Wirba Usmaila Tata

I am called Wirba Usmaila Tata.

I was born in Mbiame Mbven Sub Division in the North West Region of Cameroon by Mr. Adamu Wirba and Mrs. Shatu Yugan on the 30th Day of December 1989. I am from a polygamous family of two wives and ten children. I am the last that is the 6th in rank to my mother and the 9th in rank to my father out of 10th children. I am equally the last son to my father out of 6th boys.

My village is located in lam-Mbiame Mbven Sub Division in the North West Region of Cameroon the main activity carry out in my village is agriculture that is crop and livestock production and I grow up in an agricultural family carrying out both crop and livestock production. I attended my primary school in the village (Islamic Primary School Rifem) where I was always covering a distant of about 3 KM every school day to and from school from my primary one to seven when I obtain my First School Leaving Certificate this was from the year 1994/1995 academic year to 2000/2001 academic year. After obtaining my first school leaving certificate, I proceeds to Government Secondary School Mbiame still in my village and the covered increase to about 4km to and from school. I went to school only for three years and continue my form four in Kumbo where I was sent to learn how to live with people from different cultures and learn other languages. My language of instruction was English Language. While in Kumbo, I obtained my Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level from Islamic Secondary School Kumbo with passes in History, Economics, Geography, Commerce and Biology this was during the year 2008.

Before completing my Secondary School I had already mastered my dialect very well which is “Lamnso” even though it was not the language of instruction but I was taught by my parents and the extended families, While in School, Manual Labour which was being carry out in the school farm was usually one of my best subject. After obtaining my Ordinary Level Certificate, I could not continue studies due to lack of finances and I decided to embark on Agriculture which was the only option for me at the time and the only source where I could get money. Because of this, I decided to move to the Head quarters of North West Region which is Bamenda where I served as house help to obtain money for my school fees, since the payment for the work done was not encouraging, the little that I earn from the family where I was serving as house help could not even pay my rents nor feed me and by so doing, I decided to move back to the village and give all my time in learning how different crops like maize, beans and other fields crops and cultivating them simultaneously. I did the cultivation for one year and was able to raise some funds for my rents and my school fees and after raising this money, I went back to the city where I could obtained better education that was in the academic year 2009/2010 and apply to one computer institution where I was working in their internet server and equally serving as their secretary. In effect this part time job helps me in covering some of my leaving expenses. I usually will work all day long in the job site and in the evening I will always retire to school for evening classes. I wrote my Cameroon GCE Advanced level this same academic year 2009/2010 and obtained it with passes in History and Economics. While in something will keep on telling me “young man serve humanity and the world”. There was no way I could run from it for it keeps on coming “young man serve humanity and the world”. I responded by asking “how do I go about”? The answer was given to still in spirit “go go go and educate your community on natural means of farming (Agriculture and Livestock Production) and empower the youths in any activity that you see that can benefit the youths and be a reference to you community and the world let them learn from you”. I responded, “I am not good in that but will learn it fast and do as you wishes if it is Furthers’ will”. I then started like Childs’ plays.

After putting the vision into practical, I discover a lot of change in my life and that of the community and it still appear to me “go and get the youths from your area that are in the cities doing nothing both educated and uneducated ones and form and developmental association with them” and I did that very successfully. I team up with then and form Mbiame New Vision Multipurpose Farming and Development Association which I am the founding present. Today I speak English language very fluent, Fulbe(boror), Pidgin English, and a bit Arabic and French.

Today, I am a reference farmer in my village carrying out specifically organic farming and giving natural treatment to cattle and sheep. Since I have given much of my time in research, as days pass by, I usually at least one medicinal plant be it for animal, man and or crop. At this my young age 24 years, I have become a young developer to my area. I grow up in the house made out of sundry and today I am leaving in a plastered house thanks to agriculture. When I was growing up, I use to consider myself as someone who knows nothing but now I have realized that the more I take myself knowing something, the more I get to know it. If they could tell me that I will one day lead the people I could never believe but today not only me but the world have proven. Nowadays, I easily make friends.

Concerning my feeding habit, formally I use to eat once or twice a day but now I am able to take a balance diet twice or thrice a day. In order to give an opportunity for the needy ones to feed, I usually eat only morning and evening and feed another person with the afternoon
meal. The traditional meal here in my village/ community is “corn
fufu” that is a meal prepared out of cornflower.

In the domain of technology, I grow with little or no knowledge in computer and more than 90% of people in my village know nothing in computing and things related to it. Today I am proud to say that is dream come true for I am able to access the internet, work with the various Microsoft programs such as word, publisher, Excel and PowerPoint presentation. More to that, I am now able to carry out online research, sit and learn from the house without going anywhere.

My plea is that my people should have access to learn and use the facilities and or communication tools. After carrying out a research in my community, I realized that not up to 25% of the total population know how to use a telephone and not up to 25% seen a telephone. And also not up to 10% have ever seen a computer nor touch it. I have to set up a center specifically to drill the community on the usage of telephones and computers. I will select the fast learners and train and use them to train the other people if not the student teacher ratio will be too high.

My village is having close to 50.000 inhabitants with no professional institutions and training centers where the youths could be trained and empowered. Somebody have since so long been whispering to me “look at your population, look at the way birth rate is increasing, look at rural urban migration which have come the other of the day, look at high dependency ratio, look at unemployment structure, look at the low level of technology, look at low life expectancy of your people, look at the poor farming mechanisms, look at the poverty level of your people and look at the rate of illiteracy in your community”. I then ask myself “what can I do to overcome the above highlighted worries and problems of my people with my limited and or no resource” it then came to me as a revelation “start something small and people will come in, share your dream and you will see how partners will come from around the globe” I then cultivated maize the first year of my farming and it was eaten up by cattle due to inadequate finances to make a solid fence but that did not stop me from cultivating it again, but it instead taught me a lesson that I should never cultivate crops where animals are grazing without a solid fence and the community as well did learn from that. Because of that incident I adjusted immediately I have made a good fence that I am cultivating and for cattle night paddock, during transhumance period after I must have harvested my crops, I usually sent in the cattle into the farm to feed and sleep there usually for the period of about 2 months and by so doing regaining soil fertility. Many farmers around have copied the example.

The plan I am having for my village is to set up many youth training and empowerment projects in my community for the youths form the bases of every population and is the highest population structure in my area taking about 60% of the total population. A maize plantation will be established which will employ about 1000 youths and women of Mbiame Mbven Sub Division for the start and in the long run as more land will be acquired the maize plantation will recruit more than 10.000 youths and women even though some shall be on seasonal bases and some permanents.

Not withstanding, a multipurpose youth training and empowerment center will be created. Activities in this center will include:

Computer training and internet facilities

Shoe making

Tailoring

Craft work

etc.

after realizing these objectives, my community will be experiencing full employment. They the community will equally be trained on natural resource and waste management so as to fight against Ecosystem distortion and Ecological imbalance and global warming which has become the other of the day due to climate change.

In the domain of literacy promotion, scholarships will be given to the outstanding students say the 1st 3rd students in the schools found in my village to enable the weaker students work hard. Moreover, poor students will be identified and tuition free scholarships will be given to them to any level they desire to attain their studies.

In the domain of health, since quality food brings good health, the entire community will be drill on the damages course by chemicals to the environment and to the human system. Workshops and seminars will be organized to sensitize the community and drill them on how they can get rid of these practices and move toward natural and organic farming. The community will equally be sensitized on the various ways of HIV AIDs transition, how it can be prevented and the Stigmatization and discrimination resulting from it and also seminars and talks on the fight against malaria, and STDs. Family planning will equally be encouraged.

All of the above mention if realized will all help in promoting Rural Development and in the long run, construction works will be introduced.

My entire dream is that my community/ village should be a reference village in Cameroon and Africa developed by a 24 years old youth and while not in the world. My work will not be limited only to my village but will be done in any Rural Community facing the same problems or problems related to that of my village, the work so far started will never come to a stop for it is geared toward sustainability and development and equally training people what they do not know, enabling them to use their own resources to produce what they desire without going in for any artificial things.

To conclude, I am a young man with very high ambitions, have desire for and carrying out humanitarian works. I love reading, learning, sports, research, travelling, watching movies, educating others, community development etc. I spent most of my time in the village cultivating crops and breading animals and as well carrying out Rural developmental projects and rendering other humanitarian services to those in need.

For more information, contact: usmaila@yahoo.com or tel: 00 (237)
7639261 or 00(237) 670451435