 His Westernized uncle David Mandessi Bell had a great impact on him, and as a youth he attended school in both Douala and Germany.During the 1890s he attended the Gymnasium of Ulm, Germany, although no direct record of his time there survives.Manga Bell was made "Ein-Jähriger", indicating that he held a certificate for education beyond the primary level but below the "Abitur" earned for completion of secondary studies.