World indigenous day: Cameroon native pipo wan make deh teach dia tok for school

Jeanne Biloa
Wetin we call dis foto, Jeanne Biloa na Bageli woman wey di fear say her language go soon die

Cameroon forest pipo, Baka, Bageyli and Bedzan say as deh loss dia home for forest e di affect dia culture and language, so deh wan make geh di teach dia language for school.

August 9 na International day for indigenous pipo, 370 million of dem dey for 90 kontris for de world, 20 million dey for Cameroon.

One of dem, Jeanne Biloa, weh na president for Bageyli Cultural and Development Association, BACUDA, say dia kontri tok no pure again.

"Weti make we kontri tok no bi pure laik before na because big companies enta forest di cut trees, do big farming and odas tins weh deh force we for komot for forest and we get for adapt for tok wit neighbours".

"We pipo di go for forest just now laik arm tief, weh e mean say no fit take e pikin and e no fit learn. As de born some of we under tree, we get na tree name, and na so e bi di helep we for know tree weh na merecin for forest".

"If we no get kontri tok, de we no get identity we go just remain na only name and no fit share we knowledge for develop", Biloa tell BBC News Pidgin.

Pikin dme dey play
Wetin we call dis foto, Baka pipo get tins for traditional merecine dem sabi

Some oda pipo laik Bantu pipo di dominate forest pipo sotei some di shame for tok dis kontri tok make deh no call dem 'piygmies and deh di suffer plenti discrimination.

Samuel Nguiffo, Director for Centre for Environment and Development, CED weh e don di work wit forest pipo before say kontri tok for indigenous pipo bi connected wit dia land and cargo.

"Indigenous pipo bi more important because deh know much more about nature weh e di go help for traditional merecin and if deh loss dia culture dia language too di loss, and deh no go fit share weti deh know for younger pipo so de world no go get de knowledge", Nguiffo explain.

Samuel Nguiffo
Wetin we call dis foto, Samuel Nguiffo na CED Director wey tink say education na di only wey to maintain di culture

CED director say for preserve dia culture we get for gree say de language di disappear, e go good for take step for act fast.

Solution na for teach de language for school, start for primary school, make deh know say dia language too bi important laik French. E go give dem sabi and protect dia culture, Nguiffo tok.

Romuald Ngono, legal expert for CED say for Lobeke and Nki weh deh sigh agreement wit authorities make de indigenous pipo continue for hunt, harvest fruits for de area and deh suppose extend for oda areas.

For yi, de land and forest reform weh authorities di work' am need for consider weti de forest pipo need.

For mark dis day, international NGO, Greenpeace meet wit indigenous pipo say companies weh deh di take large land respect rights for forest pipo.