GREENERY

Mission

GREENERY is an organization dedicated to the reduction of poverty through environmentally friendly avenues. On one level, GREENERY serves as a rural forum for the dissemination of knowledge and information (on renewable energy, the environment, poverty alleviation) and provides a platform for various actors in the public and private sectors to establish dialogue, enhance cooperation, and develop partnerships. GREENERY also functions as an active partner of rural entrepreneurs, supporting rural development efforts through technical advice and financial support.
GREENERY’s mission is to promote sustainable agricultural practices which will in turn offer a sustained level of production and profits. Communal engagement is necessary to the success of its efforts to fix the root causes of Cameroon’s energy poverty. GREENERY works to involve the target population in the planning and implementation stages of their projects. By fostering community investment, GREENERY hopes to promote a tradition of productive collaboration between individuals and organizations and to use the resources and interests of many members of the community to strengthen the project’s prospects.
GREENERY received a grant from GEF Small Grant Programme, Cameroon in 2009 as funding for a project that centered on biodiversity, climate change and land degradation

Organization Type Non-Governmental Organization

Contact Information

Primary Contact
Mr. Nsahdzeyuf Jude Leh
njudeleh@yahoo.fr
Secondary Contact


Address Kumbo, Bui Division
Kumbo, North West Region

Cameroon
Website www.greenery-cm.org
Phone (237) 77685514
Fax
Calling/Fax Instructions

Our Focus

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

Villages in the region today face accelerating destruction of vital natural resources: soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity. Ecosystems which were previously intact are now threatened by large-scale destruction of resources, which in many cases is irreversible. The effects are no longer limited to certain regions but are developing into global threats such as climate change, the expansion of deserts and the disappearance of the major montane forests.

People in the North West region of Cameroon suffer from these changes to the natural environment and rural populations in particular carry the burden. The destruction of water and soil resources leads to falling agricultural profits and declining income for farmers. The consequence of this scenario is an ever increasing poverty rate, which puts even more pressure on natural resources: 75%-85% of the poor live in rural areas, and majority of them earn less than 1 US dollar a day. This has created a vicious circle of poverty.

Fuels/Technologies: Biogas
Solar
Pure plant oil
Sectors of Experience: Behavior Change
Environment
Renewable Energy
Rural Development
Small Business
Countries of Operation:

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

While the population is increasing, natural and energy resources are declining, leading to disproportionate amount of time and money spent on traditional energy sources (fuel wood) by poor households. This means that substitution in favour of renewable energy sources would confer sizeable gains in household purchasing power. Lack of access to safe and clean energy sources creates huge burdens, workloads, costs and other hazards for women, who are the majority of the poor.

The population of the North-West Region is a conglomerate of many ethnic groups, comprising the native population and a significant proportion of immigrants. The native population comprises a variety of ethno linguistic groups. In addition to English and French, local languages are spoken in the Region.

The economy of the Region is highly rooted in agriculture. According to some estimates, more than 80% of the rural population depends solely on agriculture, including a strong livestock sub-sector.
The high population density imposes a high demographic pressure on the available land and stress on the environment as less than one hectare of land is used for food production per person, per year. The direct implication of this is the practice of inter-cropping to satisfy household food needs. The main crops cultivated in the region are maize, beans, potatoes, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, yams and assorted vegetables. Inter-cropping of these staples is predominant among the farming systems of the region. In most cases, men own the fields and women own the crops. Cattle rearing is also one of the major activities in the areas.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

We intend to buy and commercialize solar panels for lighting, improved cooking stoves and assorted equipment that run on pure plant oil (mainly Jatropha). This equipment will be tailored to suit the needs of the local people in terms of cost, efficiency and durability.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

GREENERY has worked on and developed locally adapted equipment such as the Jatropha press, the Jatropha lamp and Jatropha oven. These technologies use pure plant oil extracted from Jatropha seeds (using two different types of locally made Jatropha presses). The oil is also used for soap making. Currently we are looking into the development of Jatropha stove. An improved fuel wood stove is also envisaged.

Two manuals have been written (and some others are being drafted):
- Jatropha derivatives guide
- Jatropha nursery raising, planting and maintenance guide


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

GREENERY has the following man power and expertise
• 1 Project management; alumni of E4SD (Energy for Sustainable Development) online course offered by Lund University, Sweden (www.e4sd.org)
• A dense E4SD alumni network (collaboration partners worldwide)
• 3 Environmental consultants with experience in the field of natural resource management.
• 1 Renewable Technologist and head of mechanical laboratory
• 1 Agronomist
• 2 Public Relation officer

Relevant Publications or Studies

1) Jatropha versus Palm Oil: which biofuel will best protect the environment in Cameroon? Visit http://www.gvepinternational.org/news/90/

2) Is jatropha curcas the answer for small scale women farmers in Africa? Visit http://www.gvepinternational.org/conversation/97/ (Registration is free and obligatory for non members)

3) Berkeley news on Jatropha cultivation in Cameroon. Visit http://nature.berkeley.edu/BeahrsELP/18%20Fall%202007.pdf (page 7)

4) GREENERY news story: Visit http://www.greenery-cm.org/5.html

5) Jatropha book : Visit http://www.jatrophabook.com/jatropha-community-member.asp?m=1487

6) Lighting rural communities in Cameroon via Solar Power. Visit http://www.bidnetwork.org/page/108138/en

Web site: www.greenery-cm.org

Our Contribution to the Partnership

- Capacity building
- Networking
- Feasibility and technical studies
- Awareness creation and implementation of concrete action to solve identified problems.
- Providing technical assistance to address the large problems associated with new technology.
- Introduce sustainable energy alternative to wood use with the potential to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of current energy demand as well as bring valuable economic opportunity to the poor villages of Cameroon.
- Commercialization of renewable sources of energy
- Set up long term agreements for the purchase of Jatropha oil in order to boost the market value of Jatropha and to establish reliable demand for the product.