NOTES FOR TEACHERS,
PARENTS & LEADERS

LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE GOD
CAMEROON

Things to make and do:

Rattles/shakers – plastic container or tin filled with pulses.

Scrapers – a lolly stick, or pencil, rubbed down any ribbed surface. In Cameroon they use bamboo sticks.

Drums – a paper cup with plastic lid or cardboard tube with lid can be decorated. Pencils or fingers can be used as drumsticks.

Tambourines – 2 x 10cm decorated polystyrene plates, rims stapled together facing each other and containing dried pulses. Attach streamers or ribbons.

Echo-cup – plastic cup with a hole in the bottom, thread string through and knot. Pull string between finger and thumb to make vibrating sound.

Musical bracelets – paperclips joined together and each wrapped with shiny paper or sweet wrappers. Shake on wrist.

Tealight holder – write on an old CD in an arch ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and on the lower half in French ‘Jésus m’aime’ and the child’s name. Then glue a tealight in the centre and decorate.

Football Penalty Shoot-out game – two players and goal made out of art straws stuck on table with Blu-Tack. Flick a light ball from penalty spot to score goals. Best of five shots wins.

Prayer Line – colour spring clothes pegs, decorate with stick-on smiley faces, animals, flowers etc. Write your prayer on small card and peg on clothes line.

Singing Game – To old tune ‘Follow me to London’ sing…..

Verse 1 ‘Round and round the village (x3) as we have done before.’
ACTIONS Dance in a circle

Verse 2 ‘In and out the windows (x3) as we have done before.’
ACTIONS Hold hands, raise arms with one child weaving in and out

Verse 3 ‘Follow me to Douala (x3) as we have done before’.
ACTIONS Follow the leader, meander and then make a circle.

Introduction:

Cameroon is called ‘Africa in miniature’ for condensed into this one country are beaches, rivers, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannahs. The beauty of the countryside is seen immediately when the rains come. All the plants start to sprout and the hills and valleys are like a huge basket of flowers. Even the animals look refreshed. Ducks and chickens are seen running around and goats, cows and horses all graze on fresh new grass. Everyone is happy and hopeful that there will be food for all the people and the animals. At this time they thank God for such beauty and plenty.

Children in Cameroon have beautiful voices and most of their games are sung. In the Sunday schools the children sing choruses of praise to God and are also very involved in the worship services.

Cameroonian children are very good at having fun on their own and with their friends. They ride bicycles; do crafts with bamboo, wire and wood; play musical instruments like drums; play football, basketball, handball, volleyball, swim, dance and occupy themselves with all sorts of formulated games. They learn how to communicate, to share and to solve their own disagreements. They also enjoy computer games and watch T.V. Games in Cameroon are connected to activities of daily life. For children, water play is much more often a source of work: washing clothes, soaking cassava tubers, bathing, fishing and transporting water back to the village. Some games relate directly to work like balancing a calabash or bucket on the head.

Education is compulsory. However, tuition fees at Secondary level mean that some parents are unable to send their children to school. A number of problems plague the education system including rural/urban disparities in school attendance. Fewer girls than boys enrol in primary school and complete their education. Many speak both English and French and their local language. Cameroon is blessed with many traditional musical instruments that are used to praise God: bells worn by dancers, clappers, drums and talking drums, flutes, horns, rattles, scrapers, stringed instruments, whistles and xylophones.

Useful web sites:

Suggested Children’s Service