waah, Chief Executive Officer of CAGEAD, the parent organisation of COWOPNET explained.
The jamboree also highlighted women’s leadership in peacebuilding. From coordinating games to leading football matches, women were at the centre of action, showing their role as both custodians of culture and champions of community renewal.
Women’s football
Participants described the jamboree as both healing and empowering.
“Playing the ring game reminded me of my childhood before the war. I felt joy that I thought had been lost forever,” said an 28-year-old women’s football payer.
For elders, the event was equally symbolic.
“This is how our ancestors kept communities strong,” over 50 years old Lum Florence said while watching children flip bottles and shriek with laughter.
“It warms my heart to see our culture alive again.”
COWOPNET’s cultural jamboree was a step towards social inclusion in a community where suspicion and trauma run deep. By bringing together elders, youth, women and men under the banner of play, the initiative showed that cultural revival can help heal wounds and rebuild community spirit.
“The jamboree has shown us that joy is possible again. It is a seed of peace that, if nurtured, can grow into reconciliation and lasting unity." Andiensa Clotilda Waah said.
As the day ended with tired but happy faces, many participants spoke of a renewed sense of belonging. For Njinteh, a place once defined by silence and fear, the cultural jamboree was proof that the spirit of community can outlast even the deepest conflict.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom with reports
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
