Make Bafut Ecovillage Green Again - Permaculture for Cameroon War Victims

On January 12, 2021, soldiers raided and burned down the Bafut Ecovillage, located in the heart of Africa, that won the 2015 Gaia Excellence Award as Africa's most inspiring project. The permaculture learning center was built by young girls and women to improve the living standards of vulnerable communities by running permaculture gardens and regenerating the ecosystem.

The Bafut Ecovillage was established in 2012 by Joshua Konkankoh, founder of the NGO Better World Cameroon (BWC). At that time, BWC had been active for more than 15 years in empowering unemployed youth to act sustainably in the environmental and agricultural sectors.

The ecovillage supported the local population with sustainable permaculture farming methods and provided clean drinking water for 4,000 people. It also produced cooking stoves for women and planted over 10,000 trees. On the ecovillage's land, a cooperative sold local produce and cared for more than 20 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Furthermore, the Bafut ecovillage implemented the BWC concepts of small-scale gardening and the award-winning cookstove project that helps youth and women survive COVID and insecurities.

The impact of this project was very great and the commitment of the BWC team impressive. We want to rebuild the Bafut Ecovillage with all its different projects and activities in 2021 and for this we need your support!

With 24,00 € you finance the seeds of the garden for 6 months
With 50,00 € you finance garden tools and working equipment of a young person
With 150,00 € you finance an online course of a permaculture teacher
With 225,00 € you finance the life of a refugee for one month
With 450,00 € you finance the reconstruction of the Bafut Ecovillage.

From donations we will plant trees as a symbol of our gratitude to all those who participate in this campaign.

  

According to eyewitnesses, the incident that led to the destruction of the Bafut ecovillage is linked to a long-standing conflict (2016) between English-speaking populations and the Cameroonian government. According to the UN report, the conflict has since resulted in the deaths of about 3,000 people and about 600,000+ IDPs. 50,000+ are in refugee camps in Nigeria. Sadly, the ecovillage that had become a beacon of hope for all in Cameroon has been caught between the fronts of this deadly conflict. William Lawrence described the violence on Al Jazeera as "an escalation of brutality that the world has not witnessed in the crisis in Cameroon".