450 pupils given environmental education in Betchou

Over 450 pupils, students and teachers in 9 schools around the proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary have received lectures on conservation and environmental protection.

The lectures were given at the opening of the 2014/2015 new school year by ERuDeF's Education for Sustainable Development Program (ESD) team, AkehNug and Emmanuel Ndip.

The schools notably, Government School(GS) Nzancheng, GS Kitsue, GS Abebue, GS Fonven of Mbetta, GS Njentse, Government Technical College(GTC)Abebue, GS Esso-Attah , GS Njoagwi, and Government High School(GHS) Ngo Esso-Attah received lessons on the threats facing the environment and were educated on how their support as young environmental ambassadors can foster environmental sustainability.

During the sessions, Environmentalist, Emmanuel Ndip asked the pupils and students questions on conservation to trigger their interest and some students already proved to have knowledge about conservation.

The students were told about harmful environmental practices like bush fire, clearing down forest, farming on water catchment areas, the use of chemical fertilizers on farms, illegal hunting etc, as well as the measures that can be taken to reduce or put an end to these harmful practices.

After the sessions, the teachers and students were very happy 'The lectures we have received are priceless. The government of Cameroon is very concerned about wildlife and their habitats and given that our area is blessed with such resources it is important we support ERuDeF to conserve them', a teacher at GHS Essoh-Attah confessed.

The proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary is home to several protected animal and plant species such as the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzees, Elephants and drills etc. The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife with the technical support of ERuDeF launched the creation process early 2014.