The Bishop of the Diocese of Buea, His Lordship Michael Bibi, has fulfilled his promise to ensure that the taps in Bafia village once again flow with potable water, quenching the thirst of a community recovering from the relics of the crisis.
During his heavily attended pastoral visit on April 25, 2024, the entire village gathered at St. Patrick Parish Bafia to welcome the man they affectionately call “Father.” Bishop Bibi is credited with singlehandedly bringing normalcy to the war-torn village. During this visit, he promised to solve the water problem in the village for good.
This was Bishop Bibi’s eighth visit to Bafia since becoming the Bishop of Buea, making the village one of the most visited places under his care. His frequent visits have endeared him to the hearts of the war-weary population, who had previously abandoned their homes and fled to other villages or deep into the forest.
During his last visit, the community raised the urgent issue of potable water. In the past, Bishop Bibi had invested millions to bring water to the community, but its distribution was hampered by technical difficulties and the excessive cost of operating the machines.
Technicians work at the Bafia water plant
After listening to community leaders, Christians, and traditional authorities who all echoed the same concerns about their dire need for water, the Bishop promised to do whatever it took to ensure that Bafia, a village that holds a special place in his heart, would once again have water.
The Bishop quickly deployed a team of technicians to study the project, identify the exact problem, and propose lasting solutions. After weeks of work, the Bishop ensured that the necessary funds were provided. Now, water flows in all corners of the village, fulfilling his key promise and relieving the population of its most urgent burden.
It is worth recalling that during his first visit to Bafia in 2020, the entire village was empty. The Catholic priest assigned to the parish, like all other church leaders, had abandoned the village and fled for their lives as the war ravaged the area. Bishop Bibi’s visit remains the only visit by any religious leader in the country to Bafia since the crisis started in 2016.
Crowd in Bafia welcome Bishop Bibi in April 2024 during pastoral Visit to St Patrick parish
Understanding that the grieving Bafia population needed a spiritual leader, the Bishop reassigned a priest to the village, continually visited himself, and embarked on community development projects to revitalize the abandoned village. He reopened the primary school in Bafia, distributed food items to the population who had lost so much due to the crisis, provided them with drinking water, and restored hope to the people.
His gestures inspired confidence, bringing the population out of hiding and back to their homes, and instilling life back into the village. His efforts to singlehandedly bring normalcy to the village were epitomized by the massive turnout during his visit in April 2024, marking his eighth pastoral visit to Bafia.
