EIEEA Winners Pledge To Be Environmental Ambassadors
The 2015 winners of the ERuDeF Institute Environmental Education Award (EIEEA), Faith Umagen Asoh and Kofi Elias Mokome have promised to encourage fellow students get involved in environmental protection initiatives.
By Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho
The laureates said they would focus especially on their schools, NABESK Comprehensive College Buea and BGS Molyko, respectively.
The duo made the promise November 20, 2015 as they received their awards at the ERuDeF Institute of Biodiversity and Nonprofit Studies (ERuDeF Institute).
Faith Umagen was awarded 50,000 francs CFA and Kofi Mokome received 30,000 francs CFA.
“I thank the president of this Institute, Mr. Louis Nkembi, for this great award. It is a great inspiration and a call for me to be an environmental ambassador. Thus, I will ensure that the environmental club of NABESK becomes more effective this year. My desire is for the next winner to come from NABESK,” Umagen said.
For his part, Mokome said, “It does not matter what career you are pursuing or what you are doing in life, we all have
the obligation to take care of the environment. I am becoming a computer engineer but that does not stop me from advocating for environmental protection. So I want to call on all clubs to know that environmental protection is a great obligation and everyone should contribute.”
The ERuDeF Institute Acting Director, Akeh Nug, said EIEEA has been instituted to build the capacity of young minds, ignite interest in biodiversity and environmental protection and management for a better Cameroon.
Representing the President of ERuDeF Institute, the Director in charge of Operations at ERuDeF, Metuge Priscillia, congratulated the laureates for standing out amongst their peers. She encouraged the young Cameroonians to take up environmental careers, while launching the second edition of the ERuDeF Institute Environmental Education Award.
Dubbed “Climate Change in Changing Times”, the 2016 award seeks to broaden the knowledge of young Cameroonians on the effects of climate change, educate them on mitigation and adaptation measures giving an insight to building resilience to the effects of climate change, and encouraging their participation in the fight against climate change.
The award is open to high schools and undergraduate students of universities and higher Institutes of learning each of whom is expected to define climate change, differentiate between climate change and climate variability, and state the causes of climate change.
Inspiration by the ongoing COP 21 in France, the award also calls on contesters to identify glaring effects of climate change in Cameroon, citing real examples and suggesting solutions to further fight climate change. Candidate will also to define REDD, distinguish between REDD and REDD+ and state how REDD(+) is geared towards the fight against climate change and/or mitigating its effects.
Lastly, candidates should state five career opportunities in the field of the environment and show how each can contribute towards nation building.
Meanwhile, the first three winners will receive a cash prize of 50,000 francs CFA, 30,000 francs CFA and 20,000 francs CFA, respectively. The last two winners will receive consolatory prizes of two cartons of books and pens.
All interested candidates should submit their files including an answer sheet, telephone numbers of both the student and their guardians and send to P.O. Box 189 Buea, SW Cameroon and/or deposit at the ERuDeF Institute campus at Mile 18, Muea Road, Buea, SW Cameroon.
The contest runs from November 20, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
