SLAVES SCENE MADE BY THE NJINKA CHILDREN
The works and actions of the Njinka children are highly recognized and supported by the Ambassador of Cameroon in Washington HE Henri Etoundi Essomba. As evidenced by these photos taken during the ceremony of handing over a donation (sculpture bearing the Cameroonian flag) from the Njinka children to the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington. Ceremony presided over by the Ambassador of Cameroon in Washington and all his staff on November 15, 2024, in the presence of the President of the Njinka Children Mr. Njoya Arouna Ndassa and his Vice President Mr. Youmbi Emile.
photo taken on November 15, 2024 during the presentation of the donation of the Njinka Children (Sculpture bearing the Cameroonian flag) symbol of Peace, unity and Fraternity. Donation presented to the Ambassador of Cameroon in Washington DC, H E: Mr Henri Etoundi Essomba by the President of the Njinka children Mr Njoya Arouna Ndassa and his vice President Mr Youmbi Emile here in the photo.
The works and actions of the Njinka children are highly recognized and supported by the Ambassador of Cameroon in Washington HE Henri Etoundi Essomba. As evidenced by these photos taken during the ceremony of handing over a donation (sculpture bearing the Cameroonian flag) from the Njinka children to the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington. Ceremony presided over by the Ambassador of Cameroon in Washington and all his staff on November 15, 2024, in the presence of the President of the Njinka Children Mr. Njoya Arouna Ndassa and his Vice President Mr. Youmbi Emile.
GLOMI soutient le travail de Njoya Arouna.
Au Cameroun, l’association recrute des enfants des rues et des orphelins et les envoie à FOUMBAN, où ils sont formés aux arts, plutôt que de les laisser sombrer dans la délinquance.
Nous sortons chaque année environ 100 enfants des rues pour leur donner un toit, une formation et une éducation adéquate afin qu’ils puissent devenir des membres utiles de la société dans les années à venir.
PRINCE NJOYA AROUNA is a Washington DC-based art dealer/consultant specializing in collector quality traditional African art and ethnographic objects from Cameroon, the Central African Republic Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo regions. Many pieces that Njoya Arouna has acquired have been placed in important private collections in the U.S. and Europe. He frequently serves as an African art consultant for collectors, dealers, and for African art exhibitions.
Njoya Arouna’s depth of experience, his eye for the authentic and unusual, and his appreciation of the aesthetic and historical significance of African art has developed from childhood days under the stewardship of his father, artisans, and other indigenous cultural gatekeepers in the Western Cameroon “Grasslands” region. His father, the late Alassa Mfouapon, was one of the first and most influential pioneers in promoting the artistic traditions of Cameroon and other sub-Saharan African countries in European and American art markets in the 1950s.
Prince Njoya is dedicated to preserving the rich cultural legacy and artistic traditions of the Bamilikem, Bamoun and Tika peoples from the Bamoun Kingdom in the Cameroon western grasslands region, Central Africa He is particularly committed to empowering and engaging the region’s disadvantaged youth groups to play an instrumental role in the stewardship, preservation and promotion of the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the peoples of the Bamoun Kingdom.
Honoring his late father’s legacy, Prince Njoya founded the Njinka Society of Youth Artisans Group of the “Grasslands” The Society’s workshop operates from Foumban “City of the Arts”, one of the oldest traditional art centers in Cameroon.
Established in 2008, the primary mission of NJINKA (a Bamoun term symbolically referencing community unity in artisanship) is to nurture the creative talents of a new generation of Grassland region artisans, and also, to promote art and handicraft sectors as key contributors to the region’s community development.
Under the direction of indigenous master craftsman, the youth of the Njinka Society of Youth Artisans Group are trained in the traditional techniques of wood carving and brass/bronze sculpture casting as handed down by Foumban artisans through generations. Additional techniques like weaving, dyeing, and leatherwork are also taught.
NJINKA Society hosts ??? youth, most of them orphaned ages 5-17 years from Grassland region village comunities. The foundation currently provides food, a safe place to live, medical care, clothing and education and skill training opportunities to aid these youth. The Organization also addresses such community basic necessities as health care, clean water and adequate sanitation.
Prince Njoya’s forward thinking visionalizes building a community art studio facility for Grassland community youth. The physical space will offer mentor-based workshop and training classes led by indigenous craftsman who will share their knowledge of traditional art practices of the Grassland region to help the youth to developtheir artistic gifts and skills. To further empower the youth, the space is planned to include recreational facilities for physical activity and a low-cost youth computer training center.
Njinka Society of Youth Artisans Group of the “Grasslands
The primary mission of the NJINKA art workshop is to empower and cultivate the next generation of Grassland youth artisans; and also, to promote art and handicraft sectors as key contributors to the Grassland region’s community development initiatives.
In keeping with the centuries-old tradition of Cameroonian Grasslands artistic production, a recent project initiated and executed by the Njinka Society of Youth Artisans Group of the “Grasslands pays tribute to the historical and iconic high-profile “Black Panther” 2018 super hero movie which impacted African and worldwide audiences. It also celebrates the life and legacy of the iconic “Black Panther star, the late Chadwick Boseman, their super hero.
Revenues from the sale of the WAKANDA FOREVER artifact will support the urgent needs of communities in the Grasslands region of Western Cameroon currently faced with the desperation of escalating political and economic instability and increasing poverty. The vulnerable young people in the Grasslands region face an urgent lack of opportunities in educational services and in such basic necessities health care, clean water and adequate sanitation. Many of the children are in orphanages. For additional information on the Njinka Society of Yuth Artisans Groups and its artistic productions and/or to support our mission please contact Prince Njoya Arounda by e-mail at africaartprimier @yahoo.c om and/or telephone at (301) 366-8705
