Bernice joined the ERuDeF family in 2008 to serve as coordinator of the Great Apes Project after her M.Sc. from the University of Buea. This role offered her an opportunity to meet lots of people around the globe and also as an outlet to express herself as the wild, free and utterly gentle butterfly she was known to be. She was full of life and ambition, often setting her limits far beyond the sky. Her boisterous, industrious, passion for nature and large-than-life personality gained her much popularity amongst friends, colleagues.
‘In 2008, I met her when she just graduated with an M.Sc in Zoology from the University of Buea. When I finished discussing with her on what my organization does, she fell in love with it and decided immediately that she will join it. She left us in 2013 to join the University of Yaounde I but continued to work for ERuDeF. She represented me in Nigeria and was leading our project in the East Region of Cameroon at the Deng Deng National Park before the unfortunate accident that claimed her life. It is still really hard to come to terms with the fact that the cold hands of death sneaked her to the world beyond. The news of her abrupt fading away came like a bomb to me and the entire ERuDeF staff. It left an atmosphere of consternation within the organization and bitter spittle in my mouth that I still find really hard to swallow’ said Louis Nkembi, President CEO ERuDeF.
“I knew her when she came to ERuDeF as a Biologist and later left to further her studies. She has remained my professional daughter since then. I called her from time to time to handle specific projects within the organization. I appreciated her for many reasons; she was assiduous, sociable, humble, respectful, and had a traditional smiling fashion even in the face of animosity. Her eternal departure remains a very big loss to the organization and the conservation world at large. The entire ERuDeF team truly loves and misses her. May her gentle soul find eternal rest in the bosom of the Almighty” Louis Nkembi lamented.
Bernice was laid to rest in her native Fujua village, Fundong subdivion on the 17th of January 2015. Adieu Bernice.
By Asoh Bedwin
