CAMGEW's Communication Techniques in Bushfire Prevention and Management

ACommunication has always been very important for information and education on Bushfire Prevention and Management in forest areas. Communication therefore remains the most important tool to be used to reduce the effects of Bushfires and the regularity with which it occurs.

According to the Forest Social and Women Empowerment Officer of CAMGEW Sevidzem Ernestine Leikeki, the following methods are being used by the Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) in communicating about Bushfire Prevention and Management.

  •  Communities need training Workshops, seminars and sensitisation through social and cultural groups to better avoid or manage bushfires.

•     Radio Talks on bushfire prevention and management need to be organized in Community Radios.

• -There is need to produce and distribute posters, flyers, booklets and the use of Forest Sign Posts on bushfire prevention and management.

•      Communities must make use of Town Cryers.

•  All Forest User Platforms like hunters, bee farmers, herbalists, firewood fetchers amongst others to take action and also lead the bushfire sensitisations.

•Men's Traditional Clubs like Manjong and Mfuh Houses must remain a source where bushfire sensitization messages are sent out to the community.

•     Traditional Councils where community members come together need to be used for sensitisation.

•  Forest Management Institution (FMI) Platforms to take action and also lead the sensitization campaign against bushfire.

•      Forest Honey Cooperatives need to take action and also lead the sensitization campaign against bushfire.

•      -One-on-one approach need to be used especially on door-to-door campaigns against bushfire.

• -Learning-by-doing in Bushfire Prevention and Management practices.

•Group sensitisation through schools, churches, social and cultural groups.

•    We cannot abandon social media and that is why the following need to be used for bushfire sensitization and communication: Telephone calls and Social Media Platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Websites, blogs amongst others.

•  Many people want to see, touch and feel the problem and the proposed solution. This brings in new ways of tackling issues and arts and crafts is good especially as it is creative and innovative. Arts and craft through drawing, painting, dancing, singing, sketches amongst others remain good to tackle bushfires.

Sevidzem Ernestine Leikeki acknowledged that collective work had always been the approach used by CAMGEW in preventing and managing Bushfires in the Kilum Ijim Forest Area. She calls on everyone in the community to work as a team in fighting bushfire. She encourages everyone to help share information, skills, knowledge and experience they have on bushfire to prevent the occurrence of bushfire this year. Let everyone be a messenger and let everyone take action in his or her own way to prevent bushfires. She thanked Green Livelihood Alliance (GLA) and Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) for their financial assistance to CAMGEW to campaign against bushfire.

 

EDUCATION

 AND

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Email: edevnewspaper@gmail.com

Tel: +237696896001/+237691520771/ +237671262198/ +237678401408