The commitment of the Association of Integrated African Women for Research and Development (AFAIRD) in the crusade against the degradation of the environment was topical in Bamenda recently when stakeholders were drilled on project management in the domains of climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, sustainable management of forests, international waters and persistent chemical organic pollutions.

The event was a workshop to reinforce the capacities of stakeholders from the civil society, NGOs, Councils and CIGs from the North West and West highlands ecological zones to master and develop projects to handle environmental problems.

Resource persons, Ambara Charles and Ngufor Azinue drilled participants on the logical framework of a project, project circle, process of drawing up and implementing a global environmental Fund, small grants programme(GEF/SGP), strategies to ensure community participation, gender mainstreaming, notion of results-based management, conditions for project success etc. It was also about best practices in the project circle.

The Coordinator, Waladjo Beatrice stressed that the project was conceived to ameliorate and consolidate the capacities of local leaders to face global environmental problems. She said the workshop was conceived to train people capable of drawing up and implementing projects related to the GEF Small Grants programme managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Cameroon. Around with the blessings of the administration, the Regional Delegate of Environment and Nature Protection stressed the ugly effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, desertification and land and soil degradation. He challenged participants to rise to expectation with projects that give the environment a chance.