BAPESU - Benevolent Association for the Protection of the Environment and the Socially Underprivileged

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Benevolent Association for the Protection of the Environment and the Socially
Underprivileged abbreviated “BAPESU” is a nongovernmental organisation that was
created in 2005 with the objective to underpin social, cultural, economic development,
biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. It is not-for-profit and apolitical
which is based and operating in Cameroon.
The organisation’s target population are the youths, women & children and rural
communities.

Vision / Approach
Our organisation’s approach for the protection of the environment and biodiversity conservation does not only target the conservation of the environment, but we seek to tackle poverty and other causes of environmental degradation. Poverty and environmental degradation are inextricably linked together. Poverty remains the main cause and consequence of environmental degradation and resource depletion in Sub Saharan Africa.
Without important improvement in the living conditions and livelihoods of the poor especially women, environmental programmes will achieve little or no success. Also, there is a strong link between poverty and degradation of natural resources, while environmental degradation and desertification in turn contribute to increased poverty, insecurity and deterioration of the living population.

The goals of the organisation are to:
• Aid in the protection of the environment, biodiversity conservation and combating climate change through beekeeping programs, information campaigns, education awareness sensitisation, tree planting etc…
• Help in reducing feminisation of poverty.
• Rehabilitation of destitute children and gender issues (women empowerment).
• To seek sponsorship to initiate and support projects and programmes.
• Combating HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
• Promoting community development (participatory approach).
• Nursery of trees and provision of seedlings for farmers and
• Peace building

Activities:
• Awareness campaign against HIV/AIDS in rural communities.
• Biodiversity/Environmental protection campaigns (awareness raising, tree planting)
• Income generating activities for youths and women.
• Community development programs.
• Training workshops on non-violence conflict transformation.
• Training of rural women in gardening techniques, soil conservation and ways of improving agricultural yields.
• Fostering child education (female elementary education scholarship programmes).
• Beekeeping.

Projects:
• Female Orphans and Underprivileged Children’s Education Scheme (FOUCES): FOUCES gives female orphan and underprivileged children the opportunity in life to acquire education, empowering them throughout life (one of the eight millennium goals). Education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socio-economic conditions for their families, communities, country and generations.
• Help female orphans with transportation
• Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary Beekeeping and Conservation Pilot Project, Cameroon: The project goals are to provide the communities a new alternative stream of income through training and support in beekeeping and aiding conservation by education linked to beekeeping.
• Offer to help a female orphan in her education
• Beekeeping: BAPESU uses beekeeping to provide local communities with economic incentive to protect the forests and its wildlife. Since we place great importance on beekeeping, it constitutes one of our core activities and is used as a strong tool in our conservation work. Beekeeping sustains livelihoods and help families in combating poverty. Bees pollinate flowering plants and making it vital for life on earth. Adequate pollination provided by honey bees leads to good quality seeds and fruits, better crop yields and is essential for maintaining biodiversity. With our beekeeping projects we help local beekeepers and those that want to start beekeeping with free support through practical training, advisory and consultancy services. BAPESU works with individuals and beekeepers groups (disadvantaged groups especially women).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.