To celebrate the 47th World Environment Day, UN Volunteers in Cameroon in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme organized a series of activities to sensitize UN volunteers, UN staff, and the general public on environmental preservation and conservation. Cameroon produces about 60,000 tons of plastic waste per year according to the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection, and Sustainable Development.
On June 3rd, UN Volunteer Larissa Tuayo, Youth Greening officer, sensitized UNDP Cameroon staff on the importance of SORTING of Waste within the office to restore the professional ecosystem. During this, many staffs shared their experience in sustainable waste management.
On June 4th UN Volunteers hosted a regional panel discussion on best practices to restore the ecosystem. During the panel UN Volunteers from MINUSMA, Niger and Guinea shared their experiences. The UNDP Accelerator Labs presented good practices conducted in Cameroon in terms of ecosystem restoration. For example the production of ecological coal and biogas with organic waste.
UN Volunteers in Maroua trained and sensitized about 15 women on the ecological watering system, by “Cocon” to palliate the problem of water in the region, and planted 75 trees using this system.
In Douala, volunteers discussed with 45 students of New-Bell BAMILEKE public school about #SDGs and sensitized them on the importance of preserving their environment.
Youth are the agents of change. We need to involve them at an early stage in development issues. They are the #GenerationRestoration. UN Volunteer Paul ESSOME, Programme Assistant serving UNHCR.
A plastic bottle takes at least 450 years to decompose. During a plogging exercise which consists of jogging and collecting waste, Volunteers both from United Nations and civil society picked up more than 2000 plastic bottles in the Yaoundé streets.
Our cities are full of plastic waste that pollutes not only our environment but also our air. So, with my small gestures, I reduce the landfill because the solution lies in small actions. Marie Noel VERWIYIn UN Volunteer in charge of Youth training-UNESCO
The 3-days marathon ended on a positive note with more than 500 people sensitized and informed on the preservation of the earth and water ecosystem, about 200 trees are planted in nine localities of the Country, and a fruitful regional exchange which allowed the UNV programme to foresee perspectives of collaboration.
