New treatment centre for disabled children

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Global Rehabilitation Services (GLORES) is a non-government organisation based in Bafoussam, Cameroon treating severely disabled children.  GLORES  is badly in need of a new centre to expand its services to meet a growing need.
The sum of £29,770 is needed for this of which £25,721 has already been provided by the FIOH Fund.

 

 

Background
GLORES rehabilitation approach is global, as its name implies. That is, we are not only concerned about treating disability, but ensure that our beneficiaries lead self-reliant and socio-economically independent lives.

GLORES major mission, therefore, is to prevent disability in children; identify and treat those already affected; support education, provide vocational training, placement and follow-up in their communities to achieve effective socio-economic integration.

Global Rehabilitation Services was authorized by administrative order No 238/RDA/F35/BAPP of November 2004 and registered as a non-profit association at the service of disabled children.  GLORES is made up of a group of Cameroonians of all walks of life, men and women, concerned about the plight of an increasing number of underprivileged disabled children in the West Region, who decided to make their contribution in the fight against poverty, specifically among disabled children.   GLORES is the first comprehensive rehabilitation centre in the region.

GLORES opened its doors to physically disabled children in July 2005.  Despite the micro resources available, 1,500 physically disable children have received direct services while 4,500 persons have had indirect services from GLORES.

These beneficiaries came not only from this region but also from the northwest, littoral and central provinces of Cameroon. GLORES organises the following activities from a basic rented building in Bafoussam:

PHYSIOTHERAPY DEPARTMENT
This is the first objective in our rehabilitation process where functional re-education is provided through intensive physical therapy, functional re-education, and mobility training. The aim is to ensure mobility and use of limbs because we believe that without mobility a disabled person cannot lead a productive and independent life.  During therapy, parents and the disabled persons are themselves educated to become their own therapists upon discharge from the centre.

ORTHOPAEDIC WORKSHOP
This is where splints and mobility aids are produced including orthopaedic shoes, splints and other assistive devices.  This serves as a training place for those disabled who would like to become either shoemakers or orthopaedic technicians.

 

VOCATIONAL TRAINING
After treatment, beneficiaries choose from such income-generating professions as shoe making, tailoring, hairdressing and cane work.  Upon successful completion of the training, beneficiaries are placed in either individual or group business ventures in their communities with follow-up to ensure success.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION
This is a follow-up programme in which maintenance treatment is also assured.  This involves the family and the community at large. In this programme, the families and the disabled become their own therapists.  Preventive measures are taken and disabled children are identified and referred for appropriate treatment.  Disability prevention services, human rights education, information about discrimination against the disabled are provided and self help, social, and group activities including community development participation are introduced and supported.

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
GLORES also runs assistance programmes to sponsor treatment and corrective orthopaedic surgery for those children with severe disabilities who are unable to afford the symbolic treatment fees.  GLORES pays particular attention to orphaned disabled children.  GLORES hopes to extend the project to include other disabilities other than physical disabilities as the project expands and develops.

The need for the new centre
Despite the successes of the activities of GLORES, the most important difficulty has been the lack of space in the present Centre to accommodate the many children being referred for treatment.  The present rented building only has four small bedrooms, a small physiotherapy treatment room, an adapted internal kitchen that is being used as the administrative office and treatment room at the same time and an external kitchen which is being used as the orthopaedic workshop.  Besides these, there is a small external traditional toilet, and two internal toilets which often fail to function due to mechanical malfunctioning and shortage of water which is common in the Bafoussam town.  In fact the house was conceived as a residential house not for other activities.

GLORES, therefore needs a larger space in order to effectively carry out the many activities as specified above. To summarise, a larger building is needed for the following reasons:

1. A larger building will help cut down the high rents we have to pay for the existing house.  The heavy rents could be use in purchasing other items for the centre.
2. We will be able to serve the many children who are asking for our help from neighbouring regions in Cameroon, GLORES being the only comprehensive rehabilitation centre for physically disabled children.
3. A more spacious workshop will help us in the production of more orthopaedic equipments without leaving children to wait for long to get ambulation and other equipments.  It will also provide space for the training of disabled children in the production of orthopaedic equipments.
4. A larger treatment room will help us better position treatment equipments and consequently we will be able able to treat many children simultaneously.  With the present structure children have to be put on the waiting list to have treatment.
5. There will be enough dormitories to accommodate children, most of whom come from distant villages and have no place to stay for follow-up treatment.
6. The hygiene situation will be solved with available toilets and the water system.
7. The New building will be situated by a major surfaced road and is more reachable by public transport unlike the present centre.
8. The new building will be more adapted for handicapped persons.
9. There will be space to train disabled children to engage in income-generating professions.
10. A new centre will provide a conference room which will be rented by the public for meetings thus generating income for the centre.

The land for the centre was purchased in 2014.

Delivering sand
The completed foundations.
Making blocks.
Wall construction

 

Water is collected by hand from a local stream.

Roof construction.
Completed roof.
Window protection – September 2016.

 

 

 

Alfred Wingo assists visiting Dutch surgeons with an operation.

Moving testimonials of six of the children treated by GLORES

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Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

• UK residents can provide long term support by completing the FIOH FUND DONATION FORM and sending to the address shown on the form:
• Direct grant to the charity’s bank account or by cheque to:        Bank account details:
  Co-operative Bank
  IBAN: GB07CPBK08929965050707
  BIC: CPBKGB22

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund
48 Churchward Avenue
Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1NH
United Kingdom
Registered Charity No. 1047953

Global Rehabilitation Services

Global rehabilitation Services (GLORES)
GLORES was started in 2004 by Cameroonian, Alfred Wingo, after receiving prosthetics training in the USA.
The work of GLORES in a poor rented building in Bafoussam, capital of the West Region of Cameroon, was observed by FIOH Fund trustee, Mike Thomas in 2009. He was impressed by what  GLORES was achieving with very basic equipment.

A video showing Mike Thomas interviewing Alfred Wingo.
Disabled people in the West Region of Cameroon, especially children, suffer from neglect and discrimination due to ignorance and cultural beliefs about disability.  There is a general lack of care and rehabilitation planning in the country and disabled children, who are mostly from poor families, rarely obtain an education and employment.  They are often viewed as being possessed of evil spirits and a curse upon their parents.  Hence they may be locked up at home and fed like animals and hidden from society.  It is estimated that about 70% of disabled children suffer from neglect and discrimination.

GLORES organises its work in three major sections:

1. Prevention of disabilities through health education and encouragement of parents to vaccinate their children against diseases causing disabilities. Part of the education focuses on prenatal/postnatal care, nutrition, hygiene, genetic information and environmental pollution.
2. Physical therapy that includes therapeutic exercises, mobility training, functional re-education, occupational therapy and activity training for coping with everyday life.
3. Vocational training in 3 trades.  The disabled person makes the choice of trade and is then able to undergo training in that trade for one year in a sheltered workshop environment. Younger children who cannot work are sent to local schools for their education.  While the child is in school parents will take an active part in its education and prepare to take over responsibility for the child’s welfare later on.  After successful completion of the training disabled persons are settled in their individual group ventures or employment and there will be follow-up by GLORES for a few months after treatment and training has finished.

Once a disabled person goes through the GLORES project he or she becomes a member of the GLORES family.  GLORES monitors all the outcomes of its work in order to evaluate its effectiveness and introduce improvements where necessary.

The pictures below show some of the disabled youths and children before, during and after treatment:

Moving testimonials of six of the children treated by GLORES

If you would like to support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund please make a donation:

 

Please support the work of the Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund whose aim is to help and empower some of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people by:

• UK residents can provide long term support by completing the FIOH FUND DONATION FORM and sending to the address shown on the form:
• Direct grant to the charity’s bank account or by cheque to:        Bank account details:
  Co-operative Bank
  IBAN: GB07CPBK08929965050707
  BIC: CPBKGB22

Cheques should be made payable to the
Future in Our Hands E&D Fund
—————————————————————————-

Fundraising to help the work of the charities would be greatly appreciated

Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch report 2016

This is a summary of the CAMGEW 2016 annual report a complete copy of which can be seen here:

 CAMGEW 2016 ANNUAL REPORT READY

Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) reflects its holistic approach to development  through the activities described in its 2016 annual report prepared by its director, Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy. Most of these activities are located in and around Kilum-Ijim Forest area in the NW Region of Cameroon with her office in Oku.

Activities included:

• Planting of indigenous trees to regenerate the important Kilum-Ijim natural forest.
• Training and practical support for bee farming to produce the local distinctive white honey.
• Marketing training and the establishment of a shop in Bamenda (capital of the region of North West) to sell the honey, its products and equipment.

 

• Training in organic farming methods and raising of nitrogen-fixing trees for agroforestry.
• Vocational training in dress-making, hair dressing, shoe making and repair.
• Establishing a micro-credit and savings scheme for women and training in business management, including the use of computers.
• Training for women in health and nutrition.
• Training for communities in the basic human, statutory and legal rights of women.
• Provision of counselling and advice for women who are subjected to physical and/or mental abuse.
• Environmental and computer education for children.
• Tree planting around the new centre for the treatment of disabled children which is located in Bafoussam, West Region.

Forest regeneration
The Kilum-Ijim natural forest contains several endangered species of flora and fauna, including the Bannerman’s Turaco (fauna), Newtonia camerunensis(flora) and has an important role to play in the mitigation of global warming. Despite these and the many economic benefits which can be derived directly from the forest, a large section of the original forest has been cut down to create farming land.

CAMGEW has played an important role in safeguarding the remaining forest by educating people about the environmental importance of preserving the forest and showing local people how they can gain an economic benefit from the natural products the forest provides.

CAMGEW has established nurseries to grow native tree species, including Prunus Africana, Croton Macrotachyst, Carapas Grandifolia, Pittusporum Veridiflorium, Zysigium Staundtii, Solanecio Mannii, Newtonia Camerunensis, Psydrax Dunlapii, Briellia Speciosa, Pyschotria Pendularis, Acacia, Leuceana, Mysposis, Tephrosia, Sesbania and Tree Tomatoes. Many of these have been planted in the forest by children and local community groups to regenerate sections of forest destroyed by domestic animals and fire.

Nitrogen fixing seedlings have been distributed to local farmers who are using agroforestry methods. Three nurseries have been established (Manchok, Mbockenghas and Ikal) with a capacity to raise 200,000 trees. The different species have been labelled with scientific and local names and their uses to educate the local community and school children.

In order to restrict the spread of ferns cuttings of Schefflera abysisinica and Solanecio  mannii have been planted in the forest. The fern plants die once the trees grow above them.

Bee farming
Bee farming is an important activity in the preservation of the Kilum Ijim forest as the farmers have a vested interest in preserving the natural flora which provides nectar for the bees and preventing forest fires. CAMGEW has provided hives, training in good bee management activities and organised the farmers into cooperatives/village groups. It has also provided a shop in Bamenda to assist with marketing the honey. The training has involved 212 farmers and 85 cooperative executive members in 22 villages in 2016. CAMGEW has also provided training in the production of bee wax which is more profitable than honey. It also involves full utilization of the honey combs which might otherwise be discarded. 116 community members were trained in 2016, 21 of whom were women.

CAMGEW distributed 10 honey drainers, 100 suits, 30 buckets and provided management training including the establishment of a constitution and by-laws and the production of an instruction manual in cooperative law.

Organic farming and agroforestry training
CAMGEW distributed more than 900,000 seeds of Leucena, Tephrosia and Sesbania (for animal fodder) to over 139 farmers, including 38 women in 7 villages. These species are nitrogen fixing and can be grown together with crops including coffee, potatoes, beans, huckleberry, cabbage, yams, corn. In addition to providing nitrogen for crops, the trees provide shade and help prevent erosion on sloping ground.
CAMGEW also distributed 60Kg of bracharia seeds for obtaining fodder in the dry season when other feed is scarce. This will prevent farmers having to move their animals long distances to find pasture.

Vocational training
Unfortunately the CAMGEW training centre had to close down as a result of the lack of funding. However, the equipment was distributed to the trainers who then located to Elak where there was a greater customer base.  Also since the CAMGEW initiative other training centres have been established in the community. Many of the trainees at the CAMGEW centre have established workshops in their own communities.

 

Health, human rights and nutrition training for women
CAMGEW has provided training about women rights to health services, nutrition, legal marriage and counselling as a result of physical and psychological abuse. This included education to reduce early pregnancies and nutrition to improve the health of teenage mothers and their children.

Information was also provided about sexually transmitted diseases and the benefits of legalised marriages. Information was also provided with the aim of reducing child trafficking.

Much of this work has been carried out with the young women of the Muslim Mbororo tribe who are known for high birth rates and low literacy.  Most of the men keep grazing animals which are their main source of income. Counselling of the girls involved marital crises physical and psychological abuse, frustration arising from child trafficking, loneliness and stigma from unplanned teenage pregnancy.

Micro credit and savings scheme training for women
CAMGEW has been running a micro-credit scheme for women since 2015. Loans  are given at an interest rate of 2% per CFA 1,000 with a 6 month repayment period. Each recipient must have undergone training provided by CAMGEW. 500 women had benefited from the scheme by December 2016.

Most women do not have enough the money required to open a bank savings account. The CAMGEW savings scheme enables women to open an account with as little as 500 CFA (about 35p). CAMGEW keeps its funds with the Manchok Credit Union.  In 2015 CAMGEW trained 193 women and 153 received loans and in 2016 trained 483 women and gave loans to 390 women. Loans ranged from 30,000 to 120,000 CFA.

Environmental education
The nurseries established by CAMGEW have served as learning areas for children, schools and community groups in types of forest trees and their uses. Children have gained hands-on experience  working in the nurseries and also gathering seeds from the forest.

Computer training for women and children
CAMGEW has provided basic computer training for women and children.

Tree planting at the GLORES treatment centre for disabled children
In 2016 CAMGEW planted 500 tree seedlings around a new centre for the treatment of severely disabled children based in Bafoussam in the West Region. These included, prunus africana, pittosporum, ornamental, palms, mangoes, plums and oranges.

Video productions about CAMGEW and its director
The following productions provide clear presentation of the comprehensive range of CAMGEW activities and how they contribute to the inter-relationship between various aspects of sustainable development:

Kilum-Ijim forest apiculture:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBqEgnjsWSg 

Organic coffee farming in Oku:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHKY15LEuos

Short video featuring CAMGEW director, Emmanuel Wirsy
http://www.dw.com/en/money-for-forest-honey/a-37473719 

CAMGEW in other documentaries. (Emmanuel’s work is featured about 9 minutes into the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCVVzGDXQmw&t=129s

CAMGEW FOREST VIDEO. This video is an excellent presentation of the work of CAMGEW and illustrates the link between bee farming and the preservation of the forest. It also shows children actively involved in the both the raising and out-planting of seedlings in to the forest :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TwdiXGj3zk

CAMGEW GENERAL ACTIVITIES VIDEO. This is a brief overview of activities of CAMGEW including its vocational training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyM89iaLnHw&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

WEB SITE:

www.camgew.org or www.camgew.com.

Centre for Community Regeneration and Development

ACTIVITY UPDATE AUG 2016

Education for sustainable development through sports in schools

CCREAD-Cameroon in continuation of its Education for Sustainable Development Programme, has mobilized more than 300 children and youths through environmental and conservation leadership camps, with sports as a uniting factor, to educate the children on climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable development goals, biodiversity conservation, sexuality and family planning, human rights, leadership and good governance. We need more volunteers for this ongoing programme.

ICT for development programme for youths within poor communities

CCREAD has set up a free ICT daily training unit which serves  children, women and youths from extremely poor countries to gain generational skills on computer and ICT skills for development. The facility also trains students daily who are enrolled in schools without computer laboratories so they can be able to take official examinations in computer sciences. This project needs more trainers and those who can support to buy more computers, a projector and more desks for trainees.

Sexual and reproductive health rights education for abandoned teenage and single mothers

CCREAD volunteers are currently organizing weekly workshops for 25 single and teenage mothers on sexual and reproductive health rights. The aim is to educate teenage mothers to stay away from sexual and different forms of gender base violence, organizing them into action groups and linking them up with mentors for social and economic empowerment.

Supporting women and widows living with disabilities

CCREAD is currently supporting unmarried women with children living with disabilities and who are not employed  through granting of micro financial support to start small micro enterprises which will enable them take care of themselves, send their children to school and meet their health needs. We have identified a total of 320 of such women with pressing needs and have been able to assist 15 of them already. We need more people to help this initiative.

To support any of these ongoing projects, kindly drop an email to: projects@ccreadcameroon.org

 

Images – Tree planting and environmental education in Africa

AFRICA

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Images – Eucalyptus Replacement Project

CAMEROON – NORTH WEST REGION

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Community tree planting in Oku, NW Region

Nursery Development for Environmental Education and Forest Regeneration at the Emfve-Mii Community Forest
In 2014 the FIOH Fund provided grants of £500 each for community tree planting to two non-government organisations with offices based in Oku on the edge of Kilum Ijim natural forest, in the NW Region of Cameroon:

1. Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW)  and
2. Future in Our Hands Womens Co-operative, Oku

This report which was prepared by Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy (CAMGEW Director) and Ngum Jai Raymond (CAMGEW Project Officer) describes the project undertaken by CAMGEW.

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMES:
CAMGEW: Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch
FMI: Forest Management Institution
MINFOF: Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife
OCR: Oku Community Radio
FIOH: Future In Our Hands

Acknowledgment
CAMGEW is grateful to Future In Our Hands (FIOH) for the financial assistance.  This assistance was used to develop a tree nursery at Manchok-Oku.  CAMGEW is thankful to the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) for Oku for technical assistance in forest regeneration process.  The participation of community members, youths, and forest stakeholders in nursery development and tree planting was also highly appreciated.

Introduction
CAMGEW is a non profit organisation created in October 2007 with authorisation number N° 000998/RDA/JO6/BAPP to work locally and think globally, integrating gender issues in solving environmental and social problems in Cameroon.  CAMGEW believes that the future of our mother planet-earth is in our hands (men and women, young and old) and also that the planet can be sustained by putting social and environmental justice at the centre of development using a participatory approach.  CAMGEW seeks to achieve her objectives by liaising with other likeminded organisations worldwide.  She has resolved to function according to core values of honesty, engagement and dedication in total respect of its constitution.  CAMGEW has as vision “Changing lives of women, children and communities while protecting the environment and as mission to fight poverty; promote sound environmental management, gender balance and economic sustainable development.

Presentaion of the project area
Emfve-mii Community forest is part of the Oku forest and Oku is found in Bui Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.  The population is English speaking.  Oku has the largest remaining portion of Bamenda Highland Montane Forest with a large crater lake called Lake Oku at altitude around 2500m.  The Oku Community Forest is the first community forest in Cameroon.  The forest has a unique ecosystem and is the largest remaining habitat for Bannermans turaco-a red feathered bird that is only found in the Bamenda Highland Region and is classified by IUCN Red list as endangered.  Kilum Mountain with altitude 3011 meters is the second highest mountain in Cameroon, central and West Africa after Mount Cameroon.  Honey from Oku Forest is white in colour and is commonly called Oku White Honey.  It is cherished nationally.  It is certified as a Geographical Indication Product.
Oku has a rich culture.  Carving is highly practiced in Oku.  Oku is a tourist destination.  Oku has a population estimated at about 130,000 inhabitants.  It has a total surface area of about 800 km2 of which 300km2 are covered by the forest.  This gives the locality a population density of about 162 persons per km2.
The Kilum Mountain Forest is rich in non-timber forest products  such as herbs for medicine, rodents, wood for carving, bamboo which is used locally for construction and the Oku honey with its peculiarity of being white in color.

Presentation of the project
CAMGEW received a grant from FIOH in 2014 of 611,753 FCFA for nursery development and environmental education.  CAMGEW supported this project by planting the nursed trees in the Emfve-mii community forest with the community and young people.  The nursery was developed at Manchok –Oku.  CAMGEW developed a tree nursery with 2000 trees of different varieties.  The nursery was used for environmental education with community members and youths.  CAMGEW had to label the trees with local names, scientific names and the use of the tree for easy learning.
CAMGEW in this project helped the community members know the importance of each tree in honey production; promoting bird and other animal diversity; watershed protection; and medicinal properties and uses.  The nursery was set with the participation of community members and seeds collected with them.
This project had to bring together traditional authority, administrative authority, groups of forest users (bee farmers, firewood fetchers, hunters, etc) and community members to work for the conservation of their forest.  Tree planting was done with different tree species to promote a bio-diverse forest with a variety of trees.

Forest regeneration activities
Forest regeneration is an important activity with a global interest.
CAMGEW started this project with nursery development.  The nursery fence was constructed and trees nursed.  The types of trees nursed were Prunus africana, Carapas grandifolia, Pittosporum mannii, Zyzigium staudtii, Croton macrostachyst, Maesa lanceolata, Schefflera abyssinica, Bridelia speciosa, Psychotria penducularis, Solanecio mannii, Polysias fulva and Psydrax dunlapii.  CAMGEW has more than 60,000 trees in this nursery and 2000 trees were nursed for FIOH-UK.  These trees play vital role in watershed protection, promotion of biodiversity, sustaining livelihoods, promotion of apiculture and fighting climate change.  The trees were shaded, weeded from too much sun and watered during the dry season.  Weeding was a continuous activity to reduce weed competition for nutrients with nursed trees.  Two types of nurseries were developed- bare root nursery and nursing of seeds in polythene pots.

Environmental education
 CAMGEW used the nursery for environmental education for children, youths and adults.  The community learned about nursery development and importance of each tree to man and nature.  CAMGEW labeled the trees with local names, scientific names and the use of the tree to man and nature for easy learning.  CAMGEW carried out forest education with children inside the forest too.

 

Tree planting
CAMGEW from 29th of May to 27th July 2015 carried out tree planting in the forest, tree maintenance, and field base environment lessons where children learn-by-practicing in tree planting.  On the 29th May 2015 CAMGEW had a forest regeneration planning meeting with forest stakeholders.  During the tree planting exercise children learned how to transport trees to the forest, dig holes and plant the trees.  The children took part in site selection for forest regeneration.  They considered areas with no trees for regeneration by planting trees of different types in one area.  There were some community members with experience who joined CAMGEW to guide young people in the exercise.  We were happy to have teachers of schools participate in the activity and this assured the transfer of this knowledge to classrooms by making practical learning feature in their lessons.  In May 2015, community members cleared the area where trees were planted and in June 2015 they planted 1,500 trees for FIOH project as CAMGEW’s contribution in the forest regeneration process.  500 trees were planted by children.

Selection of trees for planting in the forest
On the 14th and 16th August 2015 CAMGEW organised field based environmental education with children and youths in the forest.
On 14th August 2015, 210 students with 11 teachers that gave the children holiday lessons joined CAMGEW in the nursery to learn about forest regeneration.  The students and their teachers carried 300 nursed trees from the CAMGEW nursery to the forest for planting.  These trees included Prunus africana, Carapas grandifolia, Pittosporum mannii, Zyzigium staudtii, Croton macrostachyst, Maesa lanceolata, Schefflera abyssinica, Bridelia speciosa, Psychotria penducularis, Solanecio mannii, Polysias fulva and Psydrax dunlapii. They learned about the importance of these trees to man and nature.  They had forest education, dug holes and planted the trees. It was great joy for many as they were planting their first tree in life. Some had not been to the forest before.  They called on CAMGEW to make this a regular long vacation (holiday) event.
On the 16th of August 2015, 20 other children joined CAMGEW with their parents and planted 200 trees of different types.  They carried trees to the forest and planted together with CAMGEW.  All these young people learned about forest problems like bush fires, the presence of goats in the forest, unsustainable bee farming that cause bush fires, over trapping of rats and the cutting of fresh wood for firewood by community members.  The young people were asked to propose solutions to these problems and make resolutions on a personal basis to keep the forest live.  They also helped CAMGEW to collect seeds of trees from the forest to nurse in the CAMGEW nursery.  These seeds went to replace the seedlings taken to plant in the forest.

Tree planting with young people in the forest
The clearing of the forest was part of IUCN-France project to keep trees earlier planted clean but the replacement of dead trees in World Bank Project site was done with trees from FIOH-UK.  The planting of 1,500 trees was done on a voluntary basis by CAMGEW and community.  Trees planted in 2013 with government funds were still maintained and dead ones replaced with government funds in 2014.  5,000 trees were planted in the Emfve-mii forest in 2015 with funds from Cameroon government, FIOH-UK, CAMGEW, IUCN-France and forest users.

Seed collection from the Kilum forest for nursery development
Wirsiy Emmanuel B. coordinated the activity.  Ngum Raymond was field supervisor and community leader was Berinyuy Sebastian.

Monitoring of planted trees
CAMGEW has made monitoring of planted trees in the forest a regular activity.  Monitoring of these trees is done on a daily basis by forest users like bee farmers, hunters and firewood fetchers who updated us on the state of the forest and planted trees.  CAMGEW makes regular patrols and monitoring too on a weekly basis.

Challenges

1. The greatest challenge in the regeneration of the Oku forest is the presence of animals in the forest (goats).  These animals kept by community members in the forest have been destroying planted trees and other seedlings that are regenerating naturally.
2. Land close to the forest is used by community members for farming.  They do slash-and-burn to prepare the farm for cultivation.  This exposes the forest to bush fires.  There will be a need for continuous monitoring of the regenerated area and the whole forest.
3. There is the cutting of fresh wood for firewood or for fencing of farms and gardens by forest users.  This has disturbed the regeneration process as it is a threat to the fate of planted trees by CAMGEW

Successes

1. This project has ended with CAMGEW owning a solid fenced nursery that will be continuously used for forest regeneration.  This nursery has a capacity of 100,000 trees.  CAMGEW has nursed  over 60,000 trees of different species like Prunus africana, Carapas grandifolia, Pittosporum mannii, Zyzigium staudtii, Croton macrostachyst, Maesa lanceolata, Schefflera abyssinica, Bridelia speciosa, Psychotria penducularis, Solanecio mannii, Polysias fulva and Psydrax dunlapii.
2. CAMGEW used a participatory approach in tree planting and  has seen an increase in community solidarity.  Community members after participating in tree planting have understood the importance of the Oku forest and the need to protect it.  Youths’ participation in tree planting increased their understanding of the forest and need to protect it.  CAMGEW by involving youths in tree planting instils love for nature in youths.
3. Through sensitization in the Community Radio, many people have changed their negative attitude towards the forest.  People have removed goats from some parts in the forest.  Community members, especially those who took part in the regeneration process, are now patrollers (volunteers) monitoring the trees that they planted with CAMGEW’s supervision.

Conclusion
Forest education has been a success in the Oku Community Forest in 2015.  CAMGEW succeeded in planting 2,000 trees in the forest under FIOH-UK funding.  Children and youths learned-by-doing in planting trees.  This activity gave CAMGEW the opportunity to carryout field-based environmental education on sustainable forest management and use.  The Oku community Radio was used to reach out to the population on the need to protect the forest. C AMGEW hopes to make the tree planting event an annual activity.
The Oku forest is a large forest.  The forest is over exploited and needs to be regenerated.  This Forest is important not only for its endemism but also for water catchment, food, medicine and for the livelihoods of community members living around the forest.  We must protect it.

Recommendations

1. CAMGEW sees the importance for field based environmental education with forest users, women, farmers, youths and children of school age to be regular activity.  Environmental education with schools in and around Oku will help protect the planted trees and instil the spirit of love for nature in school children.
2. CAMGEW recommends that tree planting should be a regular event.
3. CAMGEW recommends that all goats found in the forest be removed to permit the growth of planted trees and the natural regeneration of the forest.  Goats eat up planted and natural seedlings of Prunus and other tree species.  The goats prevent the natural regeneration process of the forest.  The absence of goats from the forest will permit young seedlings to grow and increase their rate of survival.
4. CAMGEW recommends sanction to the owners of goats living in the forest.  General patrols carried out and goats found in the forest caught.  The tradition is encouraged to get involved in the catching of goats.  There is a zone of pasture at the top of the forest where they could keep their animals.
5. CAMGEW sees the need for a demarcation between the forest and the savannah land at the top of the forest.  This will prevent the movement of animals from the top savannah land to the forest.  The absence of domestic animals in the forest will promote the regeneration process.

 

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Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch

Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW)
CAMGEW works to see social and environmental justice put at the centre of development.  It works with all age groups.  It works to see that the social welfare of children in Cameroon is improved, especially the girls who in many communities are deprived of opportunities to grow up to be future leaders.
It sees it necessary also to work to improve the lives of children in many rural and urban areas who lack the means to go to school and to meet their needs.  It does this by trying to meet their basic needs, instilling in them the spirit of positive thinking and encouraging them to strive for excellence.
It seeks also to build the capacity of women especially those in the rural areas where most women are poor farmers.  These women lack the agricultural skills and inputs to increase farm yields.  They also lack crop storage techniques and facilities.  This means they are unable to gain an income sufficient to meet their basic needs and pay for the education of their children.  They need to be empowered to be economic and social leaders.  Many of them are bread winners of their families.  CAMGEW also works to provide women and children with basic needs like water, food, education, energy and shelter.
It works with children, youths and the old to create environmental awareness. and works with children through environmental education to instil in them the spirit to grow up to live in harmony with nature.  It educates children about ecology e.g. rivers and lakes; marine ecosystems like the Atlantic ocean; land ecosystems like natural forests, botanical gardens, Zoos; pollution and waste management; gardening and tree nurseries.
It fights poaching, the bushmeat trade, illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, bushfires and climate change by trying to bring about a positive behavioural change in people involved in activities that are environmentally unfriendly.  To bring this change CAMGEW carries out sensitisation, lobbying and advocacy at various levels of the society (policy makers, private sector, civil society and grass root populations).
CAMGEW encourages organic farming by improving on soil fertility with organic matter and encourages household organic waste sorting for use in farms to increase crop yields and also as a means of managing household waste.  Agroforestry is another way CAMGEW promotes ecofarming.  This was a traditional method used to improve the soil.  It promotes integrated organic farming, horticulture (flower, vegetable and fruit farming) and apiculture (bee farming).

To discourage the use of plastic papers which are known to be non-biodegradable and to reduce the aesthetics of our environment, CAMGEW promotes the use of bags and baskets made from locally available materials like bamboo, jute, rattan etc that are biodegradable.  These bags and baskets have been used in the past when plastics were not yet common.  CAMGEW is building a campaign to see how biodegradable materials could be used for packaging instead of plastics.
The availability and affordability of modern energy is paramount to every development.  Many rural areas lack this energy because they are far away from the national grid and also because they cannot afford it.  Another, problem faced by Cameroon is the shortage of power due to dependency on one energy source – hydropower that is always affected by droughts brought by the changing climatic.
It promotes decentralised and diverse energy systems like small hyro, solar, wind and biogas systems exploited from the available natural energy sources like river fall, sun, wind and animal waste or plant matter respectively.  It also engages in a campaign to reduce dependency on environmentally unfriendly energy sources like fossil fuels.
It takes part in fighting climate change from four key perspectives – mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology as identified in the global Climate Change Conference that took place in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007.  During the Bali conference, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki moon said “no one-rich or poor-can remain immune from the dangers of climate change”.
To achieve all of above, CAMGEW uses media, gatherings, posters, newsletters and organised events like workshops.  It therefore, sees creativity and innovations as a way forward to solve the global problems that plague humanity.
These innovations and creative ideas therefore need to be replicated and/or scaled-up to tackle global challenges.  It believes that through partnership, networking, research and volunteerism this shared vision for long-term cooperative action among the people of the world to improve on lives and promote sustainable development, can be achieved.
A video showing activities at its vocational training centre in Oku can be seen here:

Centre for Community Regeneration and Development

Centre for Community Regeneration and Development
(CCREAD-Cameroon) is a youth led development organization established in 2004 and legally registered as a non profit organization in December 2006 with Registration Number: 379/AG/G.42/162/AJPAS under Cameroon Law of 1990 governing non political associations. CCREAD-Cameroon won the 2011-2012 World Bank Development Marketplace Competition on the promotion of good governance, is affiliated to Peace Child International, (UK), MIYC South Korea, an active member of United Network of Young Peacebuilders (Worldwide) and an NGO participant of UN Global Compact.  CCREAD-Cameroon is also in Special Consultative Status with UN-ECOSOC

Vision
CCREAD-Cameroon helps to empower marginalised children, youths, women and indigenous populations merged with environmental sustainability through united youth actions.

Mission
Working in response to adopted community driven strategic plans, CCREAD-Cameroon currently has a mission to enhance the social, economic, cultural and political empowerment of children, youths, women and indigenous groups for poverty alleviation, better community organization, improved governance/human rights and environmental conservation and management.

Objectives
The activities implemented by CCREAD-Cameroon are guided by the following objectives:

1. Increase the application of good goverance, decentralisation, and democratic practices in hard to reach/marginalized regions.
2. Reduce the high incidence of poverty among marginalized women and youths with focus on hard-to-reach forest communities.
3. Increase basic education and health facility access for children, women and youths in poor communities.
4. Foster peacebuilding and conflict resolution initiatives in selected communities.
5. Increase the respect of the rights of children, and women
6. Raise environmental sustainability awareness and promote management actions among youths.

Operational area
South West, North West, West and Eastern Regions of Cameroon as core regions.

Activities undertaken
Leadership and peacebuilding training for women and youths.  Through this activity, Cameroonian youths in Kupe Muanenguba Division through schools and women were drilled on leadership qualities, peacebuilding and conflict prevention/resolution skills mainstreamed with human resources management abilities/decentralisation education.  A total of 4,692 youths and 1,982 women have received training.

Leadership training
Recognizing that corruption remains a key development limiting factor in most sectors in Cameroon, CCREAD-Cameroon has also joined other stakeholders in fighting corruption starting with schools in 2011.  A national baseline study on the challenges of corruption and governance was completed and adopted.
A governance Education Manual was developed and 1,200 copies distributed to major stakeholders and 82 school anti corruption campaigns and advocacy forums were organised.
Schools management Boards were instituted and trained to fight and report corruption in schools in the South West Regions.
Governance training and fight against corruption campaigns were organised through youth actions.
Many inter tribal conflicts result from land problems and the marginalization of particular groups.  CCREAD-Cameroon has been responding to these problems by organizing communities into groups, educating them and assisting them to start group initiatives for poverty alleviation/solving land conflicts.

Training women and indigenous groups on project planning, fundraising and networking
Started in 2011, this project helps women and youths constituted into development common initiative groups on identifying community problems, documentation, elaboration of micro projects, finding and mobilizing resources, creating relevant partnership monitoring and evaluation/reporting of their result to the general public.  CCREAD-Cameroon has organized 12 regional trainings/follow-up workshops reaching 12 groups through 120 group leaders and members in the South West Region of Cameroon

Rise for Nature Programme
This is an integrated environmental sustainability programme which CCREAD-Cameroon launched in 2011 to respond to nature conservation and rural development needs in many hard-to-reach forest communities of Kupe Muanenguba region.  Activities were targeted towards forest and wildlife conservation unsustainable practices campaigns, environmental education through schools, climate change and adaptation education, instituting alternative livelihoods activities with indigenous forest communities and advocacy for the respect of the rights to benefits from natural resources. Through campaigns and field actions, 25 communities have been reached, 27 schools covered and 2 regional advocacy forums held by the end of 2012.

In many parts of Cameroon, women still experience violation of their sexual/reproductive rights, cultural and political rights  and exclusion from cultural inheritances.   By December 2012 CCRead organised 6 regional advocacy and education forums on the rights of women.  30 women leaders were trained on human rights education and counseling and over 2,000 human rights education leaflets were handed to policy and traditional leaders.

Women’ rights activities
CCREAD-Cameroon has continued the donation of hygiene and sanitation materials (toilets, water, waste management materials and facility management).  From 201o-2012, 5 toilets have been constructed for 5 community primary schools, 10 volunteer teachers were sent to teach in schools and 200 water drinking buckets and cups were distributed to school children.

Direct assistance to needy schools in marginalized forest communities
Working to end high mortality rates in rural communities CCREAD has focused on the training of traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in  rural areas with emphases on communities with no health units.  In collaboration with BKFA, CCREAD-Cameroon distributes each month 500 birthing kits to rural women and community centers to help in safe and clean delivery.

Planned projects for the future

• Vocational training for youths and women on ICTs, Tailoring entrepreneurship, and leadership.
• Scaling up of youth leadership and governance training.
• School base peace, human rights, governance and environmental education.
• Start of Rise for Nature Program Phase 3 in 5 communities on environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation.
• Integrated poverty alleviation scheme for women and youths in need.
• Assistance to 10 schools through classroom and toilet constructions.
• Donation of birthing kits to rural women for safe and clean delivery

Team members
Hilary Ewang Ngide – Executive Director MS.c(Development/Environment, PGC(PPME), BS.c(Geo& planning)
Belinda Menyange – Programs Officer BS.c (Sociology/Anthropology)
Etienne Mponne – Projects officer BS.c (Environmental mgt)
Sylvie E. Epolle – Outreach manager LL.B
Cirus Msumbe Epie – Communications officer B.ED, Dip(Communications)
Ntungwe Remitus – Administrator LLB, Dip in PME
Lucy Etuge – Partnerships BA, Community development
Lyn Tim – Outreach Assist. LLB, Dip HRM
Anna Dressler – Coordinator.

Future in Our Hands Womens Co-operative, Oku

Future In Our Hands Cooperative Oku
FIOH Oku is a women’s farming cooperative made of over 5 Common Initiative Groups (CIGs) representing over five villages in Oku Subdivision.  It was created on the 22nd of September 1999.  It encourages the spirit of hard work, cooperation and togetherness in women.  It is called a women’s cooperative because 95% of members are women.  Her creation was thanks to the interest SHUMAS NGO and Future Our Hands had to empower women and the vulnerable in the Oku community.  It has as motto: educate a man, educate an individual; educate a woman to educate a whole nation.  This is because of the socio-economic importance of a woman in the purely African village community like Oku.  Some of the projects realised by FIOH-Oku:-

• Improving the processing and transformation of corn and cassava through mills and haulers donated by SHUMAS and her partners.
• Offering loans to members at very minimal interest rates through a scheme developed by SHUMAS.
• Through SHUMAS there has been the development of community health infrastructure for the village of Lui.
• Regular production of organic food crops and other natural products for income generation and food security.
• Attending agro-pastoral shows to market their produce.
• Training and practising sustainable and integrated farming and livestock productions methods amongst her members.
• Training and application of agroforestry techniques to her membership.

Oku is located in Bui Division of the North West Region of Cameroon.  It is made up of 36 village communities mostly living along the slopes of the Kilum Mountain.  The people depend mostly on forest resources, subsistence agriculture, cash crop farming, livestock production and local artisan work for their livelihood.  The Kilum Ijim Forest found in the community is a naturally preserved moist montane forest with a surface area of about 20,000 hectares.  It is located in the Mount Oku Ridge in the Bamenda Highlands and forms part of the High Plateaus Agro-ecological Zone of Cameroon.  The geographic location of the area is latitude 6°07’N – 6°17’N and longitude 10°20’E – 10°25’E.  It has very important and threatened Afro-Montane endemic animal and plant species such as Prunus africana amongst others.  It is an internationally important biodiversity hotspot and a critical zone for carbon sequestration within the High Plateaus Agro-ecological Zone.
The Kilum area is one of the highly populated locations in Africa and Cameroon in particular, accommodating 144,800 people occupying about 328 km2 (439.3persons/km2); hence, high pressure on resources is inevitable.  There has been progressive deforestation and degradation mainly due to agricultural expansion, forest fire and overgrazing.  Fuel wood harvesting has also been a major cause of deforestation and forest degradation.  The late 1980s decline in coffee prices triggered many farmers to migrate further up the slopes in search of new land to increase income through alternative crops.

Within two years of its formation the activities of the co-operative had a profound positive impact on the lives of the women:

Former situation

1. We were scattered and never cared to come together because we did farming far away from our homes because of the eucalyptus trees that were planted around our homes by men.
2. We thought that only men had the right to inherit the property of parents.  We never attended seminars and training programmes.
3. We were shy to express ourselves among men and only played the part of listening.
4. Our opportunities for income-generation were very limited.
5. We thought HIV/AIDS was a curse from God and an opportunity for white people to sell us condoms.
6. We thought that bread and cakes production was the duty of men.  We did not know the importance of business – buyam sellam.
7. If a woman was illiterate when she married we thought this was the last chance for her to become literate.
8. Single parents had to resort to work on farms just to feed the family. They had insufficient income for their children’s education.
9. Women believed that only men had the right to determine how many children they should bear.
10. Husbands decided which political party their wives should vote for in Elections.
11.  Only men had the right to erect buildings and got the credit for doing so despite the help of women.
12. Men brought in second wives without the consent of the first wife, claiming it is their right.
13. Women thought only of their own needs and rarely discussed problems together.  We did not engage with women from other villages.
14. Widows used to sleep on bare floors in very smokey houses that constituted a breeding ground for germs and diseases.

Current situation

1. We now farm around our homes and have enough time to come together.  Children now attend school as they do not have to come with us to distant farms.  We have gained experience by coming together e.g. joined savings and credit groups with small interest charged on loans. We now have small businesses that help to solve some of our problems like paying for school fees and drugs.  We are healthy and do not have to rely on our husbands for money.
2. We have attended many seminars organised by SHUMAS and the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace, Bishops House, Kumbo, Human Rights agent and the International Federation of Female Lawyers in Cameroon.
3. Now we express ourselves freely because of the lectures from SHUMAS and human rights agent who told us that every person is the same before the law and has the right to express his/her views freely.
4.  We now produce tablet and powder soap and hire a hand cart for transporting items.
5. Through seminars we have learned that HIV/AIDS is real.  We go out to schools and talk on the rural radio about the dangers and the precautioins that must be taken.  There have been significant changes in sexual behaviour as a result.
6. We now have our own small bakery and members can take part in bread making and poff poff production.  We sell what we make and employ male youths to carry to far distant places by motorbike to sell.
7. The eucalyptus replacement project has enabled women to have more time to engage in adult literacy classes.  These include married women who were once illiterate.
8. FIOH Oku has encouraged single parents to join the co-opertive and learn how to engage in income generating activities.  The co-operative has provided them with small loans and they are now able to sell items in the market.  Some have been able to send their children to school and have given testimonies on how their lives have improved.
9. From the lectures and seminars women became more aware that men and women should jointly agree the number of children they should bear.
10. Through the education of the human rights agent and messages from Mike Thomas of the FIOH UK Fund, women now know their rights to vote in their own right.
11. Women now realise that they can take the initiative in putting up a building.  Our women have bought a plot of land and have erected their own meeting hall.
12. Through the co-operative we have taught women the importance of marriage certificates and various types of marriage .  If monogamy is the choice then men have no right to bring in a second wife or mistress.
13. We now have exchange visits with other womens co-operatives in our network.  We exchange ideas and learn from each others experience.
14. Now most women, especially FIOH women, do not now sleep in such houses.  When their husbands die they sit in a special room with friends who comfort them.

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