Bonduma, also known as Wonduma by the indigenous

Bakweri The Bakweri (or Kwe) are a Bantu ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They are closely related to Cameroon's coastal peoples (the Sawa), particularly the Duala and Isubu. Early survey discussion of these topics may be found in Ardener 1956 ...

people, is one of the quarters of

Buea Buea is the capital of the Southwest Region of Cameroon. The city is located in Fako Division, on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon, and has a population of 300,000 (at the 2013 Census). It has two Government Hotels, the Mountain Hotel and P ...

, the capital of the Southwest Region of

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

. Although there is no clear distinction between the regions, over the years Bonduma has evolved into two sections: Upper Bonduma and Lower Bonduma. Upper Bonduma, known in local parlance as ''agong'', is considered a fast growing locality in the Buea Municipality.

History

Although a vast majority of the Buea Municipality was originally occupied by the indigenous Bakweri tribe, the area of Upper Bonduma was originally inhabited by a number of people from the other ethnic groups of Cameroon. Most of these people hailed from the Lebialem Division of the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Accustomed to

subsistence farming Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...

, the original settlers of the locality practiced agriculture as their primary activity. These settlers were drawn to the rich volcanic soils of what is now the Buea Municipality and its beneficial location at the foot of

Mount Cameroon Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako (the name of the higher of its two peaks) or by its indigenous n ...

Geography

Population

In 2013, Bonduma had an estimated population of about 6,000 people. The Cameroonian Civil War, beginning in 2017, and its associated socio-political crises and The socio-political crisis and

population displacement Forced displacement (also forced migration) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, ...

caused by the Cameroonian Civil War, which began in 2017 and continues into the present, has led to an influx of people from other crisis-stricken regions of Cameroon into Bonduma.

Climate

Buea has a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

, with high

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

because of its location at the foot of Mount Cameroon. Neighborhoods at higher elevations enjoy cooler temperatures, while neighborhoods at lower elevations experience hotter temperatures. Bonduma has a more moderate elevation, generating average temperatures between these two extremes. Extended periods of rainfall, characterized by incessant drizzle, are common during the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

and can last for several weeks. During the

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

, Bonduma can suffer from intense water shortages. The latter is becoming increasingly common because of dry conditions in Buea recently.

Culture

Languages

The local language in Bonduma is Mòkpè (also ''Mokpwe''), the language of the majority Bakweri population in Buea.

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

are official languages in Buea, but the town is primarily

anglophone Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...

. Many of the inhabitants of Buea use

Cameroonian Pidgin English Cameroonian Pidgin English, or Cameroonian Creole ( wes, Wes Cos, from West Coast), is a language variety of Cameroon. It is also known as Kamtok (from 'Cameroon-talk'). It is primarily spoken in the North West and South West English speaking re ...

Location

The main street of Bonduma is Dr. Biaka Street, named after the late Dr. Lawrence Francis Tonye Biaka, whose residence is near Buea's primary road. Biaka founded the Biaka University Institute of Buea in 1998, then known as the St. Francis School of Nursery and Midwifery.

Education

* City of God Bilingual Nursery and Primary School * Community Education Centre * Government Primary School * Nabesk Comprehensive College{{Cite web , title=NABESK COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE (NCC) BUEA {{! Inovedu , url=https://www.inovedu.net/ , access-date=2022-02-28 , website=NABESK COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE (NCC) BUEA {{! Inovedu , language=en

References

Populated places in Southwest Region (Cameroon)