A Bamenda based organization has
been awarded over $ 17000 to carryout biodiversity conservation in the kom-Wum
forest in Menchum Division of the North West Region.
The project which is aimed at
conserving the Pan troglodytes ellioti in the Kom-wum forest also engages
adjacent forest users in alternative income generation activities, tree
planting, sensitization of some 10.000 community members with chimp posters,
junior secondary school students with chimp handbooks, reconnaissance survey of
Chimp nests among other activities. Kari Jackson says this is the only
generation that is feeling the impacts of climate change and that something has
to be done about conservation practices if not this generation will have
nothing to hand to the next one. “How can we fight the phenomenon of poaching,
illegal logging, poor farming, forest encroachment without involving those
whose mindsets are still a threat to these forests and its biodiversity?
Remember you cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you
inform them and you help them to understand that these resources are their own
and they must protect them” Kari added. He also expressed gratitude to the
commitment of the Arcus foundation, for supporting SURUDEV efforts in encouraging
biodiversity conservation in the Bamenda highlands. He said that SURUDEV Bio
Farms-Bongom continues to inspire youths and communities in practicalities in
mitigating climate change. “After harvesting our onions of over 10 tons, we
have earmarked to kick start water melon harvesting next week. Sales are
encouraging and we intend to train more widows in the upcoming season and plant
more 2000 trees”. According to Kari Jackson, the bio farms have enabled them to
raise enough funds to be able hire office spaces in Bamenda and Nkambe. He said
SURUDEV will equally be launching a new and more flexible web site www.surudev.org,
was well as kickstart an e-newsletter as well as a print newsletter. These, he
emphasized is aimed at highlighting the works of SURUDEV, other international
and local environmental news that is vital for the community. And he concluded
that this year was a very successful year for SURUDEV “and we hope to do better
next year given that we served some communities with over 10 projects and hope
to improve on our services and the number of communities too”.
Pictures below show the results of
the first onion harvested at Bongom thanks to the efforts of SURUDEV Bio Farms
(Farmers introduced to the marketing gardening of a crop they thought could
never grow in their area)
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