ERuDeF Unveils 2014 Agenda

ERuDeF recently unveiled her 2014 plan of action with a route map would that will focus on realizing the mission and objectives of the environmental NGO.
By Patience Toge
“The success of our plan of action centers on five cardinal principles of ERuDeF including; biodiversity management, research, protection of fragile environments, education and community engagement,” Louis Nkembi, President/CEO of ERuDeF, told pressmen alongside ERuDeF Board of Trustee. 
Nkembi said that through its Biodiversity Management Program, ERuDeF would be assisting the government to create and manage a certain number of protected areas. 
“Alongside following up the documents for the final classification of the Proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, ERuDeF will also be supporting the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) to re-launch the final classification of the Mt. Kupe Integral Ecological Reserve and the consolidation of the important biological corridors within the proposed Bakossi-Bayang Mbo-Tofala Technical Operational Unit,” said Nkembi.
Nkembi said that within the Biodiversity Research Program, the organisation will continue to support the biological monitoring of the key species of fauna and flora including elephants, Cross Rivers gorillas, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, Red data plant species, Drills, etc. 
The North West Chimpanzee Conservation Research Project will also be launched to support the North West wide chimpanzee conservation efforts.
Concerning the protection of fragile environments, ERuDeF will focus on restoring the productivity of degraded and fragile ecological system in the country. To this end, ERuDeF anticipates to plant over 50.000 trees. 
ERuDeF’s current area of intervention as far as restoring degraded landscapes includes the Mt. Cameroon area, the Mt. Bamboutos ecosystem and Lebialem Highlands. 
In the area of education, ERuDeF has laid down four key focal points in which it will continue to improve on the quality of education delivery in rural schools by introducing competence-based environmental education courses, an environmental education development fund and operating the environmental education associations. 
Another education priority will be the training and capacity building of young leaders in environment, through the ERuDeF Institute of Biodiversity and Non-profit Studies in Buea. EIBiNS.
Through its Public Relations and Corporate Partnership Program, ERuDeF looks forward to engaging an increasing number of public, civil society and private sector partners in its efforts to fight biodiversity and environmental degradation.
Finally, ERuDeF hopes to increase the local, national and international community awareness on Cameroon’s environmental issues through the monthly production of its Green Vision Newspaper. 
An annual conservation expo, which will be the first of its kind, is also scheduled for the end of the year. This expo will bring together the conservation successes of ERuDeF and its partners. 
Through its Community Engagement Programme, ERuDeF will launch its Sliver Back Company (a social enterprise approach designed by ERuDeF to support the economic development of local communities). 
The Community Engagement Program will also engage its Give Back to the Community Initiative, which was officially launched to support some of the major social problems affecting the local people in areas where ERuDeF operates, including hunger and social deprivation.
By December 2014, ERuDeF would have developed a new five-year community engagement programme embracing strategic plans to run from 2015-2020.
The Public Relations and Corporate Partnerships Officer, Regina Leke, said ERuDeF for the past 14 years has stayed true to its vision by developing and strategizing on how to better address relevant rural and environmental issues.
She said part of their 2014 agenda is to build a strong relationship between ERuDeF and the media in a bid to raise awareness on biodiversity conservation and also make the public understand what the organization does. 
ERuDeF will be accompanied in its 2014 agenda by some of its partners amongst which are the French Fund for Global Environment, Tusk Trust, Man and Nature, Mane Foundation, the French Embassy in Cameroon, Fauna and Flora International, Project Plus Action, Africa Conservation Foundation, My Tree Company, Lea Nature and Trees for the Future. 
ERuDeF also enjoys the support of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development