From Bakah
Derick in Bamenda
Cameroon
Gender and Environment Watch CAMGEW’s Kilum-Ijim forest project has once again
put Cameroon on an international award stage.
The Bamenda based gender and
environment focused nongovernmental organization NGO was among 22 organisations
that received the United Nations Development Programme Equator Prize Award in
New York-USA last September 24, 2019. |
| CAMGEW rep speaks at UNDP Equator Prize Award |
According to
the organisers of the award, “the winners
were selected from a pool of 847 nominations across 127 countries by an
independent Technical Advisory Committee of internationally renowned experts.
The organisations represented 22 local and indigenous communities from across
the world. The winning organizations showcased innovative, creative,
nature-based solutions for tackling climate change, environment, and
unemployment and poverty challenges…” The projects we gathered
were assessed based on their innovation, scalability, replicability, resilience,
adaptability,
self-Sufficiency, reduced
inequalities, social inclusion and gender equality
The list
presented at the ward event revealed the Winners came from Cameroon, Benin, Brazil, Ecuador,
India, Indonesia, Kenya,
Micronesia, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Peru, Tanzani, Guinea-Bissau,
Australia and Vanuatu.
 |
| CAMGEW rep receive award |
Representing Cameroon was CAMGEW awarded for her
work in Kilum-Ijim forest that has reduced bushfire from 7 in 2012 to zero in
2018 and 2019. Speaking during the Award event in a passionate acceptance
statement, Sevidzem Ernestine Leikeki Social and Forest Officer representing
CAMGEW on the climate change mitigation group shared CAMGEW’s dream of “a world
that put mother-earth health at the center of their lives for the good of
future generations.” She talked of Land as the father, forest as the mother and
water as our blood that needs protection by all.
Talking to the Guardian post open return from
the USA, Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy
CAMGEW Director/Apiculture and Nature Conservation Campaigner explained
that “this initiative engaged forest community to conserve the forest through
apiculture, forest regeneration, forest peasant women microfinance,
agroforestry for soil conservation and food production, social support to persons
in need and forest education. This created jobs and increased community income.
Ownership of beehives in the forest engaged communities in fighting bushfire to
protect their beehives and so protecting the forest.”
 |
| CAMGEW Director third from left with NW traditional regalia |
CAMGEW’s Director on whether it was a merited
award explained to the guardian post that his institution “has recognized that
local livelihoods are deeply integrated with the health of local ecosystems and
has planted 80,000 bee-loving native forest trees since 2012 in degraded areas
of Kilum-Ijim Forest to serve as bee forage, future income source, carbon sink,
medicinal plants and to protect key watersheds.” CAMGEW he added “has also
trained 1.018 bee farmers in honey production and bees wax extraction. She has
distributed above 895 beehives to trained bee farmers and organized them in to
5 Honey cooperatives located around Kilum-Ijim forest. We created a CAMGEW HONEYSHOP in Bamenda to
convert bee farmers honey to money in town. 772 farmers have been trained on
agroforestry techniques. 18 youths were trained in 2018 on entrepreneurship in
honey value chain development for 3 weeks and are now active in the honey value
chain.”
CAMGEW he continued “with other stakeholders
have succeeded to create Forest multi-stakeholder platforms to exchange ideas
on forest issues and assist in decision making. The 7 Forest Management
Institutions (FMIs) in Kilum forest that manages community forest have been
reorganized by CAMGEW with other forest stakeholders after more than 10 years
that their terms of offices ended.”
On his reactions after winning the award Wirsiy
Emmanuel Binyuy said “CAMGEW winning the Equator Prize Award for 2019 and other
awards is an acknowledgement that “CAMGEW is a Trust to be Trusted”. This makes
our team proud of their commitment and community acceptance and encourages them
to work harder.”
CAMGEW and 21 other winners will join a network
of 223 communities from 78 countries that have received the Equator Prize since
its inception in 2002 to continue sharing and learning from each other. As a
winner, Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch will receive $10,000 USD to
continue forest conservation and livelihood improvement activities in
Kilum-Ijim forest area.
CAMGEW’s work
has been recognized nationally and globally. In May 2019, CAMGEW also
received the UNIDO Prize Award on Agro-food & Biodiversity Category in Rome
- Italy in recognition of her work in apiculture and Biodiversity Conservation
in Kilum- Ijim forest area. This award recognized our method of using
apiculture as a tool to fight bushfire, create jobs and income for local
people. CAMGEW early in 2019 also received “The Guardian Post Newspaper
National Award” in Cameroon for her work in Biodiversity Conservation and the
Energy Globe Award for Cameroon in the same line.
Created in 2007, Cameroon Gender and Environment
Watch (CAMGEW) functions with the mantle “act locally and think globally.”
 |
| CAMGEW delegates with others |
“These awards would not have come without the
support from CAMGEW’s present and past partners. These
awards come thanks
to the team
work done with
various partners and stakeholders. CAMGEW is grateful for
financial, technical and moral support from these her partners: MIVA
Switzerland, French IUCN (PPI-FFEM), Future in Our Hands-UK, Swisshand
Foundation-Switzerland, Bees for
Development – UK,
Man & Nature(now
Noe) - France, Associated Country Women of the World
(ACWW)-UK, New England Biolabs Foundation – USA, Critical Endangered Ecosystem
Fund –CEPF of Birldlife International, World Bank, Well Grounded, Groupe SOS –
France, AIMF – France, Hub Cymru Africa
- UK, Both ENDS - Netherlands, Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife,
BERUDA, Oku Honey Cooperative Society,
SOPISDEW, SHUMAS, CCREAD,
TF-RD, ERUDEF, Kilum-Ijim
White Honey Association (KIWHA),
Cameroon Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, Cameroon Ministry of
Livestock, Fisheries and
Animal Husbandry(MINEPIA), Cameroon
Ministry of Women Empowerment and
the Family, UNDP, UNIDO, The Pollination Grant, Plant A tree In Africa,
Stickting OOK – Netherlands, Creative Action Institute – USA, etc. We are
particularly grateful to Various Councils, Senior Divisional Officers,
Divisional Officers, Village Heads, MINFOF staff, MINEPIA staff, FMIs’ members,
Oku Rural Radio, Kumbo City Community Radio, Bui Community Radio, Boyo Rural
Radio and Oku Honey Cooperatives around Kilum Forest. We are grateful to the
Median, Guardian and Advocate Newspapers.” Emmanuel noted.