Bamessing

Bamessing
Craft work in Bamessing
Bamessing Map of Cameroon showing the location of Bamessing Village
Coordinates: 5°59′5″N 10°21′37″E / 5.98472°N 10.36028°E / 5.98472; 10.36028
Country	Cameroon
Region	Northwest
Department	Ngo-Ketunjia
Elevation	1,138 m (3,734 ft)
Population (2005)
• Total	12,726
	(Census)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)

Bamessing village is one of the four villages that make up Ndop centralCentral Sub Division and one of the thirteen villages of Ngoketunjia division of the North West region of Cameroon. Bamessing village is located along the ring road from Bamenda some 38 km away from Bamenda town on the Bamenda-Nkambe stretch of the ring road just before you reach Bamunka (Ndop town).

Bamessing-Nsei is a traditional potter's village with the pottery center of prescraft the traditional potters are encouraged to carry on with their traditional trade. In order to widen the range of its products, new techniques were introduced such as the potter's wheel, glazing and wooden kiln firing. Designers from Europe (mission 21, Switzerland) help the potters to develop new and exciting designs. The poetry centre has a Guest House with space for 8 Guests. Guests can cook their own meals in a fully equipped kitchen or order a local meal. The house is simple but very clean and all beds are equipped with mosquito nets. Since prescraft is committed to a sustainable environment, prespot is keeping up a fuel plantation and running a reforestation program with the farmers in the village area Funded by Mission21, Switzerland.

Bamessing village is a second class Fondom with respect to the scale of administrative divisions in Cameroon. It is administered by a traditional ruler whose decisions are guided by the ngumba (secret society) and it is final. The traditional ruler is an auxiliary administrator because government appoints divisional and sub divisional service heads whose authorities are coordinated by the senior divisional officer of Ngoketunjia Division.

There are several educational institutions including government owned, privately owned and denominational ranging from nursery, primary through secondary and high schools.

Bamessing village is a pottery centre, where traditional crafts are made and sold throughout the North West region and the rest of Cameroon. You can spend the morning with a potter to make and keep your own creation and in the afternoon visit the workshop where the professionals work. There is also a large shop where you can buy their wares, prices range from 500 – 150,000 CFA. It is worthy of note that at the pottery centre there is also a small museum and rest house, should you wish to spend the night.

The center consists of 28 Trained potters (piece workers), 8 Workers in Tile and Brick production (contracted laborers), 5 Workers in clay production and reforestation (contracted laborers, including 1 blind worker), 10 Seasonal workers in clay production and reforestation, 6 Laborers in administration and organization, 30 Home producers (traditional pottery, basket weaving, raffia weaving).