Agriculture and Agro processing

As the fight to protect wildlife in the Mbam Djerem National Park intensifies, other nongovernmental organizations are taking an interest.



Valery Binda is a conservation expert whose interest in wildlife conservation since the age of 9 pushed him to create Agriculture and Bio-conservation for Youth Empowerment and Rural Development Organization, <a href="https://aboyerd.org/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://aboyerd.org/">ABOYERD</a>.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="115" class="wp-image-324" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Fourth-dropdown1-1-300x229-1.jpeg" alt="">



According to Valery, ABOYERD has been able to carry out ecological surveys to understand the different species of wildlife in the Mbam Djarem National Park with emphasis on the Pangolins, the distribution of the species, their abundance and habitat yields, making him different from many failed conservation projects that were not based on site -specific research.



They have also been able to carry out socio-economic surveys to understand the threats faced by these species, the local use and consumption of these species, and have an understanding of the pro-biodiversity bio-chains found in the area that could be developed by his organization as a means to provide an alternative livelihood to people that depend on the forest for their living.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-332" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387367604.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387367604.jpg 720w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387367604-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



Besides the Pangolin project, <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02cSQzGPUzLCBTBx98oVtFB1XeTWtPRxN7fZKNyrDFTfrbmYqEWWsMNSKoGaY9NuJCl&amp;id=100068350366230&amp;mibextid=Nif5oz" data-type="URL" data-id="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02cSQzGPUzLCBTBx98oVtFB1XeTWtPRxN7fZKNyrDFTfrbmYqEWWsMNSKoGaY9NuJCl&amp;id=100068350366230&amp;mibextid=Nif5oz">ABOYERD</a> has another project in the Southwestern part of Cameroon that is focused on the conservation of great apes; gorillas and chimpanzees, and forest elephants. This project is aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and illegal poaching that affects species.



Given that the people who live in these forest areas can not just switch their way of life just for the sake of conservation, the organisation through it&#8217;s environmental education and conservation awareness programs, educates the population resident in this forest region and raises their awareness of these species, their importance and the need for the species to be conserved.



After educative programs like these, ABOYERD teaches these people commercial beekeeping, sustainable collection, transportation, processing, and marketing of non-timber forest products like njansang and Guinean pepper, to name a few.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="112" class="wp-image-329" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387428545.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387428545.jpg 663w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387428545-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



ABOYERD also runs a field conservation project where students who study conservation are given room to get hands-on experience. Valery notes that most students who are interested in conservation have little or no avenues to experiment all that they learn in the classroom thus he thinks a project like this will go a long way to solve this problem. Besides an avenue to experiment, they provide both technical and financial support to these students and they have been able through this project to impact about six students, one from the universities of Bamenda and Dschang respectively.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-330" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387473389.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387473389.jpg 720w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FB_IMG_1673387473389-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



Although some of the projects carried out by ABOYERD are sponsored externally by some local and international partners, Aboyerd has put in place some demonstration farms such as mushroom farms, organic gardening, and snail farming to be able to sponsor their activities internally.



ABOYERD currently provides employment to some 8 young Cameroonians and hopes that in the nearest future they will be a leading local conservation organization in Cameroon. With projects as good and works as great as what ABOYERD is already doing, some assistance and good partnerships could aid ABOYERD be able to impact more students and people found in these forest zones

Sustainable Wildlife Management: Serving People and Environment

With the curent increase in the prices of food stuffs in the country, it is the aim of the Cameroon government to reduce the importation of frozen chicken and encourage home production. 



In order to meet this quest, a 25 year agric engineer projects a poultry farm to go operational within October, 2022.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="84" class="wp-image-282" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0041.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0041.jpg 960w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0041-300x169.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0041-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



Citizen Building Farmers Cooperative, Buea is the idea of Zinkeng Casmier, a graduate from the University of Buea, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. 



His passion for agriculture and the need to meet the shortage of chicken in the market caused him to make provision for a poultery farm. 



The project site located at sandpit is aimed at starting with about 500 chicks and expand gradually from that number. 



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="84" class="wp-image-284" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0039.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0039.jpg 960w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0039-300x169.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/IMG-20221003-WA0039-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



Casmier notes that, although the first set of birds will be fed with feed he would buy, the subsequent sets will be fed with feed mostly from his farm. 



Besides a poultery farm, Casmier owns a corn farm which is specifically designed to produce feed for the birds, and a mill to grind and mix the feed. 



Although Casmier hopes to employ workers when the project starts, curently he is soley receiving assistance in his farms from his family. 



According to the founder of Citizen building farmers cooperative, he envisages to have an industrial poultery farm of about 5,000 birds. This way, maintaining the farm in terms of cleaning and generating heat for the birds will be time efficient. 



While Casmier hopes to empower those coming behind him, he encourages the youths of Cameroon to see the need to invest in agriculture given that it is the backbone of the economy of Sub Saharan countires.

Modern Poultry Farms In Cameroon On The Rise

With the start of the Ukraine crisis, the prices of food items have skyrocketed since the third quarter of 2022 in Cameroon, states Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET, 2022).



This is an eye opener to the Cameroon government and its citizens for their abundant resources unexploited.



As a means to change consumption patterns and ensure food security in the country, Cameroon agricultural engineer Tsayem Flaubert and his cooperative develop projects to make this a reality.



Dynamic Farms Cooperative created in 2010 is located in Limbe at Man O&#8217; War Bay. Run by a team of about 20 people, it seeks to create variety to solve the problem of escalating prices of food commodities. The cooperative cultivate cassava, pineapple, pepper, and rears pigs to name a few. 



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" class="wp-image-271" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0061.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0061.jpg 474w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0061-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />







They use their cassava to produce garri and fufu to supply in local markets. Meanwhile, the residue from the cassava is used as feed for the pigs. Hence, helping in waste management.



According to Flaubert, they aim at getting machinery by January 2023, so they will not just be producing garri locally but adopt modern ways of production to start the production of flour on a large scale.



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="90" class="wp-image-272" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0060.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0060.jpg 474w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220928-WA0060-300x180.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



This will serve as a substitute for wheat flour which was 40 &#8211; 60 percent high and has increased by about 30 percent since the start of the Ukraine crisis, states Famine Early Warning System Network, (FEWS NET).



Flaubert also notes that, if he succeeds at this project, he does not intend to waste the residue. So, he will extend the pig farm since most of the feed will come from the factory.



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-273" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220930-WA0013.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220930-WA0013.jpg 1000w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220930-WA0013-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220930-WA0013-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />



Although Flaubert hopes to extend his works to other parts of the country, he cannot help but work according to his resources.



Hopefully, with Cameroon&#8217;s ambition in its National Development Strategy to increase the quality and quantity of agricultural products, the Dynamic Farmers’ cooperative could be given some assistance to facilitate the realization of its projects.



This assistance will not just see that Cameroon achieves its 1960 to 1990 goal of attaining food self-sufficiency, but will also create jobs for some citizens of the country, reducing unemployment.

How Close is Cameroon to Achieve Food-Self Sufficiency?

Architecture / Design / Decor

Authorship and Creative Writing

Aviation and Aeronotics

Banking and Finance

Beauty and Lifestyle

In a bit to make today&#8217;s waste tomorrow&#8217;s raw materials,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewube-egbe-9636631a7/?originalSubdomain=dz" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewube-egbe-9636631a7/?originalSubdomain=dz"> Ewube Kelly</a>, founder of One Green Africa, OGA, an organization based on environmental sustainability thinks we are wasting resources by throwing away waste instead of looking for alternative ways to put them into use.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="307" height="135" class="wp-image-362" style="width: 307px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0025.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0025.jpg 984w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0025-300x132.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0025-768x337.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px" />



The <a href="https://twitter.com/EWUBEE/with_replies" data-type="URL" data-id="https://twitter.com/EWUBEE/with_replies">graduate</a> of the Pan African University Institute Of Water and Energy Resources and Climate Change (PAUWES) thinks as we hope for a sustainable future, there is a need for waste crafting to be inculcated in Africa.



The organization founded in 2022 works closely with youths and women to train them in environmental management; the upcycling of waste ranging from plastics, cardboard, and e-waste to name a few. 



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="320" height="240" class="wp-image-363" style="width: 320px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0021.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0021.jpg 1040w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0021-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0021-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0021-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" />



Upcycling is a form of recycling where a waste product is given a new look, other than a complete transformation as is the case with recycling. Repurposing is very important because as the world&#8217;s population keeps growing, there is a need for more of everything to be produced thus, creating more waste. Instead of filling up our landfills with waste, we must take time to upcycle more and recycle as much as we can.



With this, OGA currently has two trainees in its facility and four volunteers who go out from time to time to pick from the streets waste materials needed for their training. These trainees are taught to create things like bedside lamps, hangers, flower jars, wall decorations, and hairbands, to name a few. 



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="307" height="409" class="wp-image-365" style="width: 307px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0023.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0023.jpg 780w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0023-225x300.jpg 225w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20221221-WA0023-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px" />



According to Kelly, Upcycling is a skill that when learned, individuals stand a chance to empower themselves financially as it is a form of DIY which is now trending on social media, especially TikTok. Thus, OGA does not just care about achieving SDG 13 (climate action) but impacts these youths with vocational skills to help them survive the job market.



OGA hopes that as years unfold, they will not just end up cycling waste but will also sort waste from households, offices, restaurants, and hotels to ensure that nothing gets to the streets.



With a project and vision as admirable as what OGA is doing, probably with the collaboration of other climate actors and quality education activists, OGA can impact more youths and women sooner than they predict.

Upcycling:New Way to Recycling

Looking for that perfect outfit to give you the glow you deserve, yet differentiate you from everyone else?, <a href="https://m.facebook.com/lordkafrifashion/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://m.facebook.com/lordkafrifashion/">Lord-k Afri-fashion </a>gives you premium African designs with a touch of freshness and glamour. Besides being a premium African fashion brand, Lord-k Afri-fashion aims at blending the African identity, culture and values with the new trends in fashion. It is also aimed at seeing that its customers are guided on exactly what will fit their body shapes, colour and the occasion they are to attend. According to Kingsley, with the help of digital tools, they are able to come up with unique designs on daily basis, giving customers endless options to match their preferences. They use these tools to dress their clients virtually, so the client is able to see how a chosen design looks on them before a buying decision is made. With this, customers are able to request for modifications before production. This helps reduce risk of delivering the wrong product to client. Besides production based on command, Lord-k Afri-fashion in its onsite shop has ready-made designs too



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" class="wp-image-209" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0092.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0092.jpg 433w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0092-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="188" class="wp-image-208" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097-240x300.jpg 240w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Lord-K Afri-fashion is the idea of Kingsley Mbuili Njeba, a young Cameroonian entrepreneur who hails from Donga Mantung division of the Northwest region. He started his journey in the fashion industry started since 2020 virtually and now runs an onsite facility at <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/lord_afri" data-type="URL" data-id="https://mobile.twitter.com/lord_afri">Carrefour Mitzig</a>, Douala Cameroon. This besides being a business, it goes in line with the sustainable development goal 8 and Cameroon&#8217;s 2035 plan to reduce the proportion of youth unemployment. In this light, kingsley has two permanent employees under his pay role, one designed for <a href="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220824-WA0097.jpg">female clothing </a> and the other for the male designs meanwhile he focuses on the virtual designs. Probably with some support, Lord-k Afri-fashion could contain more employees, expand in size while promoting the African culture and why not extend to providing other products like curtains, bed-sheets, shoes, bags which Mbuili hopes to incorporate when he starts earning more.

NEW!!! Cameroon Clothing Industry Making Waves

Climate action

In preventing the worst impacts of climate change, some non-governmental organizations in Cameroon are taking initiatives to reduce global temperatures to1.50C.



Prominent of them is <a href="https://gamechangers237.org" data-type="URL" data-id="https://gamechangers237.org">Game Changers</a>. It is a youth-led movement that champions the fight against climate change locally by mobilizing businesses to make bold concrete commitments to the climate agenda towards a zero-emission future. 



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="195" class="wp-image-345" style="width: 300px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Game-Changers-102-of-109.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Game-Changers-102-of-109.jpg 1500w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Game-Changers-102-of-109-300x195.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Game-Changers-102-of-109-1024x665.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Game-Changers-102-of-109-768x499.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />



They have been in the climate change business since early 2021 and trained small and medium-sized enterprises and individual climate actors on low-carbon operating methods to adopt in their day-to-day lives.



While in the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/game-changers-237/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.linkedin.com/company/game-changers-237/">fight against climate change</a> and its devastating impacts, game changers in a bid to make the agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals a blueprint for a better future a reality, have trained these SMEs on how to make maximum use of waste such as; transforming textile waste into flowerpots, organic waste into fertilizers, and waste tires into furniture to name a few. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="184" class="wp-image-346" style="width: 300px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC09220-1536x944-1.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC09220-1536x944-1.jpg 1536w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC09220-1536x944-1-300x184.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC09220-1536x944-1-1024x629.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DSC09220-1536x944-1-768x472.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />



According to the <a href="https://unfccc.int/files/press/backgrounders/application/pdf/factsheet_adaptation.pdf" data-type="URL" data-id="https://unfccc.int/files/press/backgrounders/application/pdf/factsheet_adaptation.pdf">United Nations fact sheet on climate change</a>, Africa accounts for only 2–3 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industrial sources. But, Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.



Already experiencing temperature increases of approximately 0.7°C over much of the continent, and with predictions that temperatures will rise further, Africa is facing a wide range of impacts, including increased drought and floods.



The paper also states that, soon, climate change will contribute to decreases in food production, floods and inundation of its coastal zones and deltas, the spread of waterborne diseases and risk of malaria, and changes in natural ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.



To this effect, Ndifoin, a cofounder of the organization, thinks it would be possible to achieve a circular economy in Cameroon if climate change is treated as an emergency. To achieve this, the government must be able to make environmentally friendly policies and see into their implementation.



Meanwhile, besides training SMEs, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/Game-Changers-106674278342290/__;!!OK3MsjU!gT8DwS-KuI9pmgrfwGloO0ScpI0GSKeY3I_doWrY8tWLefBooUI290o3FO6Hyvf6$" data-type="URL" data-id="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/Game-Changers-106674278342290/__;!!OK3MsjU!gT8DwS-KuI9pmgrfwGloO0ScpI0GSKeY3I_doWrY8tWLefBooUI290o3FO6Hyvf6$">Game Changers</a> have been able to plant over 1000 trees in Bamenda and Yaoundé mostly in schools, with the help of students to inculcate the idea of environmental protection in them at a young age, and trained about 100 SMEs low carbon operating models.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="wp-image-343" style="width: 300px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-46-36.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-46-36.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-46-36-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-46-36-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Game Changers have a team of 7 active executive members and about 150 active volunteers who come out massively each time they have activities such as clean-up campaigns where they pick dirt from the streets and supply it to recycling companies.



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="225" class="wp-image-342" style="width: 300px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-21-58.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-21-58.jpg 1080w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-21-58-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-21-58-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PHOTO-2022-03-21-17-21-58-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />



This year, they intend to train student journalists and the current journalists in Cameroon on environmental science reporting. Their work and exposure have given them access to some very esteemed organizations/platforms who partner with them from time to time on activities related to climate change. If the government must play their role in achieving the agenda 2030, there is need for a concrete partnership with them.

Africa’s Vulnerability to Impacts of Climate Change: Role of NGOs

Community Development

<a href="https://thementorsfoundationcameroon.org/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://thementorsfoundationcameroon.org/">When we teach our girls, women, and widows skills, we dare to create a society with less dependency</a>. Since the start of the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, the number of vulnerable women increases daily, creating a need for a mechanism to be put in place to ensure that these persons do not stay on the streets begging or involving themselves in inhuman activities. With this, <a href="https://m.facebook.com/100064363674313/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://m.facebook.com/100064363674313/">The Mentors Foundation</a> led by Paul Agbor has been active in the field to see that these people are not just assisted with food and shelter, but trained on skills that they can use wherever they may find themselves in the future.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-288" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Displaced-woman-in-her-vegetable-farm-1.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Displaced-woman-in-her-vegetable-farm-1.jpg 960w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Displaced-woman-in-her-vegetable-farm-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Displaced-woman-in-her-vegetable-farm-1-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The Mentor foundation created in 2007 is aimed at curbing poverty through empowerment programs. Since the start of the crisis, the foundation can boast of impacting the lives of about a thousand people in 15 different communities. Recent of their work is the program where about 60 women/girls were trained on how to grow and market vegetables and other farm produce. Paul thinks this will not just ensure that the women can fend for themselves and family, but will also keep them off the streets.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="100" class="wp-image-291" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.01.37-PM.jpeg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.01.37-PM.jpeg 960w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.01.37-PM-300x199.jpeg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.01.37-PM-768x510.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Besides training on crop production, the foundation also trains vulnerable people how to produce soap, and entrepreneurship programs to name a few. Meanwhile, as far as formal education is concerned, Paul thinks many vulnerable children do not have access to quality education but there is little or no mechanism to see that these children have access to their rights. In a bid to solve this problem, the mentors&#8217; foundation does facts finding and documentation of these people, disseminates information to concerned state institutions and other relevant agencies at national and international levels, and follows up with beneficiaries to name a few.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="100" class="wp-image-290" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.10.56-PM-2.jpeg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.10.56-PM-2.jpeg 1080w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.10.56-PM-2-300x199.jpeg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.10.56-PM-2-1024x681.jpeg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WhatsApp-Image-2022-03-29-at-5.10.56-PM-2-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Added to these, the mentors&#8217; foundation runs a saloon in Summerset Bilingual College, Buea. This saloon serves as a low-cost center where students do their hair at lower prices. In years to come, Paul intends to create training centers for women/girls in different communities in Cameroon, and probably with assistance, this dream can be realized sooner than later.

Equipping IDPs, Vulnerable Women/Girls For Sustainable Development

To successfully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, there is a need for youth participation, says Dr. Babatunde Osotimebin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA in 2016. In this light, 25 year Lesly Ringyuy, runs <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lesleyfoundation/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.facebook.com/lesleyfoundation/">a foundation</a> that seeks to provide members of the community access to basic healthcare facilities. According to Lesly, although Cameroon is a signatory to SDG3 that talks about universal health coverage, he thinks it is ineffective given that people in most rural communities are unable to access basic healthcare needs. So, the Lesly foundation trains these people on health first aid measures that they can practice to sustain themselves when the need arises until they can access a health facility. Lesly foundation has been operational since 2018 and is run by a team of about 15 persons most of who are volunteers. Besides educating communities on basic first aid measures, Lesly organizes training like soap production, handicraft, and empowerment programs like menstrual hygiene, and emotional intelligence to help people make better choices. Lesly foundation has had a session with youths of the Bokova rural community in Buea, where they talked to these youngsters about drug abuse.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-260" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/309222646_408792248132493_1806170694104853606_n.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/309222646_408792248132493_1806170694104853606_n.jpg 600w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/309222646_408792248132493_1806170694104853606_n-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> It organized a holiday Bootcamp in partnership with UB&#8217;s American corner and about 17 children aged 8-18 were trained to use Microsoft word, excel, PowerPoint, and graphic design using software like canvas and Photoshop.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-258" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/297033136_1787130904951390_3730668696705459743_n.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/297033136_1787130904951390_3730668696705459743_n.jpg 600w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/297033136_1787130904951390_3730668696705459743_n-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> It is worth noting that besides Bokova rural community, the Lesly foundation has also visited Tole and Mile 16. Lesly foundation was equally the first to intervene after the cholera outbreak at mile 16, Buea.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="200" class="wp-image-259" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/276042245_1101929810585428_7629857805033613675_n.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/276042245_1101929810585428_7629857805033613675_n.jpg 450w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/276042245_1101929810585428_7629857805033613675_n-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> To ensure that public health issues are handled correctly, the foundation is organizing a public health symposium to run from October 7-8, 2022. This symposium seeks to enhance and explore knowledge among medics, paramedics, and youths on public health issues in Cameroon. It will run with the theme &#8220;Role of Youths in Promoting Public Health in Cameroon.&#8221; Before this event, Lesly notes that there shall be an outreach program on mental health, sickle cell disease, diabetes, Blood Pressure test, and free HIV/AIDs and Malaria screening. Given that Lesly is the sole sponsor of his programs, it has been challenging for him to extend his activities outside Buea.

Role of Youths in Achieving SDGs

Who helps the ones in need? Meet Nguateh Bless, founder of Bless Foundation, Buea. His passion to help those unable to go through formal education pushed him to build a foundation. Although every society has less privileged persons, the turbulence in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon has increased the number of such persons. According to Bless, his foundation aims at identifying and prioritizing these persons first, before those who come in to gain a skill. He also thinks that this will help occupy these persons and keep them from copying bad habits from the streets that may affect society negatively. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/Freevocationaltrainingforyouths" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.facebook.com/Freevocationaltrainingforyouths" target="_blank">Bless foundation </a>is a vocational training center where youths receive training on skills ranging from pastries, IT, Satellite installation, manicure/pedicure, and handicrafts, to name a few.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="84" class="wp-image-227" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0007.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0007.jpg 1280w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0007-300x169.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0007-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0007-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The foundation has been operational since June 12, 2021, with a handful of students and some volunteers as teachers. But as months pass-by, the volume of students that come in is more than the facility can accommodate. As a result, Bless alone cannot effectively follow up these persons. So, he divides them into groups and trains them in shifts. He also noted that, because of inadequate materials, the number of less privileged persons the foundation can accommodate is small for now, given that those who come in especially for IT training need to have individual desktops to work. To solve this problem, he chooses those who come first and schedules the rest for the following shifts. Meanwhile, persons who can at least afford a laptop or borrow from their friends will be admitted for the first shift.



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="114" class="wp-image-226" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0025.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0025.jpg 1080w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0025-300x228.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0025-1024x777.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0025-768x582.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Bless foundation officially graduated its first batch of 24 students on July 15, 2022. The training lasted for five months and saw students from departments like beads design, satellite installation, manicure/pedicure, and IT.



<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="99" class="wp-image-228" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0026.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0026.jpg 1232w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0026-300x199.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0026-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0026-768x509.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Although Bless foundation is happy with its first official achievement, he hopes to have a bigger space and more equipment to accommodate more trainees.



 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="113" class="wp-image-230" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-scaled.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-300x225.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-768x576.jpg 768w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_20220905_164904_655-1568x1176.jpg 1568w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Besides accommodation problems, Bless regrets the pain these graduates had to go through to take lessons, given that most of the trainers at the foundation are volunteers who sometimes schedule classes out of the training center. Outside the business of empowering people with vocational training skills, Bless Foundation offers counseling sessions for young people, opens its doors for interns, and visits orphanage centers within Buea to teach handy skills to prepare them for adulthood. Meanwhile, during this year&#8217;s back-to-school campaign, they equipped some students from Grace of God orphanage home Buea with school materials.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="150" height="99" class="wp-image-225" style="width: 150px;" src="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0012.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0012.jpg 1232w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0012-300x199.jpg 300w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0012-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://app.ntalashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG-20220905-WA0012-768x509.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> As Bless foundation prepares to welcome its second batch of about 100 trainees in October, it hopes that with some assistance from people with goodwill, he will be able to accommodate more unprivileged persons in a comfortable working environment and why not support graduates with a starting capital to enable them be job creators?

Empower A Less Privileged Person

Consultancy and Professional services

Education

In the past, education was mostly associated with money. In order to get access to educational material, parents had to worry about paying for institutional services. Over the past few decades, technology has influenced almost everything in the world, one of them being the educational system. The invention of mobile educational applications has revolutionized the educational system thereby providing new patterns of learning and improving the educational system in the world. Our guest for today is a self-taught Android developer Felix Fomengia who is using mobile applications to enhance quality education in Cameroon. At the age of 21, Cameroonian-born Felix Fomengia, Founder and CEO of Light-Gate Solutions Inc, has successfully developed and published well over 15 mobile applications on the google play store, one of them being the innovative mobile offline application aimed at easing revision for students in Examination classes in Cameroon. Published in April 2018, Felix&#8217;s CAMEROON G.C.E GUIDE APP is a mobile application that was born out of the need to readily make available exam resources ranging from past questions to study tips for students in Cameroon. According to Felix, way back in high school, while preparing for the G.C.E examinations, he had difficulties accessing past G.C.E questions for revision, thus the inspiration to develop the CAMEROON G.C.E GUIDE APP, an app he terms his biggest project so far. Talking to Felix, he also indicated that the application was developed to assist students in the crisis-affected regions of Cameroon in better preparing for the G.C.E examinations. With well over 6000 students having had access to this application, Felix believes he is well on his way to effect positive changes in the Educational system in Cameroon as well as help more students acquire better results. In the future, Felix hopes to scale and improve his project, establish as a company and create jobs thereby employing other Cameroonians. So far, Felix has had a series of recognition and awards for his works among which are: &#8211; 2019 DIGITAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR &#8211; MOST CELEBRATED CITIZEN FOR SDG 4 &#8211; DIGCIT &#8211; AWARDS 2019 &#8211; ORANGE SOCIAL VENTURE PRIZE 2019( 3RD PRIZE) &#8211; BEST MOBILE APPLICATION &#8211; BONTEH DIGITAL MEDIA AWARDS 2018- 2018 100TH MOST INSPIRING YOUNG CAMEROONIAN by Inspire237 Magazines. In an advice to youths, Felix calls on the youths to start small, believe in themselves, and in the works of their hands. He further states that with passion and dedication, everyone can achieve whatsoever they put their minds to. Interview and report by Maurine Shei