Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) a not-for-profit organisation in the North West Region of Cameroon has been inspiring children in Bamenda and Oku Bui Division into environmental protection.
Working specifically at the Kilum-Ijim forest area, the Organisation has been educating children in different subjects with the most recent being Kilum-Ijim forest water catchment, forest water collection for treatment and water treatment unit. In partnership with RUDERG-Cameroon, CAMGEW on April 9, 2021 shared this knowledge with 41 children in Kilum-Ijim forest.
"This confirmed to children that forest is a source of drinking water for communities around Kilum-Ijim forest. Children learned the Relationship between Forest and water supply, Care for water sources, Qualities of good water, ways of water contamination and Effects of drinking contaminated water.The children left home being satisfied. They understood the importance of the forest to water supply and saw the need to protect the forest." The organisation notes.
On Wednesday April 7, 2021, over 24 children came together around CAMGEW staff to listen to the "presentation of different plants as they grow and the type of root system in plants." A post on the CAMGEW Facebook page states.
" Children could say in Oku language what is seed germination after environmental education teacher explained. They learned the various forest and agroforestry seeds types like monocotyledon and dicotyledon their examples around them." The post added
Before passing the relay to the Oku office in April, the Bamenda office of the organisation in partnership with WECMA brought together 23 children on March 30 for environmental education on the health benefits of vegetables and spices.
"The children named vegetables common in CAMGEW Office garden like cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, bitter leave, onion and also some spicesetc. Health benefits of vegetables were discussed. Very interesting and educative was the activity in gardening. In CAMGEW garden, the children learned-by-doing how to water the garden and harvest vegetables and spices. After harvesting, some of the vegetables were used to make salad. Together with the children, WECMA and CAMGEW staff enjoyed eating what they harvested. At the end, all the children were given spice to take home. It was fun working with children." CAMGEW shared
In march, 27 community children in Manchok-Oku around Kilum forest received lessons on various medicinal plants like Aloe vera, Lemon grass, mint, pawpaw and others. The lesson focused on common medicinal plants around the community, and how they are used locally. Children learn how to plant these medicinal plants with organic manure. Children were able to identify and name some medicinal plants. It was an interesting session with children." CAMGEW writes.
Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy Environmentalist, Apiculture and Nature Conservation Campaigner founded CAMGEW in 2007. The organisation which brings together women’s empowerment, community livelihoods, and ecology to address environmental challenges in northwestern Cameroon has won several awards amongst them Equator 2019 and The Guardian Post Environmental Protection Award same year.