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Over 68 textbooks currently used in the Cameroon’s syllabus have been distributed to two schools in communities in Wabane Sub Dvision in the Lebialem Division, adjacent to the proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. The donation is part of the largesse of ERuDeF’s newly created Environmental Education Fund.
This donation ceremony which took place on recently in the premises of G.S. Malengha – Bechati and C.S. Nkong all in Wabane was graced by the presence of 8 eco-tourists from La Maison du Monde in France in the presence of the school administration, the PTA representatives, Local chiefs, school pupils and a team from ERuDeF.
Addressing the schools and communities on this occasion, ERuDeF’s Manager for Education for Sustainable Development, Akeh Nug pointed out that in line with ERuDeF’s ultimate goal of conservation and environmental protection, the organisation donated books cutting across all subjects done at primary school level for the use of both teachers and pupils to facilitate the understanding of general concepts and issues about conservation. She encouraged them to study hard for a better tomorrow off the forest, better understanding of conservation and environmental values. She urged them to take care of the books and use the books to build a sustainable community.
Speaking at the event, ERuDeF’s Regional Manager for Lebialem, Forbe Hodu advised the pupils to use education with the books as their walking sticks to take giant steps up the development ladder. He encouraged the pupils to make education their priority in order to grow up to become professionals indifferent walks of life including engineering, medicine, journalism, management and law rather than just fit into their parents’ shoes as peasant farmers, hunters and trappers which would subsequently increase the pressure on natural resources and consequently put the lives of the biological population in the forest at risk.
The spokes person for the group of eco-tourists from La Maison du Partie, Jennifer, re-iterated the importance of school education and urged the pupils to grab the opportunity and forge ahead. She also lauded ERuDeF’s efforts in educating, training and sensitizing school children and the local communities, and promised that they would be more supportive to this kind of developmental initiatives.
On their part, the school authorities, local administration and chiefs, PTA representatives present at the different schools lauded this initiative of ERuDeF noting that the donation will go a long way towards supporting community development. They further confirmed that conservation brings development and hope for their communities and promised to support the NGO in preserving the lives of the threatened species in their forest.
The schools also promised to take appropriate care of the books making them available to both students and teachers who in turn could not hide their joy and appraisal.
By Akeh Nug