"If You make these People Literate, You are undressing Me!" Jean-Marc Ela and the Empowerment of the Kirdi in Tokombéré, Northern Cameroon (1970-1984)

This article discusses Jean-Marc Ela's contribution to Kirdi empowerment in Tokombéré, Northern Cameroon, during the period 1970 and 1984. Drawing on ethnographic data, in-depth interviews and historical biography approach, the article argues that through a mixed methodology of fun, education and critical discourse towards authorities, Ela worked towards the awaking of the subalterns' consciousness in Tokombéré. © Baskouda S.K. Shelley, 2024. Published with license by Koninklijke Brill BV.