The Bamum Project began with a question. After years of studying Mandarin, Tramel Woodard wondered whether an African language might offer him the opportunity to learn another distinctive writing system. His search led him to Bamum, to Professor Laziz NChare, and eventually to a collaboration they would name during a meeting in California in 2018.

“I spent 7 years learning to read, write and type in Mandarin. I felt pretty accomplished, but I wondered if there were any African languages that had their own unique writing system,” Woodard said.

That curiosity became a focused search for a language to study.

“I researched for several weeks and understood I should learn Bamum,” he said.

Woodard’s search brought him into contact with Laziz NChare, who was a professor of linguistics at Saint John’s University in New York. What began as an effort to find someone familiar with Bamum became a connection with a scholar whose knowledge could help guide his learning.

For NChare, the connection also carried personal significance.

“My first impression was God sending me a sign that there are other people there who were just as passionate about Bamum as myself,” Professor NChare said.

The two began having long conversations over the phone. They spoke about their lives and the future of Bamum, getting to know one another while exploring their shared interest in the language.

“I felt extremely blessed to have met Laziz. I was just hoping to meet someone who was familiar with the Bamum culture, and I ended speaking with a resident expert. Due to his wealth of knowledge, I felt more confident in learning the Bamum language and more about the culture,” Woodard said.

Woodard immediately asked NChare whether he would be willing to visit California for an initial meeting. He financed NChare’s trip to the San Francisco Bay Area, where the two held what would become the first “Bamum Technical Conference” in 2018.

There was no large gathering: the conference consisted of just Woodard and NChare. Before beginning their discussions about future work, Woodard wanted to spend time with his guest as a friend.

On the first day, he showed NChare around the Bay Area. They went fishing and spent time in Monterey, including a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“I wanted Professor NChare to know that I had a genuine intention to work with him long term. So I wanted to show him around California and just to unwind like two friends, before we talked business,” Woodard said.

On the second day, the two held several workshops to discuss their future efforts. During those sessions, their ongoing collaboration received its name: the Bamum Project.

The meeting brought together Woodard’s desire to learn and support Bamum with NChare’s knowledge of the language and culture. Their conversations had moved from an introduction over the phone to a shared commitment to work together.

Woodard and NChare plan to continue that collaboration with a common aim: to help revitalize the Bamum language in Cameroon and around the world.