TRADITIONAL HEALER INTERPRETS WHY CHILDREN CRY AT NIGHT

Health children feeding in a typical environment I refer to

The Wimbum do not have a medical system, but are confronted with a wide–ranging complex of illnesses and other misfortunes for which all the various kinds of healers, whether traditional or biomedical should, between them, have a cure. Medicine is seen not as a system but as part of the necessary cultural camouflage that enables one to survive.

Pa Njobe was a traditional healer and expert in children’s health complications. He lived above our Kieku quarter in Bondu quarter all of the Binjong Ward in Tabenken Village, Donga Mantung Division of the North West Region of Cameroon. After my sickness during early childhood days (about the age of 4), I had not fallen ill again for a long time. I was taken to Pa Njobe in Bondu quarter sometimes when I had stomach bite. On arrival in his treatment room, he placed his hand on my navel and a maggot came out. We took home a litre of boiled herbs which I drank for some days and from that time onwards I had  never been sick nor experience the stomach bite again up to age of above thirty. The traditional healer was a specialist in children’s sicknesses and most mothers in the Wimbum area took children who cried at night to him. His compound was large and because women came there from far and nearby villages some of these women took residence in his large compound waiting for treatment depending on their case. Ever since Pa Njobe touched my stomach and a maggot came out it was mysterious to me. This was because I didn’t see this maggot in his hand at the time he was preparing to touch my navel. I have heard stories about Pa Njobe and when it came to my case I was very vigilant observing him. It was believed that children who cry at night had an insect in their navel troubling them and must be removed.

After mine was removed mysteriously at the time, I didn’t believe in it but later on argued that if the stomach bite had come to an end then it was thanks to this practice of Pa Njobe. Of recent on CRTV media one advert says that one pampers equals one dry night and makes children sleep well and peaceful but what if the child cries when there isn't bedwitting? Mothers even though illiterate are scientific too.

Parents in remote and rural areas especially those dogmatic ones foolishly think that when they leave their children with the clergy they are in safe hands. This is not true. Some of these believes have cost some children their lives. Many of such unfortunate children were and are still nowadays being sexually abused by these clergy. If God helps you or rather if you find favour with God you will learn that the greatest wickedness in this world comes from people who disguise to be godly. Earlier mentioned, Jesus was killed by priests who had studied the law of God so well and should have known him.