Partnerships are essential for achieving meaningful and sustainable change, bringing together diverse perspectives, resources, and expertise to address the interconnectedness of environmental issues measuring impact over time
Mindful that one of BLP’s core advocacy areas is Environmental Sustainability, BLP has since 2023 been working in collaboration with other organizations geared towards the realization of particular projects such as the “Reforesting Hope: A Collaborative Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes in Bamenda, Cameroon and Makeni, Sierra Leone” and “Promoting Sustainable Waste Management and Economic Opportunity through Plastic Recycling in Bamenda, Cameroon, and Makeni, Sierra Leone” which are very much in line with the Environmental Sustainability Program. Given that one of BLP’s successes has been its collaboration and partnership with other organizations and institutions in realizing its mission, on the 14th of August 2024, the BLP signed a partnership agreement with ASDEPCO aimed at scaling and fostering environmental protection within the North West Region of Cameroon.
The purpose of this MOU is to provide a framework for collaboration on joint and complementary research, advocacy, awareness, community engagement, and support for local actions towards protecting our environment, in line with international environmental agreements and policies and Cameroon’s long-term development goals.
In a bid to materialize this partnership agreement signed by both parties on August 14, 2024, at the ASDEPCO office in Bamenda, the BLP team in Bamenda had working sessions with ASDEPCO same day to design action plans, programs, and activities that will run from September to December to complete the year 2024.
In the course of the working session, the parties discussed and agreed on particular thematic areas to work on within the remaining three months. These included the following areas and activities.
Firstly, the parties agreed to engage in Education and awareness programs on environmental protection. The focus here is on environmental education in schools through the creation of environmental clubs in schools and visiting these schools on their various environmental club days to educate them on plastic waste management/environmental hygiene and environmental protection generally through; Sustainable agriculture, Renewable energy, Advocacy/policy change, Conservation and restoration of biodiversity.
Secondly, the parties intend to organize Advocacy campaigns through radio programs on Environmental protection in a bid to better engage communities while also engaging in the constant removal of plastic waste from the Mulang River in Bamenda and other areas of interest to help foster the realization of the right to a healthy environment by all.