The idea of togetherness and development paved the way for the creation of the Bum Development Union (BDU). In the former West Cameroon, efforts were deployed both at the community and government levels to ensure development. In the former Wum Division, the defunct Wum Area Development Association (WADA) ensured the socio-economic development of the Wum area. Carrefour WADA in Yaounde today is named after this development organization because some agricultural products from this area were marketed at the present-day WADA crossroad junction. The zeal to accompany the government in accelerating development in the then Wum Division, which today is made up of Boyo and Menchum Divisions, led to the creation of the Kom/Bum Development Union (KBDU) in the early 1960s. The difficulties in sending and receiving mails caught the attention of KBDU; the organization made it a priority project to construct a building that could host a post office. They raised funds and constructed the building that hosts the post office in Fundong today and handed it to the government. They were highly lauded for the initiative by Minister Tabi Egbe, the then Minister of Post and Telecommunication for West Cameroon, during the inauguration ceremony of the post office.

While the KBDU was leading in development issues in the Kom-Bum area, Bum sons and daughters who were away from home saw the need to come together as Bum indigenes. The first initiative took place in Buea in the late 1960s, spearheaded by Pa Laka, Pa Nyankutu, Pa Ndi, all of blessed memory, and Pa Wango Francis, who resides presently in Yaounde. They later created what was called the Bum meeting; their meetings occurred every fourth night and mainly focused on visiting their brothers and sisters who worked and lived in the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) plantation camps in Tiko and Victoria. In the early 1970s, many Bum indigenes who were members of KBDU started feeling marginalized because the Kom language was frequently used during meeting sessions, and they faced difficulties following discussions in the meeting. The gradual withdrawal from KBDU led to the creation of the defunct Bum Development Fund (BDF) in the late 1970s, which was mainly for the economic empowerment of members. The Waterloo of BDF was due to improper management of funds, but this did not deter the Pa Lakas from thinking of development back home.

In May 1976 in Buea, they shifted from merely coming together to thinking of development back at home. It was here that the appellation “Bum Development Union” was adopted, and the first executive board constituted with the following people as members:

1. Pa Laka: Pioneer president
2. Pa Wango Francis: Secretary General
3. Ndi Christoper: Treasurer
4. Wantim Vincent: Financial Secretary

With this team, the journey effectively started. The pioneer team of BDU will be remembered most prominently for the efforts they implored in laying a solid foundation for the creation of such an indispensable Union. The little funds they could raise during this time were mainly used in transporting cables for the construction of hanging bridges over the numerous rivers in Bum. The most prominent of these bridges was the hanging Bridge linking Kichowi and Ngunakimbi. After Pa Laka, the relay baton was handed to: HRH Fen Kimbi Samuel of blessed memory, Pa Wabua Nasali, Wango Anthony of blessed memory, Senator Wanlo John Chiamua, Mr. Daniel Ngong Wango, the present President Konchi Dominic.

BDU AND DEVELOPMENT IN BUM 

Since its creation in 1976, BDU has carried out a good number of development projects across Bum Subdivision in the domains of education, portable water, health, and transport network. In its program to provide portable water in villages where there was scarcity of water, BDU has been able to rescue the denizens of Konene and Fonfuka by successfully installing pipe born in these two towns. The dilapidating Njinijouh bridge that links Fonfuka to the rest of the world was rescued by BDU through regular maintenance up to 2013 when it finally collapsed before external efforts came in to reconstruct it. In its education program, the Union provided relief assistance to GBHS Fonfuka when the roofs of one of its buildings were blown off by winds, supported the equipping of the science laboratory in the school. Its most prominent initiative in the domain of education was the assistance given to Government Secondary School Chongkang in Buabua by providing zinc for the roofing of some classrooms. Away from education, BDU has partnered with Fonfuka council and international non-governmental organizations like the Peace Corps to foster community health and education. In prelude to the celebration of the 40th anniversary of BDU in 2016, which was hindered by the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon, a national fabric was produced to immortalize the celebrations. From all the successes recorded, BDU is poised to modernize Bum. Under the leadership of Mr Konchi Dominic, the organisation has concentrated efforts in mobilising resources to promote education by awarding scholarships and paying community teachers. It envisages the construction of a guest house in Fonfuka where visitors and tourists can lodge, support education, and equally construct a women’s empowerment centre where women can learn diverse skills that can ameliorate their living conditions.