Bassa Bati Mpoo of North America (BABAMNA) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization, headquartered in New York and composed of members and sympathizers of the peoples of the Bassa Bati and Mpoo tribes of Cameroon, commonly known as the ‘people of the cave’, residing in the United States and in Canada.

Our mission is to make our culture known throughout the world in general and throughout the United States and Canada specifically. We are legally organized and recognized in the United States and Canada.  Our objectives are three folds:

1. connect the people and get to know each other well in order to coordinate and collaborate together.
2. Promote genuine solidarity links and compassion for mutual help and assistance.
3. Make our cultural heritage known throughout the world and help preserve it for generations to come.

We provide a platform that allows various Bassa Bati Mpoo associations in North America and all those who share and support our missions to  network and provides them with a continental reach and audience. We support and amplify local associations initiatives and achievements.

Bassa Bati Mpoo people of Cameroon are Bantu ethnic groups. They are believed to have originated from the Nile Valley in the Ancient Egypt. After successive migrations they settled in the Atlantic coast of Central and West Africa. In Cameroon the total population is about 250000 individuals. They mainly live in rural areas of the Littoral and Center regions. Poverty is still prevalent. A lot of these communities still lack the basic infrastructure in the areas of education, healthcare, potable water, energy and access roads. 

Bassa Bati Mpoo people have a rich culture and traditions. Ngog Lituba, or “Pierced Stone”, is considered the cradle of the Bassa people of Cameroon. It is an immense rock formation that is situated in the Nyong and Kellé division in the Center region of Cameroon. The legend is that the Bassa took refuge inside to escape extermination from the Foulbe people. Therefore, they owe their survival to Ngog-Lituba. That is why Bassa Bati Mpoo people of Cameroon refer to themselves as Bon Ba ngok lituba or People from the Pierced Stone or cave.