As part of efforts to raise awareness on environmental concerns among young people, the World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, the United States Embassy and a local charity, the Cameroon Youths and Students’ Forum for Peace, CAMYOSFOP, organised an essay competition for Form Three students of 20 colleges in Yaounde.
The sensitisation campaign and competition, which lasted six months, was concluded on May 13, 2015, at the Mvog-Betsi, Yaounde Zoological Garden with a prize award ceremony.
The winners were Aboyoyo Beatrice Eldia of Government Bilingual High School, Etoug-Ebe, Tsala Obama Hyacinthe of College Montesquieu, Mvog-Ada and Beryl Sandra Gejung of English High School, Obili, with each taking home FCFA 100,000, FCFA 60,000 and FCFA 40,000 respectively.
The event also saw the holding of a quiz, debate and drama piece on climate change concerns by students of the 20 selected colleges. Pupils of 10 Yaounde-based primary schools who were also involved, presented paintings of their favourite wildlife which they would want to see protected for posterity.
Speaking at the event, the Cameroon Country Director of WWF, Dr Hanson Njiforti, explained that climate change concerns everyone. He noted that problems of getting good drinking water were becoming more acute as a result of the indiscriminate felling of trees and non-protection of water catchments. He explained that development could go alongside the cutting down of trees if they are replaced in order to ensure ecological balance.
“There are many developed countries that protect their environment well. Every item of nature has a purpose and protecting the environment is for our own good,” the WWF Country Director noted.
On their part, CAMYOSFOP officials explained that school children were chosen for the awareness campaign because of their potential as future leaders or decision-makers.
As part of the “Biodiversity Cultural Jamboree With Secondary Schools in Yaounde” project, five community radio stations were involved in sensitizing the public while about 10,000 Cameroonian youth were engaged in online discussions on the preservation of biodiversity.
