Publish at May 31 2023 Updated May 31 2023
Among the African originalities that have crossed periods and borders is the tontine. What is tontine? What makes it so original? Why is it being exported? Given its success, shouldn't this model be taught in schools?
In Africa, and particularly in Cameroon, there is a well-known solidarity model known as "tontine". In an article entitled "Tontine et banque en contexte camerounais" Louis Roger Kemayou, François Guebou Tadjuidje and Marie Sophie Madiba in presenting the Cameroonian banking context assert:
Marginally to these and to varying degrees, Africans have developed forms of savings of a socio-cultural nature, known as "tontines", and based on the values of mutual aid, solidarity, sociability and above all preservation of the cultural heritage of the family and/or region."
Tontines are therefore a form of mutual aid between communities.
In simpler terms, people come together in groups. They are either related by blood, friendship or profession, and decide to meet periodically. They set dates and amounts to contribute. At each meeting, one of the members eats into the tontine, i.e. benefits from the contribution. It is often thanks to this sum of money that some people undertake projects.
It is based on the trust of the members. However, it sometimes happens that people are unable to contribute or disappear into thin air after having eaten. Sanctions are often imposed and can range from simple deregistration to the lodging of a complaint. This form of contribution and savings has undergone the arrival of banks but despite this it is still relevant today as there are Cameroonians who do not trust banks; some having gone bankrupt without reimbursing savers.
The tontine or Djangui is adapting to modernity. An application dedicated to its practice has seen the light of day in Germany. It is the work of an expatriate Cameroonian, namely Jules Guilain Kenfack, a computer engineer.
The tontine model has inspired one of the biggest bankers in Africa today: Paul Fokam Kammogne.
Paul Fokam Kammogne is a Cameroonian from the country's western region, one of the regions renowned for being the stronghold of the tontine.After his stay in Europe, this management specialist founded a microfinance company called MC2 in 1992, based on a formula: "VP = MC2, i.e. Victory over Poverty (VP) is possible if the Means (M) and Skills (C) of the Community (C) are put together." (O my africa). This formula is inspired by the tontine.
In fact, village communities, the main players in the tontine, are invited to deposit their savings in this local microfinance. They can also withdraw them whenever they wish. Shopkeepers, farmers and many others in the rural areas where the bank has been set up will flock to the bank to deposit their savings, which they will be able to withdraw as soon as they wish. Djoum Kouomou Serge sums up the MC2s in these terms:
The Cameroonian network of Mutuelles Communautaires de Croissance (MC2) is an innovative example among these self-help associations. It has its own umbrella structure that provides economies of scale, but allows associations at local level to have some leeway in terms of products and services, even in terms of financial statement preparation and reporting.
Paul Fokam's Afriland First Bank, one of the best banks in Africa, is an outgrowth of the MCRs. This is proof that tontine has made the billionaire a success. If mutual aid is done through money, there are other different forms: the construction of housing.
In Western Sahara, a territory that has been claiming its independence since 1976, the construction of huts or houses called jaima is the work of women.The jaima is a type of tent found in communities made up of nomadic populations. In the Sahara, people live in tents made or built by women. They provide a living space, a home for the whole family.
To do this, in solidarity, they get together to build tents. A person in need of a home is elected and given one or more days to build a tent (Fomekong, 2021, p 127). In order to benefit one day from the help of others, you must also participate in the construction of tents for people in need. Still in real estate but this time in Canada, tontine or at least its model is now practiced there.
Canada is increasingly a favored destination for Africans in general and Cameroonians in particular. According to a 2016 census in Canada, there were 10,265 Cameroonians. Faced with the difficulty of acquiring housing, groups of Cameroonians, inspired by the tontine model have joined forces to grant themselves some: the tontine immobilière.
In an interview conducted by Cameroonian journalist Jacky Moiffo and published on the online media site JMTV°, Montreal-based Cameroonians explain how they go about buying homes in Canada. They form groups based on trust, and take it in turns to contribute to the purchase. The tontine has thus expatriated and is now proving its worth in Canada through the real estate tontine.
Failing to be part of school programs, the tontine may well find its way into alternative schools. Tontine or solidarity could be taught there. Like nature schools or Forest School, where the development of a link with nature is addressed, we could set up schools based on mutual aid.
Thus, we would train citizens who will develop their community through common projects. This approach consolidates human relations and puts people at the heart of development. Tontines enable the richest to help the poorest.
Bibliography
Fomekong Narcisse, (2020), "Le motif de l'identité dans les recueils de poèmes de Tino Villanueva, Justo Bolekia Boleká et Limam Boicha", PhD thesis defended at the University of Dschang in Cameroon.
O! ; "Paul Kammogne Fokam : Itinéraire d'un milliardaire panafricain", https://ohmyafrika.com/biographie/itineraire-d-un-milliardaire-panafricain/
Kemayou, Louis Roger, Guebou Tadjuidje ,François, Madiba, Marie Sophie, (2011), "Tontine et banque en contexte camerounais", La Revue des Sciences de Gestion, https://www.cairn.info/revue-des-sciences-de-gestion-2011-3-page-163.htm&wt.src=pdf
Djoum Kouomou, Serge, (2008), "TOUCHER CEUX QUI SONT DIFFICILES À TOUCHER: Etude Comparative des Institutions Financières Appartenant aux Membres dans les Zones Rurales Reculées", Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada , https://coady.stfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/ford/docs/translate/french/Cameroon%20(French).pdf
RFI, (2016), "Djangui: tontine en ligne lancée depuis l'Allemagne par un ingénieur camerounais", https://www.rfi.fr/fr/economie/20160529-djangui-tontine-ligne-lancee-allemagne-cameroun-jules-guilain-kenfack
You might also like:
Virtual reality: practice without risk
Virtual reality is gaining momentum in the entertainment industry with video gaming. However, the education sector is not left behind since this technology offers increasingly realistic simulations. Consequently, for jobs where delicate manipulations are commonplace, virtual reality becomes a great asset. Examples.
Concrete examples of mechanical engineering
What does a mechanical engineer do? It's a legitimate question for those unfamiliar with the world of engineering. It's a good thing they're interested, since a large proportion of transportation and energy improvements are based on their discoveries.
Arbitration in economic disputes - now taught in law school
Nobody messes with money. In a globalized world, the interests of both parties can quickly clash and escalate into commercial conflicts. While these can be settled in court, more and more parties are requesting arbitration to resolve disputes quickly and inexpensively.
Writing a thesis: a long and not at all quiet river
The thesis is intended to be the crucial element of the doctorate. This research and the writing that follows demonstrate the seriousness of the future doctoral student. Yet this marathon can last a long time and be difficult for some. Today, more and more people are sharing their reality as PhD students.
