LIFE-STORY

CameroonBits

An Offshoot of SakerPride: http://www.sakerpride.com/

A Hodgepodge of News, Stories , Announcements & Events ...

TELLING UNIQUE, EXTRAORDINARY & INSPIRATIONAL LIFE STORIES ...

THE ACHA - ATIBA MBIWAN STORY

The whole INTRIGUING, MIND-BOGGLING, SURREAL story surrounding the STUNNING discovery that a certain African American gentleman named MICHAEL WARD at birth had, totally unbeknownst to us, taken and carried on our Family Name - MBIWAN, in honor of our Late Brother, ACHA MBIWAN, for 30+ years, began back in September of 2012! We discovered, very soon after I initiated contact with him, that my daughter (Manuela Monjimbo) and his daughter (Keisha Mbiwan), were both attending CORNELL University at the time, and that he and our oldest Sister - Ebob Mbiwan Tanyi, are both born on MAY 1st, exactly 1 year apart! Which means that, on the same day Mr. and Mrs. MBIWAN were celebrating their first daughter's first birthday on May 1st 1959 in Owerri, Nigeria, (where they were stationed at the time), Mr. and Mrs. WARD were welcoming their son, MICHAEL into the world, thousands of miles and an ocean away, in Rhode Island, U.S.A.! How could either set of parents have ever guessed, much less known any of what would happen way down the pike?? And if they had had an inkling and ventured to share even one tenth of it publicly; WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THEM??? No one in their right mind and Certainly not I!

If you have no clue what I am talking about, you may want to check out the whole story at:

IS GOD AWESOME OR WHAT??!!

In any case, my children & I subsequently got to meet ATIBA MBIWAN (formerly known as MICHAEL WARD) and his wonderful family in the Winter of 2012. (SEE PHOTO ALBUM DIRECTLY BELOW)

http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/acha-mbiwan/MemorialSite.aspx

Atiba let us know that he and his wife Tiffany were planning on visiting Didi in Houston, on the eve of our brother Acha's Birthday. The timing could not have been more perfect, given that, that Sunday, November 24th was already set aside as AFRICAN THANKSGIVING SUNDAY at St. PAUL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in Houston, where Didi has worshiped since 1985 and where she occupies more positions than I think she herself could possibly list!! She was of course, EXCITED at the chance to FINALLY meet her brother in person, and I did not see how I could possibly miss out on this UNIQUE opportunity to join in a VERY SPECIAL THANKSGIVING so I got myself a ticket and ... I'll just let the CAPTIONED PHOTO ALBUM BELOW TELL THE STORY!

THE STORY CONTINUES ... FAST FORWARD TO

Sunday, November 24 2013!!!

The following lines were part of a KEYNOTE ADDRESS I delivered at the 2014 ExSSA-UK CONVENTION in Bracknell, U.K. on Saturday 30 August 2014 :

"Want to know my plans for October 10 2014? My sisters and I will, GOD WILLING, be attending the WARD FAMILY REUNION in Atlanta, Georgia, with our BROTHER and we plan to introduce him to the rest of his RELATIVES in Cameroon, come December of 2015!"

WELL, WELL! GOD DID WILL that my Sister Didi and I attend the TWYMAN-WARD FAMILY REUNION, and as the 2 PICTURE ALBUMS posted below do attest, it was a MEMORABLE weekend!!! Can still not stop pinching myself. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!

THE TWYMAN-WARD FAMILY REUNION

ATLANTA, GEORGIA ~ October 14 & 15 2014

PILGRIMAGE TO CAMEROON ~ A DREAM FULFILLED!!!

December 17 - 27 2015

AT EGBE'S 50th BIRTHDAY BASH!

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA ~ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 2014

He had been in JAMAICA all week for a CYCLING MEET for the benefit of underprivileged kids all week and flew back into Atlanta on Saturday, November 14 2014. He practically dropped off his bags and hit the road, driving the 4 hours it takes to get from his home to Charlotte!!! What more could any Little Sister ask for????? So very GRATEFUL!!!

From:

Atiba Mbiwan

Sent:Wed 11/25/15 6:09 PM

To:

Didi Ndando ; Egbe Monjimbo

Cc:

Ebob Tanyi

Dear Mbiwan Sisters,

Acha Birthday Greetings!

My intent all along was to purchase my “Cameroon homecoming ticket” on a special day and it has arrived – Acha’s birthday! This was my gift to him and to me and to you three.

Attached is an email message with the details of my flight arrival (leaving Atlanta on 12/16 and arriving at Douala International Airport on 12/17) and departure (leaving Douala International Airport on 12/27 at 11:55 pm), which was designed with the “Tentative Programme For Atiba’s Visit” in mind.

Please let me know if there is any logistical problem with my flight arrangements or other travel considerations.

I will take care of my Yellow Fever Vaccine, visa and other logistics over the next three weeks so that I can see you beautiful sisters and other family members back home in the mother land!

In the meantime, I hope that Egbe and Didi’s families will enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., while I take it easy at home as I countdown to December 16th…

One Love,

Atiba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From:

Atiba Mbiwan

Sent:

Wed 12/02/15 10:12 PM

To:

Didi Ndando ; Ebob Tanyi

Cc:

eyeretakor@yahoo.com; Egbe Monjimbo

I finally accomplished the one task that I did not think would be such a challenge – getting the Yellow Fever Vaccine!

Evidently, Egbe was on it when she mentioned that there is a national shortage because it is being felt in Atlanta, but Passport Health came through just in time.

Anyway, I was vaccinated today and I sent my yellow card verification along with my visa application to the Cameroon Embassy.

Hopefully, it will be processed and my visa and passport will be back in my hands by December 16th.

Keeping the faith,

Atiba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From:

Atiba Mbiwan

Sent:

Sun 11/29/15 10:28 AM

To:

Ebob Tanyi

Cc:

Didi Ndando; Egbe Monjimbo; eyeretakor@yahoo.com

Sister Ebob

As you well know, my upcoming visit to Cameroon is the trip that I have been waiting for my entire adult life!

Nevertheless, it will be the first time and not the last time I visit Cameroon, according to my life plan.

This trip is a solo adventure, for a variety of reasons, but my next visit will definitely include my children who carry on the Mbiwan name.

Using the time frame provided in the itinerary that was shared with me for our June conference call (Tentative Programme for Atiba's Visit: December 2015), including the associated assumptions, I made my flight arrangements.

Unfortunately, my job has a limit on vacation days and I have reached it for the 2015 year, so I cannot extend my visit beyond the 27th December because I have to be at work on the 29th December.

One Love,

Brother Atiba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From:

Atiba Mbiwan

Sent:

Wed 12/09/15 3:53 PM

To:

Ebob Tanyi; Didi Ndando; Egbe Monjimbo

Cc:

Eyere Takor

My Mbiwan Sisters

Good news – my passport with the Cameroon visa arrived at my office today!

I have one week before my flight departs from Atlanta so the countdown begins.

Please let me know if you have any advice regarding clothing, money or any issue that I should act upon to prepare for my trip to Cameroon.

Looking forward to our reunion,

Brother Atiba

On Sunday, December 20th 2015, Atiba posted the note below on FACEBOOK:

SEASON GREETINGS from CAMEROON!

It was 35 years ago when I made my first trip to the motherland to study at the University of Lagos in Nigeria and I had the good fortune to meet Acha Mbiwan, a fellow student from Cameroon.

From September to December 1980, Acha and I bonded like brothers because he took me under his wing and made my experience as an "occasional student" at UniLag extraordinary!

In January 1981, I returned to college at Brown University and my fellow study abroad partner Bob Mabry, who remained in Nigeria one month longer, informed me of the devastating news that Acha had died in a car accident back home in Cameroon!

I did not have Acha's family's contact information in Cameroon and I wanted to keep his memory alive so I eventually decided to accept the name "Atiba" that was given to me by Brown University Music Professor "Brother Ah" (AKA Robert Northern, renown orchestral musician and ethnomusicologist) and adopt the surname Mbiwan to honor Acha.

Thanks to the search power of the internet, over 30 years later, Acha's sisters - Ebob, DiDi and Egbe - discovered me and my Acha connection in 2012 with a Google search for "Mbiwan". In November 2012, just before Acha's birthday, I spoke with Egbe, who was living and teaching in Charlotte, NC, by phone and the family ties were realized.

Our families (Egbe in North Carolina and Didi in Texas) have reunited in the U.S. over the past three years but this is the first reunion in Cameroon and I have finally met the oldest sister Ebob this week, along with her amazing children.

For Christmas, I will have a special celebration with all three sisters and their family members in Mamfe, where we will pay tribute to their parents and Acha at the grave sites in B'abang.

Keep us in your prayers and let this story about family and faith inspire you to honor all the human beings that positively touch your life and affirm humanity's connectivity.

ONE LOVE from CAMEROON.

Atiba Mbiwan

FIRST DAYS IN CAMEROON!!

TRIP TO MAMFE/BESONGABANG!!!!

(December 24 & 25 2015)

VISIT TO MOKUNDA!!!

FAREWELL LUNCH AT THE TAKORS (LIMBE)

(Sunday, December 27 2015)

"THE 7", HANGING OUT WITH UNCLE 'TIBS!!!

And here, for your benefit, Dear Atiba, is the PHOTO ALBUM OF DIDI & VICTOR'S 25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION that took place on DECEMBER 30 2016 at ALCEF PARK, since you missed it!!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ALBUM!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ALBUM!

NDANDO SILVER ANNIVERSARY (LIMBE)

(Wednesday, December 30 2015)

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ALBUM!

PLEASE CLICK ON BOTH THESE IMAGES TO VIEW ALBUMS

PHOTO ALBUMS & VIDEOS OF ENTIRE 2 DAY EVENT POSTED AT:

http://www.sakerpride.com/50th-BASH.html

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE ALBUM!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE CAPTIONED ALBUM!

MEETING ATIBA & HIS FAMILY FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!

Saturday, December 29 2012

ACHA MBIWAN

25 November 1959 ~ January 1 1981

ATIBA MBIWAN

(Born MICHAEL WARD)

CHRISTMAS DAY 2015 ~ BESONGABANG

A PROMISE KEPT!

Curious to know how it all came together??? I BET!!!

Well, it started with an email to all 3 of us, his Mbiwan Sisters, on Acha's Birthday. JUST READ ON!!!

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE CAPTIONED

(E.A. MBIWAN) FAMILY TREE ALBUM AS PRESENTED AT THE TWYMAN-WARD FAMILY REUNION.

In Ascending order of Age, Left to Right:

Egbe Mbiwan Monjimbo, Didi Mbiwan Ndando, Atiba Mbiwan & Ebob Mbiwan Tanyi

Right to Left: Tiffany (Atiba's wife), Mrs. Mary Ward (Atiba's Mom), Atiba, Didi, Atiba's mother-in-law, Me, Ms Marcia Carpenter (Atiba's cousin), Donna Stewart (Atiba's Sister), Donna (Atiba's Cousin) and Keisha Mbiwan (Atiba's daughter).

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE CAPTIONED ALBUM!

With Manuela & George Monjimbo

Meeting Cousin Grace Ewusi

With Didi Mbiwan Ndando

Atiba, Didi & Egbe

Egbe, Manuela, George & Atiba

Visiting Mrs. Elizabeth Efeti Mbiwan nee Mbongo's Grave in Womaka (Mile 17), BUEA

Friday, December 18 2015

Visiting Mr. E.A. Mbiwan's Grave in Besongabang (MAMFE)

(Friday, December 25 2015)

Visiting The MATRIARCH of the MBONGO Family - Ma Dora Ewusi nee MBONGO in Mokunda (BUEA)

Saturday, December 26 2015

2 FOR 2!!

THEY'VE DONE YOU PROUD, BRO!!!!!

Both your namesakes, (The Monjimbo & Ndando "versions"), have now graduated college!!!

May 2015: George ACHA Monjimbo graduated from the University of North Carolina at CHAPEL HILL!!

May 2016: ACHA Jide Ndando graduated from the United States Military Academy at WEST POINT!!

SEE, BRO???

I made it a point (last year when your niece spoiled me with a Spring Trip to PARIS, to "replicate" your 1980 CHAMPS ELYSEES picture with the ARC DE TRIOMPHE in the background!!!

And can you believe a terrorist blew himself up a few feet away from this very spot barely 1 week after???

2016: Atiba & Tiffany were with us in New York to celebrate AJ's Graduation!!!!

L to R: Atiba, Me, Manuela, Didi, AJ, Tiffany, Mimi, Nsela and JJ.

Atiba sure earned that fist pump from the elated father of the grad!

REST IN PEACE, POPPA JOHN HENRY WARD Jr. (Atiba's Dad)

This whole "story" may never have happened, if it weren't for YOU!!

THANK YOU!!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW A FEW PICTURES FROM THE CELEBRATION OF POPPA JOHN'S LIFE HELD ON SUNDAY, 11/18/18

Late JOHN HENRY WARD Jr.

July 5 1935 ~ October 18 2018

Didi & I with Poppa John at the Twyman-Ward Family Reunion in Atlanta - October 2014

ATIBA'S FACEBOOK OBITUARY/TRIBUTE:

Atiba Mbiwan

October 28 at 10:48 PM

For the past 10 days, I have been coping with the loss of my 83 year young dad-John Henry Ward, Jr., who was affectionately known as “Poppa John” to our family and friends.

It was five years ago that I finally joined the FB world and I may have posted five times since then because I am not a virtual man and neither was my keep-it-real father, but this moment calls me to speak up to the online community about Poppa John.

He was a son of the south (Virginia) who migrated to New York with his family and made his mark in Jamaica, Queens by graduating from Jamaica HS (1953) as Senior Class President (thanks Jelani for the New Yorker interview) and then meeting the love of his life - Mary Verdier, my amazing mom.

My pop was a cop - NYPD Blue for 17 years, through the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s, yet he raised three kids, loved his wife, coached young men with hoop dreams and never exhibited the behavior of policemen who abuse their power.

John Henry would win people over with his smile, his laugh and his humor, refusing to use any force in any situation.

I learned how to treat women with respect, how to treat children with tenderness, how to cook with joy, how to ride a bike for life, how to be a teammate at work and at play, and how to believe that we can be better human beings from growing up with Poppa John.

In August 2018, we celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of my father and mother

and it was extraordinary because they loved and liked each other deeply after six decades together, an achievement that is rare among human beings.

His spirit lives on in me and so many others and we will pay tribute to him on November 18th in Miami, FL. Long live Poppa John’s loving ways!

With Atiba, (holding his "other Father's" Memorial Booklet, Awwww!!), at Poppa John's Celebration of Life in Miami, Florida. (11/18/18)

Atiba at Acha's Grave in Besongabang (Mamfe) - Cameroon

... AND ON THIS Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. DAY

(Monday, 21 January 2019)

Received this text last night from a Dear High School Classmate ...

Checked it out and found out it was about Big Bro Atiba and his wife, Tiffany, (below) and the INSPIRING way they and their neighbors were able to get together and have the name of their street changed from a disquieting "CONFEDERATE AVENUE" to a much more welcoming "UNITED AVENUE"!!!!!

OBVIOUSLY, it is because the CNN article (see LINK below) cites the name "MBIWAN" several times throughout the article (in reference to Atiba), that it caught my classmate's attention in the first place; and all of that wouldn't have happened, had it not been for the Largesse d'Esprit of The Late John Henry Ward Jr. !!!

No disrespect meant or intended to the Larger-Than-Life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but on this particular MLK Jr. Day, I remember with IMMENSE GRATITUDE what BOTH MEN accomplished!!

GOD REST BOTH THEIR SOULS!!!

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/atlanta-confederate-united-avenue/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F

Photos Creds: CNN

JOHN HENRY WARD Jr.

July 5 1935 ~ October 18 2018

MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr.

January 15 1929 ~ April 4 1968

PLEASE CLICK ON LINK ABOVE TO READ THE ENTIRE CNN ARTICLE

HAPPY MLK Jr. DAY

A TRIBUTE TO Ms EBOB MBIWAN TANYI ON HER 61st BIRTHDAY, today, Tuesday, May 1st 2019!!

SURPRISE THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION

ALCEF PARK, LIMBE ~ SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30th 2018

RETIREMENT HONORS & RECOGNITION!

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO VIEW PICTURES FROM THE CELEBRATION ON

Sunday, December 30th 2018

... And now, FAST-FORWARD to Monday, February 18 2019 in BERTOUA, during the Annual Meeting of the leadership of the Nationwide BILINGUAL TRAINING PROGRAM: A well merited, earned and deserved RECOGNITION of decades of UNINTERRUPTED, SCANDAL & KONDENGUI-FREE, IMPECCABLE SERVICE to the nation.

Here's how she put it herself, in a FACEBOOK post:

"It's 40 years; my goodness!

From the 21 year-old teacher at Lycée Bilingue Molyko, to the Bilingual Training Programme for 33 years of Yaoundé-Douala-Yaoundé, then Douala once more to send down roots for 23 of those 33 years!

Now, there are rolls of plumpness everywhere on this body, and gratefulness immeasurable everywhere in this heart!!

Thank you, Father Almighty, Immortal, Invincible, Maker of heaven and earth!"

... TO WHICH I CANNOT HELP BUT BUT ADD A THUNDERING, RESOUNDING, AAAAMEN and AMEN!!! WELL DONE, MA 'BOB!!!!

THE SURPRISE!!!! LOL!!!

The poor "girl" believed the "lie" she had been told for months, which is that the EVENT was a little "something" for wedded-just-the-day-before DAUGHTER and SON-IN-LAW! Hihihi!!!