Footprints of Social Business Activities In Lebialem Highlands Conservation Complex
Over 1000 families have benefited directly or indirectly from the livelihood supported projects of the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) within the last couple of years.
Shancho Ndimuh
These benefits, according to the Manager of ERuDeF’s Social Business Division, Ignatius Njom, include petty business training, Training & support on apicultural farming, training & support on livestock production (pig farming), microfinance initiation (The Biodiversity Community Trust-BCT & The Forest Protection Fund – FoProF), Producers Cooperatives, sustainable extraction of None Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), and installation of 04 giant semi industrial palm oil mills.
He said the organisation has equally focussed on poverty alleviation through training and support in the production of detergents, local and medicated soaps, Support to women groups with cassava grinding mills (Bechati & Folepi).
Mr. Njom said over 10 NTFPs community nursery have been created & donated for transplanting, marketing channels established for agricultural products and natural resources like palm oil, Mondiawhitei and Echinops plants discovered in Lebialem.
“Over 100 persons can be seen in petty businesses around ERuDeF project sites as a result of the skills acquired. Over 300 beehives have been installed in the Lebialem highlands. The hives a colonisation rate of over 80%, an indication of about 2000 kg of honey produced.Moreover, more than 200 piglets have been donated to support forest adjacent communities and the reproduction (pregnancy rate) stands at 70% meaning that early in 2017 an average of well over 500 piglets were produced given that each pig produces on average 5 piglets,” he expounded.
The Social Business boss disclosed that through the activities of his Division, employment opportunities have been created either directly or indirectly in all project sites like the 4 oil mills, milled bi-products, detergent production and commercialisation etc.
This to him, has improved on the livelihood of the local communities.
“There has been an increase in the per capita income of local community members from less than FCFA5000 per day to above FCFA1000 per day,” he said.
Community members have testified to increment in household income, consequently leading to education of their children, more hospital attention leading to good health and increased in their standards of living, amongst others thanks to ERuDeF’s intervention.
All of these, according to Njom, has aided in reducing over dependence on the forest, increase in wildlife population and the protection of fragile ecosystems.
