- 1953-08-25 — Soon after becoming a Bahá'í in Kampala, Enoch Olinga, together with fellow new believers Max Kanyerezi and Samson Mungono,
responded to the Guardian's call and left his home in Uganda, to fulfill pioneering goals accompanied by Persian pioneers
Ali and Violette Nakhjavání. Leaving in late August 1953 they traveled for almost 3 months, covering a distance
of over 5000 kilometers.
The first leg took them to Samson Mungono's post in
Kamina, in the Katanga region of the Belgian Congo. They then took a grueling route to
Brazzaville, where Max was dropped off and continued through the thick forests of French
Congo and Gabon, hoping to pass through French Cameroons and finally reach the British
Cameroons. The car broke down in the tropical forest of Gabon leaving the three remaining friends unable to continue. Enoch volunteered to walk
to a town 50 miles ahead through the forbidding jungle to get help.
Upon arrival Enoch was so ill he was hospitalized for two days and could not travel for a week. He told of a dream he had in which Shoghi Effendi took him in his arms to comfort and reassure him in his desperation.
In mid-October they reached the British Cameroons on the very evening of the conclusion of the Holy Year.
Confirmations of the monumental efforts these first African pioneers made soon followed:
Enoch, Max and Samson all successfully brought many local people under the banner of the
Greatest Name.
[A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4] - 1953-10-15 —
Enoch Olinga arrived in Victoria (Limbé) and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for the British Cameroons. [BW13:449]
- The first Cameroonian to become a Bahá'í in British Cameroon was a youth, Jacob Tabot Awo.
- The first Cameroonian adult to become a Bahá'í was Enoch Ngompek of the Bassa tribe.
- The first Cameroonian woman to become a Bahá'í was Esther Obeu, the wife of David Tanyi.
- 1954-04-00 — A mere eight months after settling in British Cameroons, Enoch Olinga, along with
the community of new believers at his pioneering post received a cable from Shoghi
Effendi asking for African believers to settle in British Togoland, French Togoland, the Ashanti Protectorate and in the Northern Territories Protectorate before the following Ridván.
Although Bahá'ís for only a few months, their response was instantaneous; the largest difficulty
arose in limiting themselves to the four names required to fulfill the designated posts. This was determined by a vote. David
Tanyi, Edward Tabe, Benedict Eballa, and Martin Manga were duly selected. Samuel Nyki was sent to French Cameroon. Each one established a Local Spiritual Assembly in their
assigned posts within two years.
[A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4; KoB71] - 1954-04-00 —
Mrs Mehrangiz Munsiff pioneered to the city of Douala in the French Cameroons (later Cameroon). Both she and Mr Samuel Njiki were honoured as Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for this territory. [Bahá'í Journal UK Vol 20, No 5 Jan/Feb 2004, BW13:451; BWNS249]
- For a photo see Bahá'í Media Bank.
- 1964-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa was formed with its seat in Victoria, (now Limbe) in the Cameroon Republic and had the following countries under its jurisdiction: Spanish Guinea, Fernando Po Island, Corisco Island, São Tomé and Principe Islands, Nigeria, Niger, Dahomey, Togo, and Ghana.
[BW14p96]
- 1967-04-21 —
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Cameroon Republic was formed with its seat in Victoria, (now Limbe) Cameroon. It had Spanish Guinea, Fernando Po, Corisco and São Tomé and Príncipe Islands assigned to it.
[BW14p96; Ridván 1966; Mess-63-86 p99]
- The remainder of the group of nations that formed part of the National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa with its seat in Lagos. Within its jurisdiction was Nigeria, Dahomey, Togo, Niger, and Ghana. [BW15p189 Note 1]
- 1971-06-16 — A special seminar for UN member state was held in Yaoundé in observance of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. The Bahá'í International Community was represented by Dr 'Azíz Navídí and Counsellor Dr Mihdí Samandarí. This was the first representation of the Bahá'í International Community with their consultative status. [BW15p368]
- 1971-08-06 —
- 1978-08-01 — An International Bahá'í Youth Conference was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, attended by some 380 Bahá'ís from 19 countries. [BW17:150, 153]
- 1980-03-00 — The first Bahá'í Summer School of the Cameroon Republic was held in Victoria. [BW18:166]
- 2003-06-20 — The passing of Knight of Bahá'u'lláh Ursula Samandari (b. Ursula Newman 29 December, 1909 in Mitcham, Surrey, England) at her pioneering post in Buea, Cameroon. She was buried at the Bahá'í Centre in Buea following a funeral service which included prayers, songs and a eulogy.
She learned of the Faith from Richard St Barbe Baker, Hasan Balyuzi and Dorothy Ferraby and became a believer after two years.
She first pioneered to St Ives, UK in 1945, along with Kathleen Brown and Jessica Young she was the first to pioneer in the British Isles in the Six Year Plan.
She served on the Spiritual Assembly of London and in 1948 moved to Dublin where she was a member of the first Local spiritual assembly and served as the secretary to George Townshend. Ursula served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles from 1945 until 1951. In 1949 she moved to Belfast where she met Mihdi Samandari whom she married in 1951.
In 1953 she and Dr. Mihdi Samandari moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and about a year later in November of 1953, they re-located to Mogadishu, Somalia where they stayed until 1971. [KoB49-50; BWNS 230]
Ursula served on the Regional Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa from 1961 until 1970.
At the request of the Universal House of Justice, they had pioneered to Cameroon where she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly in 1972. She served from 1972 until 1986 with a short interruption of service. Mihdi served on the Continental Board of Copunsellors in the 1970s. [BWNS230, BW'03-'04pg237; UK Bahá'í Journal Vol 20 No 3 Sep/Oct 2003]
- 2008-11-29 — Regional Conferences were held in Antofagasta, Chile, Manila, Philippines and Yaoundé, Cameroon. [BWNS675]
- 2011-04-22 —
The Preparation for Social Action programme was implemented under the Five Year Plan.
The programme drew on the learning of three decades of experience of FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias), in Columbia. It was an approach to social and economic development that addressed both the material and the spiritual dimensions of human existence. The programme aimed at assisting youth to understand certain concepts, learn a range of relevant facts, and acquire certain qualities, attitudes and skills that would enable them to promote the well-being of their people in fields as diverse as health, education, the environment, secondary production and community organization.
- At the beginning of the Plan, the programme was being implemented in nine countries, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Zambia and involved some 1,500 to 3,000 participants. [5YPSumPage94-95]
- For further information see video entitled 2017 Teach For All Global Conference - Grassroots Stirrings in the Preparation for Social Action Program, Colombia
- See the thesis Knowledge Sharing for Community Developement: Educational Benefits at the Community Level through Networks of Knowledge Flow and Communities of Practice by Emily Lample.
- For further information please see Uplifting Words.
- 2015-04-09 — The passing of Dr Joseph Roy Sheppherd (b. 18 June 1949 in Apple Valley, San Bernardino County in California) in Trnavsky, Slovakia. He was buried at Cantorín Kamenná cesta in Trnavsky. Find a grave.
He was a cultural/linguistic anthropologist and engaging storyteller, wrote numerous nonfiction and fiction books and dramatic works influenced by Bahá'í themes. He served the Faith as a pioneer in Panama, Colombia, Cameroon and Slovakia; strengthened his scholarly pursuits during 13 years in Britain; and worked with various populations in the United States and abroad to preserve cultural heritage.
Among his publications are: A Leaf of Honey and the Proverbs of the Rainforest and A Wayfarer's Guide to Bringing the Sacred Home. - 2024-10-16 — In a message the Universal House of Justice announced the intention to build a further two national Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs, one in Brasilia, Brazil and the other in Lilongwe, Malawi as will as a local Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Batouri, Cameroon. [Message 16 October 2024]
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