Like a Glass of Fresh Water in Cameroon

mercredi 10 mars 2010 19:00

Écrit par Birger Pohl, from interviews with Evelyne Telp and Pierre Boquié

“This gentleman’s words are very enjoyable. I like it a lot.”

“After listening to him I feel as if I’d just drunk a glass of fresh water.”

“When I heard the Introduction to The Keys, that night I slept as if I was under an air conditioner.”

With comments like these, people of the Republic of Cameroon have been expressing their appreciation, respect, and sincere thankfulness for the message of Prem Rawat, whose words have been enjoyed especially by those in the country’s villages via DVD presentations.

“The rich human diversity in Cameroon gives people a culture as varied as the population,” says Evelyne Telp, a French woman who frequently travels back to her native country of Cameroon. “Fraternity, unity, and solidarity is a vital basis for life in the villages. When I think about a Cameroonian the word that comes to mind is joy, about any subject. Almost any occasion is a good reason for a feast. The Cameroonian spirit is very much anchored in tradition. Despite the introduction of media such as television and Internet, the traditional culture remains the foundation for many people, even the young,” Evelyne says.

Lost History

“For many reasons, it is difficult to obtain precise information on the history of how Prem Rawat’s message came to Cameroon. I was told that about 20 years ago, a young Cameroonian man traveled to Côte d’Ivoire and learned the techniques of Knowledge — a practical way that Prem Rawat teaches to discover peace within. Upon his return to Cameroon he told a woman named Brigitte about the message, and she started organizing video events at her house. Regrettably, she passed away over ten years ago and everything fell into oblivion,” Evelyne explains.

“In the big cities, the message is presented by word of mouth. People don’t show up in big numbers at public events, possibly because they don’t trust public arrangements. Only if it is presented by someone close to them does it feel credible. In the villages, it is the opposite situation: the villagers pay a lot of attention to the message.

“If I were to summarize the enthusiasm that prevails in the villages, I would say that it is like a celebration in the evenings after the farm work to watch The Keys. It is a source of conviviality and of getting together. It’s very inspiring to see the way people evolve in emotion, admiration, and enjoyment.”

Open Future

Today, Prem Rawat's message of peace is known in such big cities as Douala, Yaoundé, Edéa, and Bertoua, as well as in villages such as Dibombari, Bonabéri and Massoumbou. In June, fifteen people learned the techniques of Knowledge and almost 400 Cameroonians are now in the process of watching The Keys.

In November 2009, Evelyne returned to Cameroon, where many people have been eager to learn more. Her hope is to broadcast this message throughout the countryside of the Douala region by traveling from village to village with DVDs of Prem Rawat’s talks.

When she arrives in a village, she first meets with the village chief, shows him a ten-minute presentation on a portable player, and then asks about his first impression. In general, it is very positive. "This guy, he had a good chat!” is a typical reaction. Then she puts on a DVD with excerpts from several events with Prem Rawat and leaves an envelope with the latest French edition of the magazine ADI as well as a pamphlet on The Keys. Before leaving, she quietly encourages them to look through these materials.

A week later, she returns to see if the chief is interested in a DVD presentation of the message for the entire village. So far, all of them have been interested.

“In every village we visited we have installed a TV and a DVD player and sometimes a generator,” Evelyne says. “And people are so grateful and simple that it is deeply touching.”

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