Together, we can
protect nature and improve community livelihood in partnership with local communities
1.1 Our Mission
Mission, Values and Strategies
Our mission is to protect nature and improve community livelihood in partnership with local communities in ways which support the
- Conservation of birds, threatened and endangered mammals, forests, associated biodiversity and indigenous knowledge about the wise and sustainable use of plants, soils, water and other natural resources.
- Advocacy and promotion of public awareness of both local and global environmental and socio-economic issues created by human pressure and the potentials of community joint action to rehabilitate degraded land generate livelihood benefits and combat climate change.
2.0 Our Programs
For the past years, MfoFou has been working towards the effective conservation and management of the biodiversity of the Bamenda Highlands, Kilum-Ijim and Mount Mbam. The landscape is considered part of Cameroon’s biodiversity ‘hot spot’, known for their exceptional species richness including; Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians.
The human population in this area is made up of over 85% farmers and hunters. This has a long term reducing effect on both the wildlife species and their habitats. Conservation efforts by MfoFou and partners resulted to the creation of protected areas and IBAs in this landscape in order to consolidate the conservation and management of this area’s biodiversity.
The introduction of alternative livelihoods and economic development initiatives will serve as incentives to reducing human pressure on the wildlife resources and habitats.
Communities’ capacity has been built on apiculture, piggery, poultry, and the promotion of sustainable oil palm mill and business.
This focuses on research and conservation of the Birds of the Bamenda Highlands, Kilum-Ijim forest and Mt Mbam. They are known for their exceptional species richness including a high number of endangered species (with presence of unique wildlife such as the Bannerman’s Turaco and Banded Wattle-eye).
The ornithology program is focused on promoting bee farming as a strategy to reduce forest fires and feather harvesting, considered greatest threats to birds and other biodiversity in this landscape.
MfoFou’s Education program is split into 2 main components: Community Outreach Education and School Education. The main goal of the program is to train, educate, sensitize, build skills and raise awareness on environmental acceptable actions as strategy to save the climate, environment, threatened wildlife species, their habitats and fragile landscapes; while promoting sustainable livelihood activities. Through her communication program (newsletters, radio programs etc), MfoFou acts as whistle blower on activities that are not environmentally friendly.
The ornithology program is focused on promoting bee farming as a strategy to reduce forest fires and feather harvesting, considered greatest threats to birds and other biodiversity in this landscape.
The community outreach education program is focused primarily on raising awareness and building potentials on the conservation of biodiversity and their habitats. The component works with different stakeholders including the administration, technical Ministries, communities and media to deliver the program. The component intersects with the other programs to ensure that MfoFou meets its goals.
The school education contributes to MfoFou’s efforts to develop a dynamic, young, enthusiastic and environmentally conscious generation; with target on primary, secondary and high school pupils and students. This helps to enhance and increase students’ skills and knowledge thus enabling them to be involved in the planning and management of their community’s natural resources. This has also facilitated young boys and girls to embrace conservation as career.
MfoFou has developed school charters and has integrated environmental education into the school curricular of some schools in the landscape.
The continuous felling of forest for agriculture has left the landscape susceptible to soil erosion, landslides and the depletion of watersheds. Restoration of forest cover therefore becomes imperative. Through this program, MfoFou works with communities to:
- Improve the living standards of the small holder farmers by increased tree planting on farms and along watersheds.
- Develop and provide strategies based on field practicalities that will build the capacity of local communities and institutions to manage forest, soils and watersheds in a changing climate.
- Strategize climate change adaption and mitigation options with communities to a large extent.
- Restore degraded lands through beneficial tree planting
- Work towards the protection of fragile ecosystems such as Bamendankwe hills.
Population pressure and the demand for more farmland have led to the establishment of this program. Farmers are trained and their capacity built on sustainable agro forestry techniques to improve soil texture and nitrogen content through the planting of fast growing, multipurpose, nitrogen fixing trees to improve yields
MfoFou has contacted and sensitized over 300 farmers belonging to more than 100 farming associations on the effects of climate change and the use of agro forestry technologies (alley cropping, live fencing, contour farming, crop rotation, forest gardens etc) as adaptation and mitigation methods. Over 7000 diverse agro forestry seeds have been nursed and distributed to farmers to be planted on farms. Some endangered native tree species (e.g Newtonia cameronesis, Prunus africana) have been nursed to be planted in community forests.
The Health, nutrition and food security program is aimed at meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating hunger and reducing child mortality rates through preventing and treating malnutrition.
MfoFou equates hunger to most diseases plaguing the world and Africa in particular (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV etc) and considers children as the most vulnerable. Most children are vulnerable to these diseases because of proper nutrition. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 104 million children around the world are undernourished and 175.5 million suffer from stunted growth because their bodies do not have enough nutrients. Malnutrition and hunger-related diseases account for 35 percent (3.1 million) of the 8.8 million deaths of children younger than five each year.
Our interventions address underlying causes of malnutrition through integrated nutrition programs encompassing primary health care, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security.
2.0 Our Programs
Our Programs.
For the past years, MfoFou has been working towards the effective conservation and management of the biodiversity of the Bamenda Highlands, Kilum-Ijim and Mount Mbam. The landscape is considered part of Cameroon’s biodiversity ‘hot spot’, known for their exceptional species richness including; Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians read more.
This focuses on research and conservation of the Birds of the Bamenda Highlands, Kilum-Ijim forest and Mt Mbam. They are known for their exceptional species richness including a high number of endangered species (with presence of unique wildlife such as the Bannerman’s Turaco and Banded Wattle-eye).
MfoFou’s Education program is split into 2 main components: Community Outreach Education and School Education. The main goal of the program is to train, educate, sensitize, build skills and raise awareness on environmental acceptable actions as strategy to save the climate, environment, threatened wildlife species, their habitats and fragile landscapes; while promoting sustainable livelihood activities.
The continuous felling of forest for agriculture has left the landscape susceptible to soil erosion, landslides and the depletion of watersheds. Restoration of forest cover therefore becomes imperative. Through this program, MfoFou works with communities to:
Population pressure and the demand for more farmland have led to the establishment of this program. Farmers are trained and their capacity built on sustainable agro forestry techniques to improve soil texture and nitrogen content through the planting of fast growing, multipurpose, nitrogen fixing trees to improve yields
The Health, nutrition and food security program is aimed at meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of eradicating hunger and reducing child mortality rates through preventing and treating malnutrition.