Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

A healthy environment is essential to human welfare. At the same time the constraints and avenues to improved environ mental management mainly arise from human needs and actions. There is thus a strong linkage between environmental and social agendas and tools such as stakeholder analysis, participatory processes, community mobilization and capacity building are essential elements in improving environmental management in the already degraded highlands of Boyo Division with an inhabitants of 170.000.

The decline of key natural resources as game reserves, ecosystem destruction, the loss of indigenous natural products such as medicinal plants, birds, animals, foods (including famine reserves) and building materials, narrowing genetic base for major crops.

As a solution, MIFACIG Training and Resource Centre will train and assist farmers on the following main domains, lives and landscapes issues involving women’s land rights, literacy developments, high value tree domestication for integration in the farming systems. Modern apiary development, organic gardening, medicinal plants cultivation, group dynamics and marketing strategies.

What is your project and how will it help?

The project is training as a tool to empower local communities.

The aim will be achieved through the following project objectives:
• To build the capacity of local communities on their legal rights and responsibilities in relation to Cameroon law on forestry protection, legal land use, land inheritance, women’s land ownership.

• To reduce agricultural encroachment into existing forest through increased awareness among local people of the impact, both long and short term of deforestation on biodiversity, rainfall patterns, soil fertility, erosion and water retention.

• To develop the skills of 480 women to claim their land rights and become forest Champions. This will increase land ownership among women and through this to increase women’s access to farming land. By claiming the land which is rightfully theirs the women will not need to clear new areas of forest to support themselves and their families when evicted from the land they have already been farming when they become widows. They will continue to farm the land with a commitment to their community and to protecting the forest. The aim will be to change attitudes among communities about land rights, raising awareness among the community as a whole. Women will be supported in collaborating with each other to form support groups, rather than acting in isolation.

• To increase agricultural production of existing land under cultivation, through the increased use of sustainable agricultural techniques.

• To reduce poverty among families through increased income generation from farming and enhanced nutritional status of local communities. Including increased knowledge and use of sustainable post-harvest techniques to maintain the fertility of the soil and reduce the perceived need for forest encroachment in subsequent seasons.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Other people can partner with us by delivery expertise services, grants and material resources.

Please detail the resources that you need.

BUDGET SUMMARY
1. Capital cost for 3 years = 20.900.000
2. Revenue cost for 3 years = 6.510.000
3. Coverage cost 3 years = 1.720.000
4. Training activities = 35.960.000
5. Nursery establishment and
support of farm equipment = 11.775.000
6. Filed implementation = 1.950.000
7. Training and Subsistence = 1.000.000
8. Communication = 800.000
9. Monitoring and Evaluation = 700.000

Grand total in FCFA = 82.115.000
Grand total in USD = 170,000

Please find details attached