About Me
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
When I was five years old, my mother, Mama Membou’, returned from the farm after a long and gruelling day during the harshest time of the year—when the land is dry and barren, with no crops to harvest, commonly known as the drought season. It’s a time when farmers, out of sheer necessity, must rely on whatever the stubborn earth will yield. All day long, armed with her hoe, Mama Membou’ raked and dug, and raked and dug, hoping to find something, anything, that would sustain us.
Our Story
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But the earth was unforgiving. As she turned the soil over and over again, only pebbles emerged—cold, hard, and lifeless. With the sun sinking low and hope slipping away, she stopped for a moment, her eyes watering with tears and sweat dripping down her face. Was this a curse or another trick from Mother Nature? She wondered as she looked up into the sky. Her bewildered face lit up with a gradual smile and a nodding head, as if she had suddenly had a moment of clarity, an answer from the heavens or maybe had just decided to give up and surrender to her fate. Anyway, mama Membou’ made a decision that only a mother with the wisdom of the ages could make, she picked up those pebbles, one by one, and placed them gently into her basket.
When she finally came home, exhausted but not defeated, we children rushed to her side. Our little hands eagerly reached to help her put the basket down, our hearts racing with the hope that she had brought back something to quell the gnawing hunger in our bellies. But as we tore open the basket, our eyes widened in disbelief. There was no food—only a heap of dusty pebbles. The disappointment hit us like a wave, and our faces fell in silent anger and despair.
Sensing our distress, Mama Membou’ did something remarkable. She looked at us with a tender smile, one that only a mother who has seen and endured much could wear. In a voice as soothing as a lullaby, she said, “My beloved children, these pebbles you see are no ordinary pebbles. If you cook them with enough patience, they will soften, and become as sweet and succulent as the yams of Mount Ndoumbock. Trust me. Wash them, and we will cook them.”
Her words were strange, almost magical, and though they made little sense to our young ears, we had unwavering faith in her. We did as she instructed, washing the pebbles with the same care we would give to precious yams. Once the pot was on the fire, Mama Membou’ began to sing.
Oh, that song—how can I ever forget it? A good song is the secret flavour to a great story. I felt it, that song was the song of Revolution. And cooking stones was no ordinary story – It was a powerful statement of defiance, an act of rebellion against the status quo. A revolutionary move to turn even the hardest of pebbles into the sweetest of memories.
If you feel the rhythm in your heart and want to uncover how this story truly ends, don’t just listen from afar—join me.
Our Mission
We are committed to share our stories. This not only enables others to discover who we are, but also enables our people to know themselves better. And, the stories told do not have the sole purpose of pleasing the senses, they are engaging and draw the public into thinking about the problems of the village.
Project Background
The Africa Léé project originates from the observation that Africa is failing to develop because it bases its growth on foreign assets rather than on its intrinsic strengths. More specifically, we ignore and despise our closest ancestors but embrace that of others whose religious books curse us from the first pages.
Africans eat food from elsewhere, practice other peoples’ religions, speak the language of others, only trust others’ medicine, etc. We eat cassava daily but we grow coffee and cocoa that we don’t use. In short, we consume what we don’t produce and produce what we don’t consume
What We Stand For
It is in this context that the Africa Léé project which means Listen to Yourself, steps in. It states that by discovering its way and listening to its own voice, its inner voice, Africa will develop with confidence. Our project intends to tell our own stories to our people so that they become aware of the issues and problems that prevent them from moving forward. It tells the stories of our own heroes to give our people benchmarks and models.
Our Long-Term Goal
Africa léé, "hear thyself" comes to pave the way in which any development program must be inscribed. The aim is that through Stories From My Village, Africans have a better understanding of themselves and act according to their own needs