ninehillsRAMBLE in the JUNGLE · Textbook
RAMBLE in the JUNGLE: Debating Africa and the World
Issues in Culture, Africa, the Cameroons and Kom
A reading and comprehension textbook for high school. Readings by Wanaku Verdzekov, with editorial counterpoints written for this book.
Each chapter is an issue: a question thoughtful people answer differently. For every issue you read two sides, the author’s essay and an editorial counterpoint that argues the other side, and then decide where you stand.
Teaching with this book? Get updates and new units.
For educators and adults (16+).
Contents
Unit 1 — Culture, Knowledge and Meaning
- Issue 1.1 · Should Schools Teach "Cultural Dexterity" as a Core Skill?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Cultural Dexterity (2015)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Manners Are Not a Subject (written for this book)
- Issue 1.2 · Can Ideas Like "Spirit" or "God" Be Truly Shared Across Cultures?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, Translators Prove It Can Be Done (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, Navigating the Intangible (2012) and When the Student Is Ready, the Guru Appears (2011–2014)
Unit 2 — Development, Democracy and Self-Rule in Africa
- Issue 2.1 · Is Party Politics a Good Fit for African Communities?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, Parties Give Families a Choice (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, Democracy in "Black" Africa? (2022)
- Issue 2.2 · Do African Countries Need Outside Help to Develop?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, Hard Work Is Not Enough (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, African Development Is Serious Business (2011)
- Issue 2.3 · Should Children First Learn to Read and Write in Their Home Language?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Cultural Amnesia, Not Imperialism (2014) and Literacy in Any Language (2011–2014)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, The Door to the Wider World (written for this book)
- Issue 2.4 · Do Post-Independence African States Need Armies?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, A State Must Be Able to Protect Its People (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, African Armies: Killing Your Own People (2011) and Words for Peace: No Need for Armies (2010)
Unit 3 — The Cameroons: History, Freedom and Institutions
- Issue 3.1 · Was Oil the Main Cause of the Cameroons' Troubles?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Trouble in the Armpit of Africa: The Cameroons Puzzle? (excerpt, c. 2016)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Many Roots, Not One Pipeline (written for this book)
- Issue 3.2 · Does Freedom Depend on a Strong National Government?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, Freedom Needs a Strong Centre, Too (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, Doctrine of Freedom in the Cameroons Crisis (2024)
- Issue 3.3 · Do Strong Institutions Matter More Than Strong Leaders?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Institutions of AMBAZONIA? (2023)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Institutions Are Built by People (written for this book)
- Issue 3.4 · Should the Cameroons Hold a Truth Commission?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, from Truth Commission in the Cameroons? (2014)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Truth Can Wait (written for this book)
- Issue 3.5 · Should Young People Protest as Soon as They See Injustice?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, Sometimes You Must March Now (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, Youth Question: What to Do? and Set Up to Fail (2015)
Unit 4 — Kom: Tradition, Identity and Education
- Issue 4.1 · Should Traditional Kingdoms Write Down Their Laws and Customs?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Power/Authority in an African Grassland Kingdom? (2023) and Dignity & Royalty of Kom Kingdom (2014)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Living Law Should Stay Alive (written for this book)
- Issue 4.2 · Does Self-Esteem Come Mainly from One's Culture and Community?
- YESWanaku Verdzekov, Understanding Self-Esteem (2013) and Broken Self-Esteem? (2011)
- NOEditorial counterpoint, Self-Worth Starts Within (written for this book)
- Issue 4.3 · Should Schools Put Wider-World Knowledge Ahead of Local Culture?
- YESEditorial counterpoint, School Should Open Windows (written for this book)
- NOWanaku Verdzekov, Kom Culture and the Circle of Life (2014)
Appendices
Fourteen issues fit a semester course at about one issue a week, with time for review and a final debate. Units can be taught in any order, but Unit 3 is easier after students have read Appendix A.
How to use this book
Each chapter of this book is an issue: a question that thoughtful people answer differently. The questions come from the essays of Wanaku Verdzekov, a writer born in the 1950s in the British-administered Cameroons, educated in mission schools, and later living abroad. The essays are short, sharp and personal. They argue one side.
For every issue you will read two sides:
- The author's essay, labelled YES or NO depending on how it answers the issue question.
- An editorial counterpoint, written for this book, that argues the other side as fairly as it can. The counterpoints are not by Wanaku Verdzekov and do not represent the author's views.
Your job is not to decide which writer is "right". It is to read closely, find each writer's claims and evidence, weigh them, and then build your own position.
What is in each issue
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| Issue question | A yes/no question to argue about. |
| Learning outcomes | What you should be able to do after the issue. |
| Introduction | Neutral background: the history and context both writers take for granted. |
| YES / NO readings | The author's essay and the editorial counterpoint. |
| Vocabulary | Key words from both readings, with meanings in context. |
| Comprehension questions | Literal (find it), inferential (read between the lines) and critical (evaluate and respond). |
| Is there common ground? | Where the two sides agree, and what a middle path might look like. |
| Debate and writing prompt | A task that asks you to take and defend a position. |
Reading strategies for every issue
- Before reading, read the introduction and write down what you already think about the issue question.
- While reading, mark each writer's main claim, their reasons, and their evidence. Note where a writer gives opinion without evidence.
- After reading, compare: where do the writers disagree about facts, and where do they disagree about values?
- Return to your first answer. Has it changed? Why?
A note on the author's style
Wanaku Verdzekov writes the way people talk in a lively argument. Expect rhetorical questions ("You tell me."), CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis, invented words (politricks), Cameroonian Pidgin and Kom words. The readings keep this voice. The vocabulary lists and questions point out where it differs from formal written English, which is itself a useful lesson in register.
Written for readers anywhere
You do not need to know Cameroon, Africa or the Kom Kingdom to use this book. Each introduction explains the background, and local words are explained in the vocabulary lists and in Appendix C. The issues themselves (culture, democracy, language, freedom, leadership, justice, identity, education) are debated in every country; try to connect each one to your own community.
A note on sensitive topics
Several issues touch on an ongoing conflict in Cameroon's English-speaking regions. The author supports self-rule for the former Southern Cameroons; the Cameroonian government and many citizens hold different views. This book presents the author's position as one side of an argument and asks you to test every claim against other sources. Discuss respectfully: classmates may have family, friends or experiences on any side.