SAWA UPDATES – Gleaning Updates for WWF-Coastal Forests Programme, Cameroon

Civil Society Organization Empower Conservation Cooperatives in the Bakossi Landscape

Livelihood edition, April 2015

The WWF Cameroon partner CSO for the livelihoodcomponent – the Community Action for Development (CAD)has commenced implementation of the second phase of theGHoA Civil Society Support Project. After a thorough review ofsix Cooperatives business plans that were developed with thesupport of WWF in 2013, CAD and WWF further laid downstringent guidelines to examine the current situation of theseconservation cooperatives and set criteria for grant attribution.

With financial support from WWF Cameroon, CAD applied thelaid down criteria to allocate the sum of 18 million FCFA(29,787 USD) to support the cooperatives business plans, andto develop the institutional capacity and technical proposalsfor the Cooperatives.

Prior to the grant award, CAD hired the services of a consultantwho facilitated the development of technical and financialproposals for all the cooperatives, putting them in a morecomfortable position to embark on and expand their greenIncome Generating Activities.

A key event prior to the grant disbursement was the signing of aMemorandum of Understanding and grant agreements with twoof six cooperatives. This memorable event took place on the 17and 18 April 2015 in Mekom and Tombel respectively.

The sum of 4.950.000FCFA (8,191 USD) was awarded to theWestern Bakossi Livestock and Environmental PreservativeCooperative (WEBALEPCO) and 2.350.000FCFA (3,888 USD)to the Tombel Conservation and Development Cooperative(TOCODEC).

CAD Coordinator congratulates WEBALEPCO president after signing of MoU and grant agreement

©WWF/T. Ngwene

CAD Coordinator exchange signed documents with TOCODEC president

It was also an opportunity for both cooperatives to lay thefoundation stone of a pig farm demonstration centre in Mekomand a central apiary in Tombel respectively. In Mekom like inTombel, the Coordinator of CAD Martin Etone, and the WWFThematic Leader of the project Theophilus Ngwene, took time topresent grant conditions and the roles of Cooperatives and theCommon Initiative Groups (CIGs) that make up the cooperatives.

These presentations raised key points of discussions andclarification for a common understanding by all present. Bothevents were attended by representatives of partner Ministries, CIGmembers and traditional authorities, proof of the incessantsupport traditional authorities always give to boost the protectionof natural resources in Protected Areas adjacent to theircommunities.

As CAD looks forward to organizing a similar exercise for the otherfour Cooperatives subsequently, the two beneficiary cooperativeswere extremely excited to commence implementation of theirgreen Income Generating Activities.

They express much enthusiasm to meetup with competingmarkets, attract national and international funding and move theirbusinesses to the next level. “We are happy to receive this hugesupport from CAD, the big challenge now is for us to re-strategizefor bigger results” the president of TOCODEC asserts.

While CAD is making extra efforts to get more funding from WWFand other donor agencies to support the cooperatives, thecooperatives as well as the CIGs, are also encouraged to sort foradditional funding sources to complement these efforts.

Chief Enongene III of Mekom Village

lays Foundation stone for

WEBALEPCO pig farm

demonstration site

Theophilus Ngwene, WWF

Thematic Leader lays

foundation stone for the

TOCODEC central apiary

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SAWAUPDATES-Livelihood,April2015www.panda.org

PUBLISHERWWF Coastal Forests

Programme

SupervisionDr Forboseh Philip

EDITORJanet Molisa Mukoko

Contribution to thisIssue

Theophilus NgweneMartin Etone (CAD)

For details pleasecontact :

The Communication &Knowledge Management

Advisor

jmolisa@wwfcarpo.org

KEY DONOR

WWF-Sweden/Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency(SIDA)/Swedish International

Development