Energizing update for the Cameroon return. I've been starting to investigate doing a stove project in Cameroon, modeled on a successful project operating in Rwanda by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). I attended a primate reception last week by WCS and got names of the Rwandan team.
At the same time, I'll be talking to 25 eight-year-olds at a local school about my trip, the gorillas, and conservation. I'm trying to connect the kids with the children in the nature club in Cameroon, led by CWAF's education group. I've mentioned both endeavors to Rachel, and this is the note she sent back to me this week:
"We are doing loads with the community at the minute, I'm about to head off to meet some builders who will build the school new classrooms. We are also supplying teachers etc. Which is why me and talila came up with an idea if you would be interested in doing some after school clubs with the local kids,doing art,sewing,mabe gardening, all the crafty type stuff. It would be great for the relationship with the population and the kids would love it. We are already arranging after school clubs for them,footall sports etc. Art would be fab. So what do you think? In the day you could work in the forest and then the afternoon with the kids in the school. Maybe you can think of other ideas, and we have a while to arrange maybe donations of materials etc. All of this work with the community is vital for what we do, we can never achieve anything without the support of them for the project. Anyway let me know what you think.I'm off to meet my builders!"
So I will focus on this as well as the general preparation.... and it's true. Those children are the conservationists of the future. And even now. At January's gorilla conference, one person told of a group of children in Cameroon who'd been taught about the plight of primates. One seven-year-old girl from the group, afterwards, marched right up to the front door of a high military official in her town, who she knew kept a pet chimpanzee. He answered the door, and she berated him, telling him in no uncertain terms that that chimp - NO primate - is anyone's pet, and that he was wrong to have it. The man delivered it to a sanctuary the next day.
