Vekovi Zone case study, Bamenda Highlands Project

BirdLife Ngoran Christopher Zoom In

By Ngoran Christopher, a local farmer from the Vekovi Zone, Kilum-Ijum

"The project arrived Vekovi at the time of serious forest destruction particulaly by the farmers and graziers. The project started its work by helping the communities to make the forest boundary which stoped any farmer from making a farm in the forest. The forest was growing back again. More of honey, rats, wood, tool handles and medicines can be got from the forest. Animals and birds that were running away because of forest destruction and lack of food are coming back because of the forest is growing thick again. Our streams that were drying and drying are flowing again because of good water comes from the forest.

"I think that if the project did not come farmers would have by now cleared all the forest and people will suffer from lack of water." —Ngoran Christopher, local farmer

"The Local Communities has benefited from the project and its education programmes. It help local people to make live fences for their animals and introduced Bracharia and Guatemala for improvement of pasture. A Community grazing Centre was created with project help. Medical help to the animals was also given.

"The Project educated farmers on new ways of farming that make the soil fertile and reduce erossion. People were train to contour their farms, nurse their own trees and plant in their compounds and farms. Their farms began to produce more food than before.

"Now the project is helping the local communites to have their community forest so that they can use, manage and benefit from the forest. Local people are carring out activities that help to protect the forest following the management plan.

"I think that if the project did not come farmers would have by now cleared all the forest and people will suffer from lack of water. There would be no forest honey, rats or medicine. Crop yield will continue to fall because of poor farming methods.

"My name is Ngoran Christopher a father of eleven (11) children a farmer and a forest user. I was trained by the project as a farmer trainer and fruite tree grafter. The project rented part of my house for some years for use by field staffs. I have a tree nursey and Prunus Plantation I hope to increase the prunus plantation”

Signe Ngoran Christopher