By Elias Ngalame
AJESH (Ajemalebu Self Help), a home based NGO in Cameroon has been empowering local forest communities, forest guard officers, traditional authorities and the administration through training in anti-poaching, deforestation monitoring in the rich biodiversity area of Yabassi in Nkam division.
The Yabassi training that took place at the council hall August 13, 2024 according AJESH CEO Harrison Ajebe Nnoko. is part of the organisation’s action plan to build the capacity of sustainable forest stakeholders on forest monitoring technics.
“ These forest guards need to understand the proceedings of the Cameroon new forest law so they can better work with the communities to protect the rich biodiversity in the area, participate in deforestation monitoring and anti-poaching actions” Nnoko said.
The Yabassi biodiversity landscape is historical with rich cultural values, one of the reasons why the zone was chosen for the training.
“ The Yabassi biodiversity area is internationally recognized as a carbon sink zone and overlapping landscape. There is also need to regularly upgrade the wildlife data of the area,” he explained.
Participants were drilled on fight against wildlife trade, the case of TRAFFIC by Dr Dalida IKOUM of TRAFFIC- Cameroon.
Dr Justin ,N of AJESH expounded on the activities of the organization in the Yabassi area while Dumont Tazo of WRI drilled on landrights issues and community forest protection.
The overall expectation of the training workshop was to reduce poverty through education and training, and above all protect that rich biodiversity, the environment and fight climate change.
AJESH ACTIVITIES
AJESH works across the South-West, Littoral and East Regions of Cameroon. According to the Organisation’s Strategic Action Plan for next 5 years, 2022-2027. AJESH accordingly plans to work in some other Central, East and West African Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria Central Africa Republic and Ghana.
KEY ACTIVITIES
AJESH is involved in varied activities such as;
-Sustainable Co-Management of Natural Resources
-Forest governance (Forest Monitoring, FLEGT …)-Conservation (Protected Area & Corridor Management & Community Forestry. )
-Climate Change (Mitigations, Adaptation, Resilience, REDD+.)
-Land tenure management (Participatory Mapping and Land Use Planning)
-Non Timber Forest Products (NTFs),
-Landscape Management (Restoration of Degraded —-#Ecosystem, Watershared Management, Planting -#Environmental Friendly Trees)
-Eco-Tourism
-Coastal Ecosystems Management
-Sustainable Agriculture
-Agro-Business
-Improving production, processing and marketing -Value Chain Development Approach (VCDA)
-Promoting Agro/Livestock Enterprise Development
-Promoting Income Generation Activities (IGA) in Agri and Livestock,Food security.
