An Autobiography of Simão Gonçalves Toco, Founder of Tocoism
My father’s name was Ndombele Luvumbu Bitopo, or Tôco, and my mother’s name was Ndundu Nsimba Tôco. At the time of my birth, my mother had twins, namely Adam and Eve. I was the first to be born, and the first part of my body to emerge were my legs, followed by my head—a curious fact about my birth. Eve passed away shortly after, and I survived. Both of my parents died in the same week, on a Monday and a Friday, between 1924 and 1925, during an outbreak of smallpox in the region. Simão Gonçalves Toco is not my birth name; it was given to me by my brother Domingos Kibeta, who entrusted me to the missionaries. My mother named me MAYAMONA, which was later changed to OMA YAMONA and OMA IMONANGA. I am originally from Maquela do Zombo in the district of Portuguese Congo. I was born on February 24, 1918. In 1926, I entered the BMS Mission in Quibocolo, which was mandatory and not by my choice, at the age of 8. On October 2, 1928, I was taken to Leopoldville until 1929, when Reverend Arthur Enock Guest came to get me, but even then, I did not want to return to Quibocolo. In summary (because it’s not worth telling you everything), in 1930, I went to Thysville and began attending the BMS school there. Reverend Jennings wanted me to go to Banza Manteca, Gombe Lutete, or Kimpese to study to become a teacher (nlongi), but I refused because Reverend Guest kept bothering me with successive letters asking me to return to Quibocolo. Reverend Jennings wrote a request letter to Mr. Guest, but he denied the request. There was a call for Maquela, my hometown, and my uncle and I went. When we arrived, Reverend Guest called again, asking me to return to the Mission in August 1931. Soon after arriving, within two or three days, I was baptized. On July 2, 1933, we marched to Luanda to continue my studies, where I stayed for four years. I completed primary school at the Evangelical Mission in Luanda and enrolled in high school, where I reached the second year. I returned to my hometown in Zombo to continue working at the Quibocolo mission. In 1938, I was transferred to the Bembe mission, where I stayed for 4 years. In 1942, I went to Belgian Congo in Leopoldville and continued to serve at the Protestant Mission in Leopoldville for 7 years. Source: Joao Daniel – Tocoistas.net