By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
The Chief Executive Officer of the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF),Louise Nkembi has reiterated on the need to protect and preserve the ecosystem so that the human race many survive.
Louise Nkembe was responding to challenges faced by his organization in their quest to preserve species. He spoke to The SUN in Buea recently after bagging home an award from the Guardian Post Newspaper for championing environmental protection campaign in Cameroon on February 17, 2018.
Excerpts;
The SUN: What are some challenges your organization has been facing in the fight for environmental protection?
Louise Nkembe: The biggest challenge is community resistance, saving species by creating protected areas for them means, seizing land from the local people. It has not been easy and it is still very difficult convincing humans to give up their lands for species. The human race is so greedy; they feel they should own everything. No matter the resistance, there is still a lot to be done. We have to keep pushing because the survival of the human race is dependent on the ecosystem. Overcoming such a challenge as resistance from the community is mitigated, sometimes you will succeed, and sometimes you don’t. But generally at the end of the day, there are more successes than failures.
What has been the organization’s achievements thus far?
ERuDeF is a biodiversity specie focused institution. Our objective is to save the species and that exactly is what we have been doing till date. The cross-river gorillas, the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzees, plants etc. are an example of the species we are saving. We are working to save the frogs hopefully in the next one or two years where the areas will be fully protected.
What is ERuDeF doing to stay at the top?
ERuDeF is grown beyond competing nationally. We will always do our utmost best to maintain the leading position so far as environmental protection is concerned. Our target today is at the African level and why not the world at large. We begin to see beyond Cameroon. We are reforming our internal systems to be competitive, healthy, visible etc.
What is your advice to baby organizations striving to become like ERuDeF?
You need a long stable leadership if you want to climb to the lamplight. Your leadership should be focused on achieving a vision and not money. You also need to develop a competent team who can aid in the success of the organization through hard work and excellent input. You must operate within the framework of the state. You equally need to have a track record as an organization because without that, you will end where you started.
Why do you think ERuDeF was recongnised by The Guardian Post?
This is not the first time the Organization is receiving an award. We have received a couple of international awards though not at the local level.
ERuDeF today is seen to be the biggest and the leading conservation national organization in Cameroon. So definitely, the award from the Guardian post has its place. The society has begun observing the performance of some of the institutions and individuals in the country who are contributing to nation building and I think that is the most important significance of the award. The award is not just for me but the entire ERuDeF team in general.
ERuDeF is Cameroon’s leading conservation non-profit organization created in 1999. Its mission is to conserve wildlife and protect fragile environments through research, education and community engagement. ERuDeF seeks to save Rainforests, conserve species and impact lives.