Month: April 2022

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Ecological Balance Brazes up to Rewild Community Forests, Watersheds with 30,000 Trees

Ecological Balance is fine-tuning strategies and putting hands on deck to raise 35000 seedlings and ensure that at least 30,000 are planted before the end of 2022.

The Organization  is currently engaged in collecting seeds, filling in polybags with top soil mixed with fowl dung (organic manure), and potting of seedlings at it tree nursery in Bomaka-Buea, SW Cameroon, with a special focus on trees classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List. The potted seedlings are watered and dewed to ensure that they are healthy. .

Over 12000 seeds of Mahogany have so far been collected from Bokwango and 500 of njangsa from Bova and nursed. Over 2000 seeds of Leuceana  & 1000 of bauhinia have also been collected  from the University of Buea and over 1000 of seeds of acacia from Bulu and nursed. These seedlings will be added unto the 3323 seedlings of Jakaranda, Jathropha, prunus, mahogany, acacia, jack fruit tree, vocanga, njangsa, erythrina, sour sop, orange, lemon, pebbe, lueceana, bush mango, pignantus, money tree and plum tree seedlings that were raised in 2021.

“We have a big target this year of raising the nursery from 3323 trees in 2021, to 35000 in 2022, while hoping to  plant at least 30000 of them in community forests in Cameroon including the Etinde and Bakingili community forests, and water catchments. This only means we have to plan well and begin early,” said Madam Limbi Blessing, the Executive Director of Ecological Balance. 

According to her, these trees will  revamp community forest ecosystems, ensure community forest level sustainability in the management of forest resources, increase goods and services from forest and recharge ground water and improve water tables.  

NJIAFU BENARDIN

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90% of 1000 Trees Planted at Etinde Community Forest Survives!

Up to 90% of over 1000 trees seedlings, which Ecologocal Balance planted into a deforested patch of the Etinde community forest in West Coast-Idenau of the South West Region of Cameroon in November 2021, have survived. This information was made public by the  Head of Forest Rewilding at Ecological Balance, Njiafu Benardin, following an evaluation trip to the Community Forest in February 2022.

Etome is one of the several villages that hosts the Etinde Community Forest in the Mount Cameroon Area, South West Region of Cameroon within the Bakingili forest landscape. This community forest continually lost its forest to deforestation for agricultural purposes, fuel wood and timber harvesting, and from lava flowing from Mt Etinde.

Cognizant of this and in line with its desire to provide habitat for wildlife and mitigate climate change, Ecological Balance Cameroon in 2021 committed to helping the village to rebuild their forest, tree by tree. Over 10 native species including Entandrophragma angolensis (big leave mahogany) Riccinodendron heudolotii (njangsa), Irvingia gabonesis (bush mango) and Monodora myristica (pebbe) and some fruit and nut producing trees were planted. The choice of these predominantly local spices-producing trees, was to make the women and community value their forest more and jealously preserve it

 Meanwhile, more tree planting events are planned for the months ahead. Routine monitoring and evaluation activities like deweeding, collection of data on growth characteristics, wildlife etc will continue for up to 24 months when the forest is expected to be self-sustaining. It is hoped that through this project, up to one hectare of degraded forest land will be restored in order to restore biodiversity habitats, recharge ground water recharge & improve water tables, increase quantities & varieties as well as sequester carbon amongst others. The rewilding project is being carried out  thanks to financial support from Stiftung Arthenschutz.  

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Over 50 Cameroonian Youths Determined to Make a Difference After Inspirational Trip

“One of the things that I have learnt from this inspirational trip is how to balance my skills and certificates. I already acquired so many certificates and right know, I am embarking on developing my skills. I want to have something that I can actually do to serve my community and increase my living standard and those around me. This trip has served as an inspiration for that and I am really grateful,” said Dr Enama Albert, a Bomaka-based Cameroonian youth at the end of a 1-day Youth Inspirational Trip involving some 50 young people within the Buea Municipality, organized recently by Ecological Balance.

The Cameroon-based non-profit organization took the youngsters to some start up enterprises in Buea. These included a rattan craft and furniture center, and a packaging enterprise, where the founders and managers of shared their success journeys to let the youths know that there is so much they can do to navigate their way through the rising unemployment, poverty, lack of access to basic social security services and outright insecurity in Cameroon.

The young boys and girls sat through inspirational talks on topics like Entrepreneurial Mindset, The Missing Link Between Certificates and Skills, Holistic Communication, Academic Excellence & Research, The Co-operative Business Model and Backing for the Outstanding Youth amongst others as they journey from Buea to Down Beach-Limbe and back.  After seating through this journey, Betafo Evodia Kombe of Molyko-Buea now believes it is possible to make it in Cameroon. “This trip has inspired me to understand that I can make it here in Cameroon. I have come to understand that I can create an enterprise using the natural resources we have here in Cameroon like the rattan craft and furniture enterprise. All I need is to be focused, build and use my communication skills, dedicate my time in building new skills and looking for opportunities to invest the skills in,” she stated.  

Dr. Shey Robert Adamu, one of the Resource Persons noted that a visible change in the youths shortly after the Trip.  “Knowledge is power; with what we have dished out today, I think that there is a change in perspective, and mindset and they can be able to make a difference in their lives by themselves and not just relying on the Government,” he said. 

Aimed at inspiring youths to be the change they want, the Executive Director of Ecological Balance urged the young Cameroonians to leverage on the knowledge gathered from the different speakers, and take actions to make the change they want and be the change they want to see.

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Ecological Balance Donates Food Items to 25 Displaced Families in Buea

Ecological Balance Cameroon has donated food items including rice, vegetable oil and chicken to 25 internally displaced families in the Buea Town, Muea, Bomaka, and Mile 16 communities in Buea. The donation was made 1st February 2022 within the framework of the Organization’s Eco Food Bank project.

The beneficiaries, 90% being mothers, expressed gratitude to Ecological Balance as they happily took their packs home. “I am very grateful for these food items donated to us today. Food stuff had completely gotten finished in my house, with no money to any.  So, these food items will be of great help to my family and I,” said one of the beneficiary Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Mrs. Ntah Stephanie. Another IDP, Mr. Ntowe Jean Paul, who is host to twelve children; both his biological children and other family relatives, heaved a sigh of relieve after receiving the donation. “I am grateful for this great initiative to save us from hunger,” he said.

These reactions brought so much joy and a sense of fulfillment to the Ecological Balance’s Executive Director, Limbi Blessing Tata.  “The smiles, stories and comments from beneficiaries each time we donate food always leave me overwhelmed with joy and I always get really emotional, I can’t help it!” she attested.  

While donating to the IDPs, Madam Limbi counselled her team to exercise respect and show love to the beneficiary. This attitude of the team has been widely appreciated by beneficiaries. Ecological Balance hopes to reach out to 100 displaced families with food and skills by the end of 2022.

Agborkang Godfred Ebot

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Ecological balance’s Living Food Bank Produces More Food Crops for Needy Families

The Living Food Bank of Ecological Balance in Bokwango-Buea, South West Region of Cameroon had a bountiful yield of  a variety of crops during the last harvest in January 2022. Over 72kg of beans, 180kg of maize, and a good quantities of pumpkins, vegetables and cassava were harvest from the Living bank to meet the needs of internally displaced and or needy families in different communities in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon.

The Food Bank of Ecological Balance was established in 2019 to meet the needs of internally displaced families as a result of the arm conflict rocking the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, and other needy families. “We made an appeal to support internally displaced families but the donations that came in were not enough. Hence, we sowed that as seed to harvest more within a few months. We have a team with great skills in agriculture and wanted to make use of this and the rich volcanic soils in Buea to produce more food for the increasing displaced population in Buea,” Madam Limbi Blessing Tata, the Executive Director of Ecological Balance expounded.

With this increase in yields from the Living Bank, the Organization has raised its usual donations of food items from 20 to 25 families. The Living Food Bank is part of the Climate Smart Agricultural Programme of Ecological Balance, which seeks to end hunger, improve nutrition, ensure food security & sovereignty without harming the environment (forests, soils, and water).

BY AGORKANG GODFRED EBOT