SPATH

By Ignatius Nji

Some four trainees in Bamenda undertook a training to teach children arts and craft that promote environmental protection as used materials are being recycled and put in to use. This laudable initiative by a German Trainer, Renate PERNER from the Senior Expert Service (SES) Bonn, under the supervision of Prof PINTSCH of the Society for the Promotion of Appropriate Technology and Housing (SPATH) as coordinated at the Center for Appropriate Technology (CAT) is coming at a time that the government of Cameroon has ban the use of non biodegradable plastics.

Providing alternative this training shall empower children in the schools and at home with the know-how to make shoppers’ bag from cheap materials such as newspapers and old textile which can not be harmful to environment. This environmental friendly arts and craft can be learned and practice by everybody to ensure that the environment is protected and safe especially in local communities. The main goal of this training is to foster sensitization on environmental protection and appropriate technology to as important solutions in local communities. The practice can go a long way to reverse the rapidity with which the climate change is affecting the biodiversity. Home made paper bags for shopping would replace the use of non biodegradable plastic that has taken a tool on the environment. 

Without livestock these successful Cameroon farm families will find it challenging in future to sustain their projects. According to experts they must be a steady depositing of dung in to the inlet for the bio gas unit and for all necessary procedures to be followed for the plant to function properly. Accidentally putting cosmetic oils in to the plant have caused most units not to function well. “I just discovered that because we had connected out toilet and bath to the inlet the plant was no longer working” Marie Ndifor narrated to us. The lack of adequate expertise on the part of women to manage these bio gas plants is a concern for Heifer International Cameroon. “if women who are mostly concern with running the homes are not properly taught how to manage these bio gas plants they is an issue of sustainability” Njini Victor director for the center of appropriate technology told us. Because slurry also generates a lot of weeds in the farm fields which neccesistate intensive cultivation it is feared that with income some of these farmers will go back to chemical fertilizers despite the benefits that accrue from slurry.

 

Co-opting women in to the training sessions of how to handle these plants is ongoing. The effort by some of these farm families to market this green renewable energy to their neighbors is brewing quarrels over how the bills should be meted out. While these farmers and their neighbors are exalted to share their fortunes in love some farmers not aided externally are trying to build bio gas installation units on their own. “We have experienced some poor installations which are now a source of pollution to the environment”. Achirri George a technician on this technology claimed. What ever the few challenges experienced, they are strong testimonies from the field from farmers who on one hand take the liberty to thank the development stakeholders for assisting them to improving the wealth of their environment by reducing the emission of green gases, save their forest and land potentials and for achieving their goals in life. As these farmers continuously stick together and as they show love and care in kind and cash it is hoped that food security in Cameroon is guarantee for many years to come. This report was produced with the support of The African Story Challenge @ African Media Initiative.