Biodiversity Conservation:

CAMGEW Wins 2018 Cameroon Energy Globe Award 

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

CAMGEW Wins 2018 Cameroon Energy Globe Award

Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch, CAMGEW are the current winners of the 2018 edition of the Cameroon Energy Globe Award which is one of today's most prestigious environmental prize for her efforts in conserving the Kilum-Ijim forest.

            CAMGEW created in October 2007 with authorization number N° 000998/RDA/JO6/BAPP emerged victorious for their project titled “Kilum-Ijim forest conservation and green value chain development for Oku White Honey” which was selected from over 2000 projects submitted annually.

            According to the Director of CAMGEW, Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy, an Apiculture and Nature Conservation Campaigner, the NGO that works locally and thinks globally, has from 2012 to 2018, planted 72.400 bee loving trees in the Kilum-Ijim forest, trained 930 bee farmers in honey production and bees wax extraction and distributed above 730 local beehives to trained bee farmers.

            He added that the organization has organized more than 1000 bee farmers into 5 Oku White Honey cooperatives located around Kilum-Ijim forest and provided them with technical and material support. These cooperatives in the process of legalization have come to add to one existing cooperative in Oku bringing the total to 6 cooperatives.

            As of December 2017, about 987 women have receiving training on business skills and 907 women gotten financial assistance in form of loans while 24 teenage boys and girls have been trained on dress making, shoe making and hair dressing in Oku.

            CAMGEW has also developed 3 tree nurseries with more than 150.000 trees and has a HONEYSHOP in Bamenda where she converts bee farmers honey to money to fight poverty, unemployment and better protect the forest.

            The NGO has also been instrumental in putting order in the poor exploitation of Kilum-Ijim forest resources and has helped in reorganizing Forest Management Institutions that had been bedeviled by corruption.

            CAMGEW with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), the Fon of Oku, Oku Council, Oku Divisional Officer, Oku Cultural and Development Association, Oku Community-based organisations and other stakeholders have reorganized Forest Management Institutions of the 6 community forest in Oku with leaders commissioned and tasked to ensure to  ensure information sharing, reporting, transparency and accountability.

            The same exercise took place in Bikov Community forest in Jakiri Sub Division in Nso tribe where community leaders, forest stakeholders and community members who have chosen their leaders and challenged to ensure sustainability of the forest.

            The FMI executive members and interested community members meet in Oku at the last Oku Market Day of the Month every month to share ideas, learn, get information, exchange, socialize (eat, drink, play,crack jokes, play njangi and do savings). The same hold for Bikov Community forest every 17th Day of the month. CAMGEW facilitates these meetings.

            The Kilum forest found in Bui Division of North West Region has 7 community forests. The reorganization started from Kilum forest this year and will continue to Ijim forest in the years ahead. With the FMI and CAMGEW forest problems like presence of domestic animals in forest, bushfire, cutting down of fresh trees and clandestine harvesting of Prunus will be handled.

            It should be noted that Kilum-Ijim forest is the largest remaining Montane forest found in the Bamenda Highland Region of Cameroon and is a biodiversity Hotspot for birds.

            This forest produces a special type of honey called the Oku White Honey which is certified as Geographical Indication Product by African Intellectual Property Right Organization. Only 2 of these products are certified in Cameroon with the other being the Penja White pepper.