-This project shall be a two way learn process meaning giving and receiving community-based ideas for onward transition and further dissemination within other networks and communities.
-This will be achieved through using both national and community languages to ensure a smooth assimilation process to the process leading to more awareness creation as well new skills acquisition.
All activities in the project work plan are geared toward bringing a sustainable change in the lives of the beneficiary?s socio-economically while contributing in protecting the environment:
- Solar energy training and installations will be carried out to train Indigenous youth on latest and advanced technology so much so that the activities will bring about an improvement in the lives of the people.
- Organic agriculture will be one of the activities under this project with 02 community gardens created to train the youth of Bivouba community in the south Region of Cameroon improve on food variety, reduce malnutrition among children due the consumption of one food crop.
- Training indigenous people on the production of organic manure compost to help increase crop yields while at the same time encouraging recycling and environmental protection
- Sensitization meeting on the effects of climate change, déforestation on IP Community in Bivouba
- Training community members on home agro-forestry in the IP of Bivouba
- Training on how to transplant trees to the tree side Plantation created in their settlement
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Training Community members on Covid- 19 preventive measures
- Socio- economic training on the valorisation of non-timber forest Product.
- Training IP youth of Bivouva on the production of hand sanitizer
- Organize a training in building Energy Clay saving ovens
- : Sensitization of community member on the importance and appropriation of these new technology
- Encouraging Livestock rearing in IP community of Bivouba
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
At the launch of the project, there will be visibility and communication material printed such a banner, roll up and T-shirts to help create awareness to the population.
Images, videos will be shared and social media tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
Community based radio stations will serve as a traditional media tool to transfer messages about the project to the local population using local languages.
Capacity - Building Component
Lobbying and advocacy will shall be part of the activities planned under this project at national and community levels. Training on reporting techniques will be equally part of the activities.
Gender Focus
Taking into consideration the great role women and girls play in society, this project will be a gender balanced project making sure women and girls are not left out in every activity carried out.
There will be some activities where women will lead and be a majority of the beneficiaries such as agriculture. This project will be 60% women/ beneficiary activities.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The main objective of this project is to empower Indigenous Peoples making sure it attains the intended objectives. During the execution phase of the project, local languages will be use as a tool of communication through the use of translation.
Participatory videos will be done in English Language and local languages with subtitles in English language.
Radio communications will be made using local languages in order to sensitize and create public awareness to the entire community and beyond.
Policy Impact
The project will urge the government to improve indigenous people?s engagement in the national planning strategy taking into consideration the principle of free prior and informed consent and the respect of traditional and local institutions.
This project will be a pilot initiative to the national government in order to scale up such activities carried out under this project in order to improve upon community development.
Notable Community Participation
This project will be a youth empowerment project aim at strengthening Indigenous youth capacities in green initiatives to become ambassadors who will drive change and the fight against climate change within indigenous communities thus taking into consideration the youth force and of course gender equality (15-45) years old.
Project Results
Activity 1.1: Sensitization meeting on the effects of climate change, deforestation in the IP community in Bivouba.
This capacity building training activity brought together sixty-four (64) (20 women 32 men and 12 youth) who are mostly farmer and hunters who depend highly on the forest for survival and other community members who are wood exploiters to learn about the effects of climate change and to educate them on some adaptation and mitigation strategies in order to protect the planet. The participants were trained on reforestation measures, the importance of preserving animal habitats and the importance of the forest to secure indigenous land, traditional knowledge and cultural values.
Activity 1.2: Train community members on home and agro-forestry in the IP Community of Bivouba.
One hundred (100 fruits trees) such as mangoes, oranges, lemons, limes, papaya, guavas and pears have been planted in the Bivouba community to enable the community members have access to fruits in the future for sale and home consumption as a means of an alternative livelihood solutions while at the same time enable a balance diet and nutrition among children to reduce malnutrition as reason of poor feeding conditions usually starchy food.
During sixty-two (62) people were trained to help boast fruit production in Bivouba.
This community orchard has diverted the attention of community member who depended on hunting to now start their individual community farms where fruit trees are the main plants in order to demarcate land, protect water resource areas, provide food and financial security.
Activity1.3: Training peoples on how to transplant trees and the creation of a tree Plantation in IP settlement
Seventy-two (72) peoples (26 women, 32 men and 14 youth) gained knowledge on tree planting activities in Bivouba in the South Region of Cameroon in an endeavor to fight climate change and biodiversity loss. During this training, the indigenous peoples were taught how to set up nurseries and the importance of reforestation to the community and the planet in relation to environmental safeguard and ecosystem restoration.
Water catchment have been protected in Bivouba by planting water friendly trees to fight against drought and consequent evaporation of water bodies.
Activity 2.1: Training community members on Covid- 19 preventive measures.
sixty (60) Indigenous peoples (15 men including 05 Bantu men who are mostly farmers and some of them traders and hunters, 22 women who are mostly house wives and famers, as well as 13 boys including four 04 bantu youth) and participants and many children within the community of Bivouba to gain knowledge on Covid-19 prevention and the to be conscious on the disease prevention in the future.
Activity 2.2: Training community members on the exploitation of non-timber forest product for economic empowerment purpose.
Seventy-two 72 farmers including 41 women, 10 men and 22 girls were trained on the Valorization of non-timber forest products to enable them increase in per capital income and improve upon living conditions. Through this training, resources gained from the commercialization of non ? timber forest products are able to finance education, health and feeding bills for over 100 children in Bivouba community. There is conservation and protection of these trees now more than before as price tags have been set for each product per kilogram unlike in the past where the indigenous people were exploited economically.
Activity 2.3: Train thirty (30) IP youth of Bivouba on the production of hand sanitizer
Fifty-five 55 Indigenous peoples (15 men including 05 Bantu men who are mostly farmers and some of them traders and hunters, 22 women who are mostly house wives and famers, as well as 13 boys including four 04 bantu youth) and many children within the community of Bivouba gained knowledge on the production of hand sanitizer in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and were equally thought on the WHO Covid-19 preventive measures which is now a lifestyle of the Indigenous People of Bivouba unlike in the past where they were ignorant about these measures.
Activity 3.1: Train 10 boys and 10 girls in solar energy technology
05 homes electrified with solar power installation
-04 solar projects
Twenty-eight (28) youth including seven (07) girls gained knowledge and new skills in solar energy installation and maintenance in Bivouba community, Lokoundje in the South Region of Cameroon. The Indigenous peoples now have access to electricity thanks to the use of solar energy installation in some homes where they are able to charge their mobile phones, watch television and have electricity in some homes which has permitted children to study at night leading to an improvement in academic performance among children, enable woman to cook at night and the community to live in harmony at night to watch football matches and movies creating unity and love within the community.
02 solar powered projector has been installed in the community to give more electricity in the community to reduce snake bites and other animal attacks at night.
Activity 3.2. Organize a training of women in building energy clay saving ovens
A training on the use of clay energy saving oven organized in Bivouba in the South Region of Cameroon has enable forty (40) peoples (12 women, 22 youth and 06) men to gain knowledge on how to build these ovens for home use. During this practical training activity, 02 ovens were built to educate the peoples on the importance of this technology in relation to fighting climate change and saving energy.
There is a great reduction in the use of firewood in Bivouba to cook unlike in the past where cooking was marked by a high level of deforestation and carbon emission. Presently there is less stress and a reduction in carbon emission levels as women now require less efforts to cook for their families especially with the use of the double-sided fireside to save energy which can take two pots at the same time using the same quantity of firewood.
Activity 3.3: Sensitization of community member on the importance and appropriation of these new technology.
As a result of the solar energy installation training which brought together Twenty-eight (28) youth including seven (07) girls gained knowledge and new skills in solar energy installation and maintenance in Bivouba community, these same people were later on trained on sustainable use of these technology through a training program organized to reinforced the skill in maintenance and repair of these services and to upgrade their skill with news technological advancement such as the use of solar energy radios, power banks, independent solar projectors etc.
Activity 4.1: Training on organic manure production in the IP community of Bivouba
On the 31st of August 2022 a training was carried out in Bivouba to train the Indigenous peoples on the production of organic manure compost to improve soil fertility and boast food production. This training session brought together 20 women and 20 men to ensure that they gain new skills in organic manure compost production process for the socio-economic benefits of the peoples of Bivouba in the south Region of Cameroon. This training was carried out to train the population on the use of organic fertilizer produced by the inhabitants using local and available household waste in an endeavor to replace the use of chemical fertilizers which is a major cause of climate change, water pollution and multiple health problems resulting from the consumption of toxic imported chemicals.
Activity 4.2: Encouraging Livestock rearing in IP community of Bivouba
The problem of illegal hunting and poaching has led to disruption of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the forest community of Bivouba. Many peoples in this community depend on hunting for a living due to lack of an alternative or replacement to address meat/ beef food intake.
A training was carried out to educate the people on livestock rearing which brought twenty-two (22) indigenous peoples (14 men who are hunters and 08 women who are prominent vendors of beef/ bush meat) on the importance of livestock rearing with each member encouraged to start a small animal farm with fowls, goats, rabbits, sheep and fish ponds. In order to meet this object, a community poultry farm is built with wood confiscated from forest exploiters in Bivouba community by the traditional council of elder to serve as a demonstration farm where the people are gaining skills on animal farm in order to reduce the rate of hunting in the part of the country.
Activity 4.3: Encourage community farming through the creation of a community pilot farm in the IP community of Bivouba
Farming Practices are important in the lives of every community as agriculture remains the back bone of every community including the indigenous peoples in the south region of Cameroon. A training was organized which brought together 20 women and 17 men 11 youth to ensure that they gain new skills in home manure gardening for the socio-economic benefits of the peoples of Bivouba in the south Region of Cameroon. This training was carried out to train the population on the use of organic fertilizer produced by the inhabitants using local and available household waste in an endeavor to replace the use of chemical fertilizers which is a major cause of climate change, water pollution and multiple health problems resulting from the consumption of toxic imported chemicals.
This was done both theoretically and practically to increase food crop production both for home consumption and for sale. Food items such as maize, beans, vegetables, pepper, ginger, and tomatoes are items planted on this farm with a size of 25*25M square.
The people are now limiting their dependency ration of the forest for food and are now able to cultivate food crops.
Activity 5.1: Radio sensitization programs
Two (02) radio sensitization programs carried at the community radio station (Nkuli Makeli FM 102.4) under the usual program titled (Je pass a la radio) in English, French and the Bagyeli native languages with over one thousand (2000) peoples near and far sensitized in the South Region of Cameroon on the activities of the ongoing project in Bivouba community such as the effects of poaching, climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, importance of renewable energy solutions and some possible adaption measures to tackle these global challenges.
Activity 5.2: Celebrating the 30th SGP anniversary
Eighty-four 84 people gathered in Bivouba community to celebrate the GEF SGP 30TH anniversary in an effort to acknowledge the great efforts and sacrifices made for 30 year in supporting indigenous communities in the fight against climate change and in supporting the communities achieve self-growth in career. This was marked by enlightening the inhabitants of Bivouba on the number of projects supported by GEF SGP, its mission and visions in synergies with indigenous peoples and local communities in the struggle for environmental protection. Marked my much celebration and jubilation the traditions ruler of Bivouba said ?With all the blessings from the GEF SGP, we the people of Bivouba will be together to save the environment?
His Majesty Nkoa Nestor
