WICUDA History

A key characteristic of Wimbum people world over is their strong drive to come together, share and assist each other. They do this by way of belonging to associations, some of which have chapters in Cameroon and in whatever part  of the world they find themselves in. The idea of forming Wimbum Canada started as a kitchen table conversation between Consolar Mufer and Erna Ngwayi, who had the vision that such an association will be a home away from home for wimbum migrants to Canada. When this idea was presented to Pa Johnson Ngala, he encouraged it and pledged his full support to the success of this association in Canada.

The first meeting was held in the summer of 2011 in Verdun, Quebec. In attendance were Consolar, Erna, Tony Damue, Catherine Damue, Pa Johnson Ngala, Mrs. Ngala Plebius, Mrs. Comfort Nsame, Mrs. Love Shaw and Roland Nsame. The children Tiffany and Theonne Damue, Lilly Nsame and KimbonenChuba were also present. This attendance that saw people from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa was very encouraging. However, scheduling a second meeting was a huge challenge due to other commitments and the fact that members were located in different towns in Canada.

The next meeting was held in Toronto in August of 2012. Because of the difficulty in finding a suitable day for the meeting, the attendance was very timid with two people from Montreal and four from Toronto. In the absence of a formal executive, Consolar functioned as the coordinator and Erna as the secretary. We had earlier chosen the first weekend of August as our annual meeting day.However, this was not maintained because not all provinces have this day as a holiday.We then decided that instead of having only an annual meeting, we could hold meetings in our different cities more regularly and have an annual general meeting.

Led by Tony Damue, the GTA Wimbum Canada branch was born, and the Quebec branch continued to function. Graciously, the Damue’s agreed to host meetings which were held in Toronto while Pa Johnson hosted those in Montreal. Annual meetings were scheduled to be held on the Labour Day weekend in September. Pa Johnson Ngala helped to register the association with the Federal government and was very instrumental in developing the present By-laws of the association.

In 2014, the first Executive for Wimbum Canada was elected. The Pioneer President was Tony Damue, Secretary- Glovis Ngala and Treasurer- Mrs. Plebius Ngala. This executive team led the group for 4 years. At the end of 2017, a new executive was elected : President -Peter T. Killah, Secretary – Glovis Ngala, Treasurer- Mrs. Plebius Ngala, Financial Secretary – Susan Killah and RPN Coordinator- Consolar Mufer.

In 2019 a change in leadership took place. The President- Afanyu Nchanji, Secretary – Glovis Ngala, Treasurer-Mrs. Plebius Ngala, Financial Secretary – Charles Tanto, RPN coordinator – Edwin Nfor (succeeded by Consolar Mufer in 2021). This era, like everything else, was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group tried to hold remote meetings in adherence with health Canada restrictions. No election was held during this period and the executive was unanimously accorded another mandate. During this period the group continued to grow in several aspects. The different chapters were growing in membership. Afanyu Semuyeh coordinated the GTA branch and was succeeded in 2019 by Leonard Ngala. Consolar Mufer coordinated the Quebec branch and was succeeded in 2017 by Bawe Nsame. Erna moved to Alberta in 2013 where she started the West branch in 2014.

Wimbum Canada now boasts of 3 chapters with about 70 registered members nationally excluding the children. The association has shown remarkable growth since its creation. To accommodate the fast-growing membership, annual general meetings have now been moved to event halls from members’ homes. AGMs are no longer a one-day event, with limited activities. They are now a 2-day event and for the first time in 2022, the association organized a weekend convention. Thus, in addition to the meeting, there were cultural dances, barbecue at the park, a gala night, a football (soccer) matchand the highlight of the day was the presentation of wimbum culture done by the wimbum kids.

Wimbum Canada has   succeeded in bringing together most Canadian immigrants of Wimbum origin. In the absence of close family, this group serves as a great support system for its members. It is a great source of comfort and mental well-being.The Annual General Meeting held yearly brings together members from all over the country, they get to know themselves, showcase the culture and discuss aspects of growth for the association and its members.

WimbumCanada is reputed as one of the few cultural associations in Canada that has effectively pursued and sustained the mandate of educating its members and providing them with opportunities for self-improvement to thrive in a competitive Canada. The association has liaised with subject matter experts in various fields, who have delivered webinars on various topics that will help members grow and excel in Canada as responsible citizens.

Thanks to the Government of Canada’s generosity and its commitment towards promoting the growth of a multicultural society Wimbum Canada has benefitted from government grants such as the Grant for Black led Organizations and the Tropicana Community’s  Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) grant. These funds have immensely assisted Wimbum Canada in increasing its capacity to operate and position itself as a group that meets the objectives, vision and mission of an association on which its members can depend to excel in Canada.