During the International Book Industry Exhibition at the National Museum in Yaounde Ernestine Tatah Lukong presented her book “Back In Our Days” The author offers readers a glimpse into what life was like in a traditional village in Cameroon, , before the advent of technology.
Life in a Village Setting
Growing up is an amazing experience. Each environment has its own distinctive characteristics that shape a person’s perception and life. Lukong shares fun facts and unique experiences that she and other children had growing up in the village of Melin in Bui Division of the North West Region . She depicts growing up in an area void of technological advantages such as cars, phones, computers and internet services.
The book is in five parts, 554 pages. In the first chapter of the book titled “Hunts in Jungly Farms,” Lukong explains how children went hunting for termites, mushrooms, raffia fruit, and traditional berries. Dieting was not a concern during that time, and the Nso people’s main food was fufu corn, which is a paste made from corn flour and eaten with vegetables, stew, or other soups. Tubers and sweet yams were eaten as snacks. “We hardly knew and did not care much about the composition or constitution of the foods. If it filled your stomach and killed the huger, it was simply food”, Ernestine Lukong states in the book. According to the author, the idea of a balanced diet did not exist at that time. Cooking, laundry, and water are also handled differently today than in the past. Children had to travel long distances to collect enough firewood for the family.
Living in Harmony with Nature
In her book, Lukong emphasizes that Mother Nature provided all their daily foods, and little or no processing was done on food harvested in the farms. Bottled drinks and food in cans were seen only among the city-dwellers who visited the village. Living in harmony with nature was a way of life for the villagers, and it was evident in their food, clothing, and housing.
The book offers a practical reality of life in a traditional village setting without any complex historical or geographical analysis. It gives readers a chance to appreciate the simple pleasures of life and how living in harmony with nature can be fulfilling.
