Promoting Environmental Best Practices in Rural Communities
The Green Village Project is located around the periphery of the Mount Cameroon National Park. The project intends to reach out to over 500 direct beneficiaries, more than 2,000 indirect beneficiaries, and over 700 households. It is a long-term endeavor aimed at enhancing the efforts of the indigenous rural population in protecting and conserving their native forest habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
The pilot phase of the project was launched on 1 January 2025 with the establishment of a plant nursery where we are propagating a variety of tree species that will be supplied to over 41 communities around the National Park.
The Green Village Project will focus not only on tree propagation and planting but equally importantly on modern beekeeping, sustainable tourism and other green income activities. The beekeeping portion of the project will focus on modern methods of beekeeping. These techniques are more friendly to the environment than the traditional ways of wild honey hunting, which resulted in frequent bush fires and killed most of the bees in the colony.
With regards to sustainable tourism, this project is looking at providing an alternative and sustainable livelihood to former poachers and other community members who show a love for conservation. These people will be trained as tour guides, porters, and trackers, which will enhance their knowledge and understanding of conservation and encourage them to be conservation ambassadors over the long run in activities such as trekking, wildlife and bird watching, and cultural and homestay tours.
Following the pilot phase with the establishment of the plant nursery, we look forward to initiating phase two, which is the sensitization and identification of the target beneficiaries of the project. Thereafter, we will move to phase three which will focus on training the identified beneficiaries in their chosen areas of expertise. Lastly, the fourth phase, where the trainees will be provided with any needed support in their various specialties.
The Green Village Project has gotten off to a positive start, and we are now in the process of seeking additional funding to see the project through all phases. We are excited by the prospects of helping our local neighbors and our land over the coming years.