Memoirs of a Mbororo by Henri Bocquené

Memoirs of a Mbororo

The Life of Ndudi Umaru: Fulani Nomad of Cameroon

Henri Bocquené

Berghahn Books · Print & ebook · December 1, 2002

This remarkable book recounts the life of Ndudi Umaru, a pastoral nomadic Fulani, who was born in the Nigeria-Cameroon border zone, but spent most of his life in Cameroon where he was treated for leprosy.

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Who it’s for
Ndudi Umaru’s recorded observations open onto Mbororo society and West African social worlds.
Themes
Mbororo pastoral society, Life with leprosy, West African social change
Genres
African Studies, Cultural Heritage Lives, How Cultures Work

About this book

This remarkable book recounts the life of Ndudi Umaru, a pastoral nomadic Fulani, who was born in the Nigeria-Cameroon border zone, but spent most of his life in Cameroon where he was treated for leprosy. Left to his own devices at an early age—his illness having separated him from his kith and kin—Ndudi is befriended by Père Boquené, a French missionary who takes him on as a field assistant.

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Working closely with the young man, Père Boquené realizes Ndudi is a keen observer of his own pastoral society, with its links to a wider social setting, and suggests he record his observations on tape. The result is a rare and sensitive collaboration, which sheds new insight into the world of the Mbororo and the complex and ever-changing social mosaic of West African savanna societies. Ndudi's leprosy and his efforts to find a cure grant him the necessary perspective to analyze this complex world, while still remaining a part of it. For the western public, the Mbororo have often been the photogenic subjects of "Disappearing World" documentaries or glossy coffee table books. However, this account renders "the exotic" comprehensible, preserving the cultural authenticity of Ndudi's story while making this unique world more accessible to outsiders.

Mbororo Society

Ndudi Umaru’s recorded observations open onto Mbororo society and West African social worlds.

Come here for

  • Ndudi Umaru’s observations of Mbororo pastoral society
  • A life shaped by leprosy and separation from kin

Expect

  • A life story rooted in the Nigeria-Cameroon border zone
  • A collaboration between Ndudi Umaru and Père Boquené

Where it sits

Cultural Heritage Lives47%
How Cultures Work35%
African Studies27%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • West African History
  • Colonialism & Its Aftermath
  • Cultural Anthropology
Authors
Henri Bocquené
Publisher
Berghahn Books
Published
December 1, 2002
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Mbororo pastoral society · Life with leprosy · West African social change
Reading lane
West African History