Case study: Nugunu Project, Cameroon

By Clinton Robinson

The Mbam region has six languages or so, none of which had been developed when we moved into the Nugunu project.

The Nugunu speakers formed a language committee and they began to take part of the responsibility for the project.

News got around in the area of what was happening, and I began to make contacts in neighboring language groups. As a result, meetings were set up in three other language groups to establish committees. At these meetings, the members of the Nugunu language committee explained their aims and role in developing the language and encouraged the other communities to take similar initiatives.

First steps were taken in forming language committees in these language groups. Subsequent developments showed how fragile these steps were, and how much support would be necessary. However, the contacts had been made and the vision was beginning to be shared—by Cameroonians to Cameroonians.