Day 5 | Bonne Anne from Cameroon

Posted by Nicka January 02, 2012

Day 5 | Bonne Anne from Cameroon

Day 5 began with a conference featuring experts on various topics, from linguistic patterns, to infrastructure to DNA. The program was as follows:

F. Bingono Bingono, Linguist - "Some Cultural Aspects: Traditional Communication (The Talking Drum)"
Jerome Minlend, CEO of CAC International - "How to Create a Business in Cameroon"
Jean-Emmaneul Pondi, Professor - "A Brief Historical, Political, and Geographical Presentation of Cameroon"
Rick Kittles, PhD, Co-Founder, African Ancestry, Inc - "The DNA Structure"
Dominic Ntube, PhD, Professor - "Synergy Between The Cameroon Diaspora in America and the Nation Builders in Cameroon: Wealth Creation"
Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, PhD - "Slave Trade in Cameroon"

Dr. Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, right

Highlights of the conference included:

Cameroon was never technically a colony.
Most Cameroonians speak two to three languages
Cameroon is 50% of Africa's GDP
Africans have more genetic diversity than any other group but yet have fewer letters to available to identify mtDNA and Y chromosomal haplogroups
15%, or 1 and 5, of the test results that African Ancestry gives have a result of Cameroon

Following the conference, the group headed over for lunch at U.S. Ambassador Robert Jackson's house including the ambassador and his staff. Since our last visit, a number of art pieces have been added to the home as part of an art exchange program created for U.S. Embassy's by President John F. Kennedy.

The evening was then capped off with a television taping for Cameroon TV (CTV) which featured members of the delegation and music. Noel Ekwabi and Jay Lou Ava were a couple of the performers. The group also made a stop at Noah Country Club for a late dinner to truly end the evening. The club is owned by Zacherie Noah, famed Cameroonian soccer star. Mr. Noah is the father of famed tennis star Yannick Noah and the grandfather of NBA player Joakim Noah. Although Yannick and Joakim were unable to join us, they sent warm text messages which were shared with the group.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.