There was ecstasy and celebration in Campo, in the Ocean Division, of the South Region of Cameroon, following the holding of the first ever mini agricultural show which recorded significant success.
The two-day event which took place from December 14-15, 2023, at the esplanade of the office of the Divisional Officer was organised by the women of AFRiSC-Campo, an organization championing the right for women
The maiden edition of the agric show was attended by administrative, traditional, and religious authorities as well as indigenous people and visitors.
According to organizers, the main objective was to exhibit and sell the products of the women collected from their fields. It was also intended to promote culture, traditional dishes of the area, and organize a space for exchange and experience sharing with participants.
For two days, women in Campo thrilled authorities, and inhabitants with their savoir-faire as most of those who visited the stands returned spell bound.
“First of all, we are happy with the success of the agric show. The idea was to present to the world what we women of Campo can do despite our challenges,” the President of AFRiSC-Campo, Angon Verone told Camertoday in an interview.
“We wanted to present to the world what the women of Campo are capable of doing despite our shortcomings. We have the will. We wanted to present our savoir-faire,” Verone added.
Gov’t hails maiden Campo mini agric-show
The government through the representative of the Divisional Officer, D.O, of Campo, Ntari-bou Vingedou, hailed the enterprising and devoted women of Campo for their bravery and determination who staged a ground-breaking agric show albeit the challenges.
Vingedou said that despite the spate of challenges that these women continue to face in the agricultural sector, they have remained resolute and made commendable efforts to ameliorate their standard of living through agriculture.
The D.O, through his representative, saluted the lofty initiative which, he hoped, will lead to a transformative effect on the socio-economic lives of the people of Campo in the foreseeable future.
Vingedou, who was visibly amazed and thrilled by the women of Campo however cautioned them not to sleep on their laurels. He pleaded with delegates and participants to ensure an effective follow-up of their mini-agri show.
He also expressed optimism that through the various training that they shall receive, the resilient women of Campo will further thrive and acquire better results on the fields via best practices.
The paradox of investing more and harvesting less
The maiden edition of the mini agric show in Campo was taking place at a time when the human wildlife conflicts have been a serious menace to the livelihood of women of this locality.
Like in some parts of the country, human wildlife conflict has become more frequent, serious and widespread. This, we gathered, has been due to human population growth and agricultural expansion.
This frequent occurrence of human wildlife conflict has led to negative results such as loss of property like farmlands, destruction of crops, livelihoods and even life. Almost every family in Campo is affected to say the least.
Although such conflicts have threatened human safety in Campo and scared them from visiting their farms, they have adopted an array of strategies to protect their crops from wild animals like insects, Guerrillas, Chimpanzees, and elephants.
According to the President of AFRiSC-Campo, Angon Verone, they have opted for methods such as installation of physical barriers, amongst other measures, to ward off animals from visiting their farms and destroying crops.
Despite these efforts, human wildlife conflict continues to persist and their call for help has amplified.
“When you plant groundnuts for example, animals come and dig them up. And the surviving ones, other animals come and eat them up. The few that remain, when they are ready, another set of animals take up duty and feed on them. The Monkeys, Chimpanzees also eat them,” Verone revealed.
“It is really taking a toll on us. But we continue to summon the courage to farm and harvest the little that we can and keep seeds for the next planting season. We invest more but we harvest less,” she lamented.
The human wildlife conflict is not the only impediment to farming in Campo. Women in this historic area, a bordered town to Equatorial Guinea, have also bemoaned the state of the roads which has gravely prevented them from selling their products in the markets.
How GDA came to the rescue
Some of the women who took part at the maiden edition of the mini agric-show told Camertoday how Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Green Development Advocate, GDA, has, through its support, continued to change the narrative for them.
According to one of the participants, whose only name we got as Mama Ngono, the training she has received from the GDA on agro ecology has improved her knowledge on agriculture and has enabled her to boost a more encouraging harvest with greater yields.
“Since I embraced agriculture, I have never harvested good yields like this year, ” Mama Ngono confessed.
Through agro ecology, a suitable method of farming that works with nature, that is studying the relationship between plants, animals, and environment, women in Campo are able to reap massive benefits.
According to Nguena Mawamba Carrele who is in charge of Monitoring Evaluation and Learning at GDA, the agro ecology system comes with massive benefits for women if properly exploited.
“We have been working with these women since 2019 and through agro ecology, we have successfully encouraged them to plant a variety of crops on the same farmland. This is advantageous because it keeps them busy all year round and maximizes yields,”
At the close of the mini agric show, GDA also donated incubators for poultry farming to some inhabitants.
According to Mawamba, “Campo should not continue to depend on frozen chicken”.
The GDA officials added that, “Campo has to mitigate against illegal hunting in their locality. Poultry farming to us is a good alternative”.
Campo women assured of gov’t support
Reacting to the plight of the women, the representative of the Divisional Officer of Campo, Ntari-bou Vingedou assured the women that the government is already on the constant search for solutions to permanently remedy their plight.
Vingedou disclosed during an interview to the press that President Paul Biya has been brought up to speed with the recent happenings in Campo and has promised to act accordingly.
“Their cry for help has been heard by the hierarchy. They must not fold their arms and abandon work because of such difficulties. At the appropriate time, the state will look for a solution. The Head of State is aware of the situation,” Vingedou said.
Youths urged to embrace agriculture
The holding of the maiden agric show was also an occasion to encourage the youths of Campo to massively engage in agriculture.
The representative of the D.O quoted the Head of State, President Paul Biya in one of his addresses to the nation, who famously said, “The soil never fails”.
“This is a call for everyone to get involved in the development of Campo. Our land is not only to be sold or used by agro-industries. We need to cultivate it,” Ntari-bou Vingedou said, urging all and sundry.