1. Family Life:
Daddy Awa was born in Pinyin in 1940, in Santa Sub-division, Mezam Division. He was the
first son of Late Pa Simon Awa and Late Ma Carperna Menyam. At his very early age, he
succeeded his grandfather Tanyu’u Chi. From then he grew up as a family head in the Tanyu’u
Chi’s family; an extended polygamous family that has roots in Pinyin and Akum. Daddy
devoted his whole life caring for this enlarged family. He was also a traditional title holder -
NDHEY NKEMNGHE. Daddy was called NKEMNGHE as a function of his advisory role in the
palace, by the Fon of Pinyin in council. He was later singled out for the title of “Ndheydevelopment,” translated as the “Noble of development.” Daddy Awa was very friendly, cheerful, loving, kind, soft spoken and a fun-timer. He would
crack jokes and cheer everyone up, even during sad moments. Daddy got married to Dr. Mrs. Magdalene Shiri Halle-Awa on December 12, 1970. Daddy is
survived by his wife, 6 children, 16 grandchildren, 3 brothers, the entire Tanyu’u Chi family and
many friends.
2. Education:
Ndhey Nkemnghe was an agronomist. As a pupil, Daddy lived with his uncle Late Pa Cheboh,
who was a court clerk. He attended the Native Authority Schools (primary) in Santa and Bafut. He graduated from Cameroon Protestant College (C.P.C) Bali in 1959, where he obtained
the West African School Certificate. In 1967, he graduated from the New Mexico State
University, USA, with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Then he went on to attain a Master
of Science in Agriculture in 1968, from the Michigan State University, USA. In the 80s, Daddy attended various agronomy symposiums and internships, obtaining various
certificates, two of them from Mississippi State University and University of Illinois, (USA), schools of agriculture. He believed in education and made it a responsibility to educate his
junior ones, without discrimination.
3. Working life:
Upon returning to his Fatherland from the United States, Daddy Awa served as an Agronomist,
teaching in the School of Agriculture, Bambili, and later at the Agricultural Research Institute
in Bambili. He was later transferred to the Institute of Agronomic Research, Ekona, South West
Province, where he served as an Agricultural Scientist. From Ekona, he moved to Yaoundé as
Deputy General Director of MIDEVIV (La Mission de Développement Des cultures Vivrieres,
et Fruitieres) in 1981. Daddy also served as Director in the Ministry of Agriculture in the Central
Regional Delegation and as Technical Adviser in the delegation of agriculture in the N.W.
Region. He retired in June 1994 and spent his time at his Ntarinkon residence.
4. Church life:
Daddy was a devoted Christian of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (P.C.C.) and served
the Church in many capacities. He began as a deacon in the late 1980s in P.C. Bastos,
Yaounde. On October 25, 1998, he was first dedicated as elder in P.C. Azire, Bamenda. He
was chairman of the Finance Committee from 1998 to 2004. He joined the Christian Men
Fellowship (CMF), Azire in 1995. He was patron to many groups in P.C. Azire and elder to the
New Zion Choir Azire, Bamenda. He was PC Azire’s Property elder for five years. Pa always
held bible studies and prayers with the family. He was passionate about the spread of the
word of God, especially in the Presbyterian Church Mamben, Pinyin. He decried idol
worshiping and got rid of all shrines, stone gods, tree gods, etc., from family members in the
village.
5. Social Life:
In 2020, Daddy Awa celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary to his lovely and dedicated wife
Dr. Mrs. Awa. “He was a husband worth his salt,” she said recently, “a pillar to his nuclear and
family at large.” His grandchildren recount him playing with them. They had fun running around
the house with Grandpa and extracting (eating snacks). His hobbies were farming, reading,
and playing games such as scrabble, rook, etc. One could always see him at social gatherings
enjoying various musical genres such as “country dance”, makossa, pachanga, and rock and
roll. Daddy Awa was well read, with his favorite book being the Bible. He loved people, which was
evidenced through his frequent hosting of a diverse company that bridged generational, socio
economical, and intellectual differences. From the young to the elderly, he captured their
interest in good conversations. Daddy enjoyed being an active BOBA (Bali Old Boys
Association). He belonged to the Pinyin Development Organization (PDO) and was influential
towards promoting developmental projects carried out in Pinyin. These included road
maintenance, electrification and water supply projects, palace and health center constructions,
and the renovation of churches.
6. Health Challenges:
Daddy experienced some health challenges in the past 4 years, which limited his trips to the
village to attend to family matters, amongst others. He slept in the Lord on Saturday June 12,
2021 at about 6:30 p.m. in the Bamenda General Hospital. The family is thankful to all the medical personnel and caregivers who treated and took care
of Daddy.
We also want to extend a big Thank You to everyone for the love and support
through this difficult time.
Daddy, we love you and you will remain forever in our hearts!
