SAILD presented its activities in the forestry sector over the past 10 years to staff of the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife, Eastern Region. This took place during a working session between the two institutions, held July 8–9, 2026, in the Eastern Region.
Since 2016, SAILD’s efforts to restore degraded forest landscapes have continued to intensify in Cameroon. This year, the organization once again worked in villages bordering Deng Deng National Park (PNDD) in the Lom-et-Djérem department—including Hona, Mansa, and Kombocassi—as part of the “Participatory Restoration of the Degraded Forest Landscape of the PNDD” project, funded by the German development agency GIZ.
The NGO’s goal was to restore 30 hectares of degraded land. To achieve this, it trained the beneficiary communities in sustainable production techniques—namely agroecology and agroforestry—in order to improve their standard of living and protect the environment. The experience gained through its numerous projects in the forestry sector—including this latest one—was shared during this visit to the Eastern Region, alongside the regional delegate from the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (MINFOW). This collaboration was the focus of the first day, which brought together about ten people in Bertoua. Among them were two directors and one senior official from MINFOF sent by the minister, as well as SAILD staff.
According to Aristide Tchounkeu, a SAILD executive, the discussions helped their counterparts better understand the objectives and motivations behind the NGO’s activities. “The MINFOW officials understood that, in reality, we do not carry out any activities within the park, so there is no doubt about illegal logging. But we work with local communities, training them in sustainable agriculture to improve their standard of living. This support enables them to stop entering the park to hunt or gather non-timber forest products, and the park is spared from human activity,” he explained.
Moral and Environmental Impacts
However, how does sustainable agriculture help preserve the park?
This is the rather concerning question raised by MINFOW during the discussions. For its part, SAILD revealed the challenges behind its actions, which may seem minor. “We also raise public awareness about the dangers of bushfires and the use of chemical fertilizers. These practices, which were very common in the past, have proven dangerous to the forest cover. The other objective is to encourage them to settle down. We have worked to ensure that they no longer expand their fields indiscriminately by cutting down trees in the forest, but rather that they farm the same land over the long term. And all these actions help keep the park safe to a certain extent,” Aristide explained.
The second day, meanwhile, was devoted to visits to the beneficiaries’ farms to see firsthand the results of the activities carried out by SAILD. Prior to these visits, a meeting was held in the community halls in each of the villages. The villagers unanimously expressed their gratitude for this project.
Papa Roger Abbo, an octogenarian from the village of Hona, was quick to share his thoughts. “There has been a shift in the village’s spirit thanks to SAILD’s efforts. Today, young and old alike—women and men—are coming together in the village to farm the way SAILD has taught them. Everyone has realized that it’s not just hunting that can bring in income, but also farming—if we put our full effort into it,” he said.
Aware of the impact of SAILD’s work on communities and the environment, the MINFOW staff present expressed their support for drafting projects with the NGO, as well as for securing the necessary funding to continue restoration activities in other villages on the outskirts of the PNDD.
- Sharon Maché
