Benedict Eballa
Benedict Eballa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1938 |
| Died | 2006 |
Dr. Benedict Eballa (1938 - 2006) was a Cameroonian Bahá'í who became the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Ashanti Protectorate, which is now apart of Ghana.
Biography[edit]
Benedict was raised as a Catholic by his mother, but was disillusioned by local priests and changed his name from the Christian name Benedict to his father's name, Yalla, and as such was unable to graduate the missionary school he attended at his mothers request. In 1949 he befriended Martin Manga and they left home together. They lived near David Tanyi and when Tanyi was introduced to the Bahá'í Faith by Enoch Olinga in 1953 they also studied the religion, with Benedict reading many Bahá'í books.
In April 1954 Shoghi Effendi asked Enoch Olinga to organize Bahá'í pioneers from Cameroon to pioneer to five countries and territories of Africa by April 21st. As there were more volunteers than necessary names were chosen by lot to decide who would pioneer, with Benedict being chosen to pioneer to the Ashanti Protectorate.[1] He flew to Kumasi in the Ashanti Protectorate arriving on April 16. He was 16 at the time.[2]
In Kumasi he lived with a fellow Cameroonian emigrant and taught the Faith at a YMCA. He helped with running a kindergarten in Kumasi and when the head of the kindergarten passed away he succeeded her. In 1955 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kumasi was formed, and although he had helped establish it Eballa was not elected a member as he was too young. By the close of 1955 his mother and brother had passed and he returned to Cameroon.
Benedict lived in Cameroon until 1961 when he returned to Ghana. He later moved to Germany with a scholarship to study anthropology and he completed a PhD in 1972 and later returned to Cameroon, and in 1980 was appointed head of Social Anthropology at the University of Yaounde.
In 2003 Benedict was a guest of honor at the Bahá'í 50th Jubilee celebration in Cameroon.[3] He passed away in 2006.
References[edit]
- Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. pp 80-81
Notes[edit]
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 43. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://bahai-studies.ca/the-story-of-david-and-esther-tanyi-adam-and-eve-of-the-bahai-faith-in-cameroon/
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 45. View as PDF.
