Programs & Projects
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Support Project to Alternatives to Bush Meat on the Western Outskirts of the Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary
The Support Project to Alternatives to Bush Meat on the Western Outskirts of the Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary was carried out between February 2004 and May 2005. It was funded by the Capacity Building Program of DFID managed by the Netherlands Development Organization SNV.
It is worth mentioning that Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary is found in the South Region of Cameroon and was officially created in 2001. It covers a surface area of about 27 000 ha. It is part nowadays of the Complex Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary/Kom National Park which one the key protected area of the TRIDOM lanscape.
The sanctuary is home to rich flora as well as 36 species of large mammals, including gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants. There are also mandrills, mangabeys, buffaloes and sitatungas, as well as 193 species of birds and 23 species of fish.
However, this protected area is seriously threatened by poaching and other human activities. The poaching is more severe due to the fact that conventional meat is very scare in the vicinity of the area.
The project carried out aimed at:
- Raising awareness among the neighboring populations of the Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary as many do not understand why they are prevented from killing animal from the bush and why they are to protect certain animal species
- Making wildlife documentation available to populations
- Explaining the documentation on wildlife to local populations
- Training in conventional breeding (poultry, pork)
The demand of conventional meat was becoming common (People from Gabon was coming to buy chicken from the neighboring populations), as populations being accustomed to game also want variety. Concerning pork, it is adored in the region. It is used during dowry.
Unfortunately the was short lived, as after conducting two batches of chicken, the populations found it difficult to continue. They were obliged to order day old chicks in Yaounde and additionally, the animal feed was sold only in Ebolowa which is very far from them.
To continue which such an activity will give a preat push to conservation in the area because as far as there is no conventional meat in the vicinity of this protected area, the neighboring shall continue practising poaching which is a great threat to wildlife.
IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLANS
Project of Sensitizing of the neighbouring populations to the Melong/Dschang road on the fight against the STDs/HIV/AIDS, the environmental protection, and the respect of the Highway Code.
Start of the Project : August 2004
End: April 2007
The Coordinator of the animators during a sensitization campaign
The Project of Sensitizing of the neighbouring populations to the Melong/Dschang road on the fight against the HIV/AIDS, the environmental protection and the respect of the Highway Code has been implemented by the CARFAD with the joint financing of the African Development Bank and the Cameroonian government through the Ministry of Public Works.
This project began in August 2004 and was completed in April 2007. With the support of the local animators, sensitizing was carried out in the schools, the churches, at the time of the public meetings and during the festivals of youth (11th February), international woman day (8th March), and Labour Day (1st May). It was question in the framework of fight against the STDs/HIV/AIDS to sensitize populations in defining the HIV, in indicating the modes of transmission and prevention of STDs/HIV/AIDS, in making demonstration of the correct port of the condom and finally in distributing folders, condoms and Femidoms (female condoms). As regards the respect of the Highway Code, the local animators indicated how the pedestrians must cross the road, spoken about the protection of the road inheritance, of the importance of the traffic signs, the port of the helmet for the motorcyclists…
Concerning the environmental protection, the priority was made on the prohibition of the cultures in the gutters, the good cultivation methods, the damage caused by the animals in divagation. In the final analysis, the project of sensitizing was a frank success, because the neighbouring populations of Melong/Dschang were sufficiently sensitized on the fight against IST/HIV/SIDA, the environmental protection and the respect of the code the road.
They took a certain number of actions such as:
- Promises of the populations of Fombap to form groups of cleaning of the gutters when the road will be there
- The municipal police force of Sancthou installed under the instigation of the project to give up the tradesmen who occupy the roadway and dirty it and exposing themselves to the accidents
- Circular of the mayor of the rural district of Sancthou fixing certain rules of circulation on the axis Melong/Dschang
- Circular of the chief of the village of Nkongsoung prohibiting to the women to cultivate in the gutters
However, to perpetuate these actions, sensitization must continue after the road construction project. If you are interested to finance the continuation of the project, please make a donation.