Voice of Nature (VoNat) in collaboration with the Eco-Warriors of Government High School (GHS) Buea Rural, has raised awareness on the negative effects of forest and biodiversity depletion amongst over 200 young people in the Mount Cameroon Area through a traditional storytelling session. This was during a one day programme organized at at GHS Buea Rural mark the 2024 International Day of the Forest commemorated on the theme: Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World.
The traditional storytelling programme, which took place under the auspices of the traditional ruler of Bonakanda village, was aimed at bridging the gap in traditional knowledge and belief systems that contributed to species conservation in the mount Cameroon area between the old and the younger generation.
Speaking during the traditional storytelling programme, the Executive Director of VoNat, Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho noted that: “our natural forest has been facing many threats including the species therein. At the heart of Mount Cameroon are globally threatened species like the forest elephant, Nigeria Cameroon chimpanzee, francolin, and zebrawood, undergoing depletion alongside many others due to wanton hunting, habitat encroachment and fragmentation. This is further compounded by the increasing erosion of indigenous conservation knowledge and none inclusion of kids and young adults, who hold the key to the future sustainability of species in this area, in conservation actions”.
Chief Emmanuel Ndongo Molongo of Bonakanda and a notable of the Bokova Village, Mr. Njonje David Ikome, led the storytelling session with inspiration from their traditional belief systems. Using trees, forests and different animal species at their central characters, the duos leverage the moral and pro-conservation lessons from the stories to underscore the importance of biodiversity conservation and honesty amongst others.
The stories greatly inspired the children, 10 to 16 years. “We learnt about some tree species in the Mount Cameroon Area and their abilities and save the communities from different illnesses. This helped me to understand why the trees should be conserve. We also learnt about the close relationship between man and the chimpanzees. This changed my thoughts about them and has made me to value them more,” Bonwe Favour from Bwitingi, village said.
The children, who were also members of Eco-Warriors of GHS Buea Rural, spiced the event storytelling session with traditional songs and dances to the admiration of their friends, community members, and the Principal and staff of GHS Buea Rural who also attended the programme. The traditional storytelling session is one of the micro projects of the Eco-warriors developed with the mentorship of VoNat and implemented within the framework of a programme to put community kids and young adults on the frontline of species conservation and environmental sustainability in the Mount Cameroon Area, funded by New England Biolab Foundation.