San Luis Rey Community Newsletter December 2014 - January 15
Community Newsletter January 2011
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Transcript of Community Newsletter January 2011
CERCOPAN has always held
outreach and education work
close to the heart of
operations as the most
effective means to spread the
message regarding the
importance of conservation
to communities surrounding
Cross River National Park
(CRNP).
As part of this work we have
over the years invited
students from schools in Agoi
Ibami, Iko Ekperem, Iko Esai
and Owai to visit our forest
conservation site; Rhoko
camp. Recently we have been
able fund this activity with
the generous assistance of
the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) and the International
Primate Society (IPS).
Students spend the day
learning about forest and
primate conservation from
our staff at CERCOPAN and
have the opportunity to view
mangabey monkeys in their
natural habitat.
IKO ESAI COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
January 2011 Volume: 6 Issue: 1
DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
Inside this issue:
Christmas Gift 2011 Page 2
The CCDC; A Conceotual Approach Page 2
Hunter’s Association Visits to Rhoko Camp Page 3
A Second to None Experience of Cocoa Training Page 4
CActivities of the CCDC Project Committee Page 5
Report on Beekeeping in Iko Esai Page 6
Peace and Security in Ayo Communities Page 7
RHOKO CAMP SCHOOL VISITS
Poultry Farming in Agoi Ibami Page 7
Snail Farming in Agoi Ibami Page 8
Iko Esai Community Secondary School Page 8
The Progress of Cocoa Farming in Iko Esai Page 9
A Report on the CCDC Surveillance Committee Page 10
BNRCC Livelihood Projects in Agoi Ibami Page 11
Students from Owai School
Students from Agoi Unity School
Students from Iko Esai School
Students from Iko Ekperem School
THE CCDC; A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
By Jerry Okon; Secretary
Jerry Okon
CCDC Secretary
Page 2 DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
CHRISTMAS GIFT 2011
Mike Ekpe with the Christmas Gift
people’s hospitality and
support for the conservation
and development work that
CERCOPAN does in the area.
This year we started giving
out the yearly thank you gift
of rice and salt to our host
community Iko Esai in Janu-
ary 2011.
Without the support of Iko
Esai people our work would
not be possible as most of
our staff and volunteers
come from the village. In
addition the community has
been home to one of our
international volunteers for
a year now and they have
helped to make our English
Community Conservation
Manager (Rachel Heming-
way) feel very welcome.
When we call on the village
to assist us with community
projects people are all very
willing to pitch in and lend a
hand with the project man-
agement and collection of
materials for the work.
CERCOPAN plans to continue
the tradition of thanking the
village, the chiefs, and the
CCDC for many years to
come.
For many years now
CERCOPAN has been giving a
gift at Christmas time to the
households, chiefs and
vo lunteers ( Iko Esa i
Community Conservation and
Development Committee;
CCDC) in Iko Esai village as a
The CCDC is the Iko Esai
Community Conservation
and Development
Committee, a body set up by
the community in
partnership with CERCOPAN
in line with the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
of education, conservation,
natural resource
development and
management and female
empowerment.
The newly constituted
executive committee
organisation was elected
from the community in
September 2009 and aims to
put in place an effective
system of checks and
balances between the power
of the Chief’s, the youth and
CERCOPAN in addition to
transparently and efficiently
managing the money paid by
CERCOPAN quarterly to
CCDC for village works.
The CCDC was reconstituted
as the former body had
failed to satisfy the
community’s high standards
for project work and
transparency. The new body
has already completed two
applications for external
funding for the betterment
of Iko Esai’s physical
infrastructure and has
worked hard to form project
implementation committees
to ensure the work is
completed.
Page 3 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
HUNTER’S ASSOCIATION VISITS TO RHOKO CAMP
By Rachel Hemingway; CERCOPAN Community
Owai hunters at Rhoko Iko Esai hunters at Rhoko
Agoi Ibami hunters at Rhoko Iko Ekperem hunters after Rhoko visit
Over the past few months
the outreach work of
CERCOPAN in the villages
surrounding Cross River
National Park has gathered
momentum with visits to our
Rhoko forest site from four
communities; Iko Esai, Iko
Ekperem, Owai and Agoi
Ibami. CERCOPAN invited the
chief’s, women leaders, and
hunters from the surrounding
communities to visit the
Mangabeys in our forest
enclosure and hear a talk on
the importance of forest
c o n s e r v a t i o n a n d
e n d a n g e r e d s p e c i e s
protection from our
Community Education and
Liaison Officer Mike Ekpe, a
resident of Iko Esai
community and Ayitu
Obeten, a resident from Agoi
and one of our Research
Assistants at Rhoko.
This outreach work is vital to
the success of forest
conservation as it allows the
people who depend on the
forest and its resources to
appreciate the importance of
s u s t a i n a b l e r e s o u r c e
exploitation and the
precarious position of
e n d a n g e r e d s p e c i e s ,
particularly primates, in Cross
River National Park.
Unfortunately peo ple
continue to hunt primates
and to keep them as pets
despite the danger of disease
being transferred from
monkey to person. Monkeys
do not make good pets and
should be left undisturbed in
their forest home.
A SECOND TO NONE EXPERIENCE OF COCOA
TRAINING IN IKOM
By Arong Akan Oyak
‘If the upward
trend in cocoa
production is
maintained Iko Esai
community will
become the leading
producers of cocoa
in the state by
2020’
Page 4 DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
Training in the field
Arong Akan Oyak
Cocoa Training Facilitator
CERCOPAN, a Non-
Governmental Organisation
(NGO), was founded in 1995
in Cross River State; it is a
non-profit organisation
dedicated to conserving
Nigerian primates through
rainforest conservation,
community education,
primate rehabilitation, and
research. The organisation
offers sanctuary to orphaned
monkeys that have been the
victim of hunting and habitat
loss. CERCOPAN offers the
chance for rehabilitation by
providing an environment
that mimics the natural
habitat. The long term goal is
for the reintroduction of these
monkeys to a protected forest
area.
CERCOPAN has also always
maintained a pro-active
approach toward the socio-
economic wellbeing of Iko Esai
community, most recently by
securing a grant from Building
Nigeria’s Response to Climate
Change (BNRCC) to assist local
farmers to adapt to climate
change impacts. Esai’s Cocoa
farmers have benefitted from
training on improved methods
and modern techniques; this
was achieved by sponsoring
myself (a graduate of forestry
and wildlife management) to
attend a workshop in Ikom on
cocoa farming in May 2010.
The laudable experiences and
achievements gained so far
are second to none and
cannot be over-emphasised as
the new skills, techniques and
methods are employed on our
farms. The increase in coco
production in 2010 as
compared to 2009 is also a
result of the efforts of the
facilitator who received and
passed on the excellent
training. If this upward trend
in production is maintained,
Iko Esai community will
become the leading producers
of cocoa in the state by 2020.
A focus on cocoa production
will minimise the rate of
poaching, logging and forest
encroachment into our forest
ecosystem and preserve the
beauty of our naturally
endowed fauna and flora.
I commend CERCOPAN who
have found a solution for
environmental sustainability.
ACTIVITIES OF THE CCDC PROJECT COMMITTEE
By Rasman Sunnytex D E Aidams; Secretary;
Project Committee
‘The aims of the PC are
to assist in the
supervision and
management of
projects’
Page 5 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
Rasman Aidams
Secretary Project
Committee
conservation to other
people and to future
generations.
Thank you CERCOPAN for
choosing Iko Esai
Community today,
tomorrow and forever.
My profound gratitude
goes to Almighty God for
granting us the
opportunities needed for
this report to become a
reality.
Thank you and God Bless
The Project Committee (PC)
was set up by the Community
Conservation and
Development Committee
(CCDC) chaired by Mr Stanley
Obo. The PC is duly
recognised by CERCOPAN and
is headed by Mr Peter Arong
Aidam, I am the Secretary
and there are eight other
members. The aims of the PC
are to assist in the
supervision and management
of projects initiated by
CERCOPAN that are designed
to improve the lives of people
in Iko Esai including pig
farming, beekeeping and the
abattoir established by
CERCOPAN. The PC is
involved to assist CERCOPAN
with the management of
these projects and to reduce
stress.
Objectives:
1. To create sustainability,
correct management and
further development of these
projects
2. To ensure that community
beneficiaries are controlled to
care and protect the
proceeds of the project in
affiliation with CERCOPAN.
Functions:
1. To disseminate awareness
regarding the need to
embrace conservation to the
entire community
2. To monitor the modus
operandi of the members
directly involved in these
projects
3. To guard against
misappropriation of funds
derived from these projects
4. To flush out persons with
questionable characters who
may damage the reputation
of the projects
5. To ensure any funds
embezzled by members are
returned to the groups
involved
6. To liaise with CERCOPAN
on workshop organisation
and attendance
7. To generate initiatives to
attract more income for the
projects
Projects
The abattoir has been fully
completed and the business
is starting to generate profit
for the members. The cold
room has been furnished with
a generator a deep freeze
and all other necessary items
for the business to function
effectively. The cold room
started operation on the 3rd
November and since then the
need for people to travel out
or go hunting to get meat has
been reduced.
The pig farm started with 3
adult pigs, the number has
since grown to 9 adults and 3
babies. One pig has been sold
to date to generate income
for the group, soon the
reproduction rate will
increase and before you can
say Jack Robinson, Iko Esai
will boast a large piggery. The
public is therefore advised to
purchase live pigs from the
farm for their needs in future.
Beekeeping has been in
existence since 2008, nine
hives were originally
constructed and placed
around the community. Four
hives have been harvested
with a total of 18 litres of
honey sold to the public.
CERCOPAN is constructing ten
additional hives and training
more women on how to
nurse bees to generate small
income for their families.
Appreciation
My regards go to Mr Richard
Carroll, the outgoing Rhoko
Camp manager as well as Ms
Tanya for their efforts in
starting the beekeeping
project and laying the work
for further work. I also give
thanks and commendation to
Miss Rachel who undertook
to revive the beekeeping and
open the other works; she
has really shown the love she
has for this community.
Let me now express my
feelings to especially
appreciate CERCOPAN, the
only NGO that has promoted
the image of Iko Esai in
Nigeria, Africa and the world
at large. The people of Iko
Esai are always ready to
spread the importance of
REPORT ON BEEKEEPING IN IKO ESAI
By Joy Arong Ekpe
Page 6 DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
Esai women attending a workshop on beekeeping
Joy Arong Ekpe
Treating a hive with beeswax
The beekeeping
association was established
by Development in Nigeria
(DIN) in 2008 and given the
name Esai Selected
Women Association
(ESWA). The group
consisted of 20 members;
the chairwoman was Elder
Grace Owai.
Aims
The aims of the association
are:
1. Preservation of honey
bees and the sustainable
extraction of honey
2. The creation of
employment opportunities
for women
3. The protection and
conservation of wild bees
and honey
4. To generate income for
the group and community
Functions:
The main functions of
beekeepers are as follows:
1. Checking on the hives
for honey and bee health
2. Preparing hives with
beeswax
3. Maintaining the area
around the beehives
4. Harvesting and selling
the honey
Achievements
The group has been able to
harvest much honey from
the hives which has been
sold for a profit of 9000
Naira.
Problems Faced:
The hives are prone to
spoiling from ant
infestations and can be
damaged by trees
Human empowerment was
lacking to properly
maintain the hives
The smoker spoiled and
has not yet been repaired.
Appreciation
We appreciate DIN who
introduced the beekeeping in
Iko Esai at the request of
CERCOPAN to help the women
earn a living. We say may God
bless them and grant them a
long and prosperous life in
Jesus name Amen
Conclusions
Beekeeping was introduced in
Nigeria to boost the rural
economy. As a result we have
the knowledge of beekeeping
and would like the government
to become involved to further
financially empower the
community to enable the
activity to expand.
C
POULTRY FARMING IN AGOI IBAMI
By Maria Effiong Ekpe
Page 7 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
PEACE AND SECURITY IN AYO COMMUNITIES
By His Royal Majesty Attah Ophot Obio A Owai
His Royal Majesty Attah Ophot Obio A Owai
Maria Effiong Ekpe
Chickens provided by the
BNRCC Project
As a result of youth unrest and in an
attempt to find a solution to the
problems caused to our communities
by such behaviour, the traditional
rulers of Ayo Communities came
together to take an oath of peace
and unity. An oath ceremony took
place on the 14th
of September in Iko
Esai when all the Ayo chiefs moved
together in their traditional regalia
through the streets announcing the
penalty that shall befall any
offenders who violate the laws of the
land.
As promised by oath the same
exercise was undertaken in Iko
Ekperem and shall be completed in
all the Ayo communities including;
Owai Ifumkpa, Uyanga Okposung,
Ikami and Igbofia, Uyanga model
Town, Ekpiri Iko, Iwuru Central and
Iwuru Otonikapeng.
The same action has been agreed to
be carried out in neighbouring LGA
Biase as the community leaders join
hands to keep the peace in the area.
The youth leader of Iko Ekperem also
took the oath and promised to assist
the traditional rulers in checking the
anti-social behaviour of some youths.
Women in Nigeria often struggle
financially due to customary rules
governing the control of assets
and means of production. This is
particularly the case in rural areas
with female headed households;
women do not have the same
access rights to land, means of
transportation or markets. As
such CERCOPAN is making a
strong effort to target vulnerable
women and families with a sus-
tainable livelihoods programme
based in Agoi Ibami and Iko Esai
communities.
The programme has been working
closely with the women of these
communities to identify areas
where assistance will be most
effective in enabling women to
gain some small measure of finan-
cial and food security.
Maria Effiong Ekpe of Agoi Ibami
is one of the beneficiaries.
“I wanted to start poultry farming
as I wanted people to be able to
buy eggs within the community
rather than travelling out and
paying transport to buy them
outside. I’m hoping to increase
the number of layers I have so I
can grow my farm and increase
the benefit to my family and the
community.
SNAIL FARMING IN AGOI IBAMI
IKO ESAI COMMUNITY SECONDARY
Page 8 DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
At work on the school
Snail farming workshop
CERCOPAN invited Concern
Universal, an NGO based in
Calabar to come to Agoi
Ibami to train a group of
men and women on how to
farm the African Giant snail.
Snail farming can be a very
good source of income that
does not require a lot of
time or money and can be
done on a group or
individual basis.
Nine people attended this
first training session and all
plan to start their own small
snail farm with assistance
from CERCOPAN. The
training was very interactive
and included information
on how to breed, manage
and sell snail meat for the
best profit.
Snails can lay up to 1200
eggs each year and with the
proper care all of these eggs
can survive to maturity to
lay eggs themselves, snail
meat is very healthy and
provides a very good source
of protein for all the family.
The group members plan to
build their own small
individual snail houses and
breed snails for sale in local
markets as it is not yet
available to buy. Many
People enjoy the sweet
meat of snails and the
group all believe that this
small business will help
them to support their
families and improve their
lives.
Iko Esai has been working
extremely hard as a
community over the past
month to the benefit of all
people living in Iko Esai. The
indigenous and fully elected
Community Conservation
a n d D e v e l o p m e n t
Committee (CCDC), in
conjunction with the Esai
Executive Forum, have
received and implemented
their first grant last month to
refurbish the Community
Secondary School, which has
been badly in need of repair
for some time.
The CCDC is financially
supported by CERCOPAN to
assist in the development of
Iko Esai community and the
conservation of the
Remaining forests and The
Esai Executive Forum, led
for this project by Osam
Moses Eyo, successfully
applied to the Cross River
State Social and
Community Fund for
funding to renovate the
Community Secondary
School in Esai and to build
a vital bridge on the road
to Iko Ekperem and the
highway. The CCDC, led by
Chairman Stanley Obo, has
been working closely with
the Executive Forum to
provide the 30%
counterpart funding and
organise the community
labour.
Following a number of
discussions with key
persons in the community,
the Executive Forum and
the CCDC concluded that
the most pressing areas in
need of attention were the
secondary school and the
bridge that allows access to
external markets and
services. The secondary
school work has been
managed by a local
voluntary Project Manager
for this purpose, now the
renovations are nearly
complete, and work is
expected to begin on the
bridge within a few weeks.
Community involvement
and support has been
extremely strong with
labour and materials
provided by willing
volunteers.
Hopefully this will prove to
be the start of a long and
productive era for the Iko
Esai CCDC and Executive
Forum.
Well Done everybody!!!
THE PROGRESS OF COCOA FARMING IN IKO ESAI
COMMUNITY
By Retired Rev Akan Aidan Oyak
Chief of Ephem village –
Esai Clan
Page 9 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
Rev. Akan Aidan Oyak
The training in progress
For the past fifteen years
cocoa farming was seen as a
difficult task in comparison to
the cultivation of crops such
as cassava, yam and plantain
and was called ‘ busy-body
farming’. This was because
the farmer will rise at 6am to
start work and continue until
6pm with a short break at
lunch due to the shortage of
farmhands. Cocoa farming
was designated as poor man
farming and because of this
many people did not embark
on cocoa.
Recently, CERCOPAN has
provided cocoa training to
the farmers of Iko Esai to
improve production. Farmers
have benefitted from
CERCOPAN who trained the
designated cocoa farmer
(Arong Akan Oyak) as a
facilitator to lecture the other
farmers. Many more young
men have since joined after
having good instruction on
how best to manage the
cocoa farm.
In addition, CERCOPAN
assisted the group with the
registration fee for a cocoa
co-operative with the local
government which will
enable members to access
government subsidies and
loans.
To the best of my knowledge,
cocoa production this year
has increased over earlier
years to the benefit of
farmers in Esai. The more
farmers that are provided
with assistance the better the
harvest and the better the
sales and profits which will
culminate in a cocoa boom in
Iko Esai.
Cocoa farming which was
designated as ‘busy-body
farming’ is now one of the
best types of farming yielding
the best interest to the
community. Cocoa is not our
father’s traditional form of
farming, who instead valued
plantain, yam, and cassava. It
was not conducive to them to
harvest, process, and market
cocoa over and above the
traditional crops. My greatest
joy is that everything has
changed as the traditional
crops did not bring much
income to the family and the
small income ceased on the
death of the father given that
it is not easy to inherit such
crops.
The father who plants cocoa
will have income and when
he goes away the income is
left for his children as the
cocoa farm can continue to
thrive if given good care.
Though I eat yam it is a
difficult crop to inherit, it
goes away when the planter
goes away, this is not
applicable to cocoa and palm.
Thank you CERCOPAN for
educating one who can help
many to develop their cocoa
farms for a good yield. May
God grease your elbows so as
to develop CERCOPAN and all
that you do to help develop
this community.
REPORT FROM THE IKO ESAI CCDC SURVEILLANCE
COMMITTEE
By Bassey Aidams Eyo
Chairman, CCDC Surveillance Committee
‘Everybody is now
beginning to
understand the
importance of forest
management’
Page 10 DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
Bassey Aidams, Chair; CCDC Surveillance Committee
In the first place, I give God
perpetual thanks for bringing
CERCOPAN to Iko Esai. I define
CERCOPAN as a rain chosen to
fall in Iko Esai community and
a bridge to progress in this
land. CERCOPAN has been an
organisation that has been
educating indigenes on the
importance of conservation,
and by God’s Grace everybody
now is beginning to
understand the importance of
forest management.
CERCOPAN has been able to
introduce the Community
Conservation and
Development Committee
(CCDC) some years ago to
promote development and
conservation within the
community. With financial
support from CERCOPAN, the
body was reconstituted in
2009 with Mr Stanley Obo
elected as chairman. Mr Obo
and the executive committee
have worked hard to develop
a number of different
committees under the
executive body; I was chosen
to head the surveillance
committee.
The Surveillance Committee is
charged with forest
conservation through going
out into the forest
surrounding the community
and checking for illegal
activities and encroachment
into the forest.
On the 11th
of July 2010, I
made my first journey with
five other members to Ebin
Iyura and Iyuyura, we
discovered a large number of
traps and disabled over a
hundred of them. Following
this, the Chiefs involved the
hunter’s association of Iko
Esai to join the committee in
the forest in order to arrest
the trap setters. Three
people were successfully
arrested and brought before
the Chief’s Council.
In September 2010, we
visited Okembe Iyura and
Ayakor to monitor logging
activity; we discovered that
over 100 mature hardwood
trees had been felled by
Owai indigenes. The places in
the forest where significant
destruction was discovered
were the tractor road leading
to Owai village, Opod
Iporopod Iyura, Aya Iko Iyura,
and Ading Iyura.
The surveillance committee
has been facing challenges
from hunters and farmers,
many of whom are not
willing to accept advice from
us as we appear in our farm
clothes whilst on duty. Also,
some of the committee
members are unwilling to
co-operate as a result of
these challenges and having
to make provision for
themselves while on duty.
I am appealing on behalf of
the committee that we be
provided with uniforms, key
ags, whistles and a small
amount of money to enable
us to undertake our duties
e f f e ct i v e ly a n d t o
differentiate the body from
normal farmers and hunters.
The committee members are
very committed to the cause
of conservation and hope to
a v o i d a n y f u r t h e r
encroachment.
Page 11 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
BNRCC LIVELIHOODS PROJECTS IN AGOI IBAMI
By Rachel Hemingway; CERCOPAN Community
Conservation Manager
Building a pig sty
Learning to bake
Cocoa training
The second completed sty
Snail Farming workshop
Rachel
Hemingway
Climate Change is the increased changes
and unreliability of the weather that we
have been seeing in Nigeria and through-
out the rest of the world over the past few
years. These changes are caused by human
activities changing the gas mixture in the
atmosphere and deforestation on the sur-
face of the earth. The effect of these
changes is to slowly increase the average
temperature of the earth’s surface, which
in turn affects weather patterns and is
likely to result in increased suffering and
hardship for the poorest people in the
world as they try to adapt to the changes.
In Nigeria we have seen a difference in the
onset of the rainy and dry seasons, more
extreme hot weather as well as the failure
of Harmattan. CERCOPAN has been work-
ing with Building Nigeria’s Response to
Climare Change BNRCC) to assist some of
the most vulnerable people in Agoi Ibami
and Iko Esai to cope with the coming
changes.
In Agoi, work has finished now on the con-
struction of a pig sty for one of the youth
groups in preparation for the introduction
of agricultural pigs for breeding and sale.
This project will assist Agoi community in a
number of ways; reducing the demand for
bushmeat helps protect the forest ecosys-
tem on which so many depend for their
livelihoods. Providing support for vulner-
able people to diversify their income
streams will enable them to better with-
stand climatic shocks such as drought that
cause crop failure.
This group in Agoi are not the only benefi-
ciaries of the BNRCC grant for climate
change adaptation, a second group has
also completed work on their own pig sty
with the tireless help of CERCOPAN volun-
teer Dallas. Women in Agoi have profited
from BNRCC through the introduction of
agricultural layers for egg production. Fif-
teen ladies expressed an interest in breed-
ing layers to increase their income through
egg sales within the community, in addi-
tion to training women on baking and sell-
ing snacks (see separate article). Cocoa
farmers have also received training in im-
proving their crop and a final group has
received training in how to farm snails.
Photos contributed by staff and
volunteers of CERCOPAN
…….
If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at our office in Iko Esai or at our
headquarters in Calabar:
Duyin Ehumi
4 Ishie Lane, HEPO Box 826,
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Mobile: +234 (0)706 494 9572
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.cercopan.org
Blog:
http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org
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