MODEL FOREST GAIN GROUNDS IN AFRICA

1. Dja and Mpomo Model Forest (FOMOD-Cameroon) welcomes two more Canadian Volunteers from CUSO-VSO.

Mr.Denis Lafleur and Mr. Yacouba Kaba arrived Lomie, one of the four municipalities of FOMOD on Saturday, September 18th 2010 accompanied by Mr.Mikael Belanger cuso-vso represensative from Ottawa-Canada, and the Director of Programmes from the Cameroon Office, Mr. Ibrahim Peghouma and his assistant, Mr.Achile Momo.The volunteers arrived Lomie after spending two weeks in Yaounde for the in-country training.

They are amongst a team of 12 volunteers from the CUSO-VSO recruitment centres worldwide that arrived in Cameroon on the 5th of September 2010. Their placement in Cameroon ranges from 3 months to 2 years and they will be involved in Education, HIV-AIDS and Participation and Governance programmes respectively, that CUSO-VSO is currently working on in Cameroon.The two volunteers will work with FOMOD for two years respectively.Their arrival makes the number of CUSO-VSO volunteers in the region to three including the pioneer volunteer of the Model Forest Programme in Africa, Michael Orock who has been in the region since May 2010.

The cuso-vso team was welcomed in Lomie upon arrival by the Mayor, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of FOMOD, Mr.Assama Mbongo Celestin including other members of FOMOD, and cuso-vso volunteer, Michael Orock.The next day, the new volunteers were officially presented to the the FOMOD team by Mikael Belanger and Ibrahim P.after visiting some facilities at the Lomie district hospital incase there are certain volunteers that may need special or regular medical attention.The visit to the hospital was satisfactory. Two more Canadian volunteers from cuso-vso are expected in January 2010, and this will make the number of volunteers in Dja and Mpomo to five, the same number is expected in the CAMPOMAN Model Forest in Kribi, the other Model Forest in Cameroon.

---

2. FOMOD LAC St. JEAN, a vital partner in the promotion and consolidation of the Canadian-sponsored Model Forest Programme in Africa

It should be noted that the arrival of Mikael Belanger in Lomie-Cameroon proceeds that of the senior management team of the Lac St Jean Model Forest in Canada, led by its Dynamic General Manager, Mme Marie-Claude Gauthier,the president, Mme Collette Robertson, and vice president, Mr.Herve Deschenes.

The Lac St.Jean Model Forest in Canada is a vital partner in the Canadian-Sponsored Model Forest Programme  in Africa with Cameroon being the first stop with two sites, Campoman  in the South Region and Dja and Mpomo in the Eastern Region of Cameroon.Lac St.Jean has donated equipments and materials to support Forest Communities within the Model Forest regions, and is providing  funds for several projects within these communities.

The machines for the production of pens from wood residure or secondary products of production was donated to the Dja and Mpomo Model Forest by Lac St. Jean, thanks to the Canadian-sponsored Model Forest programme in Africa and the important role Lac St.Jean plays to consolidate this concept.

Michael Orock, cuso-vso volunteer from Canada is presently working on an Agreed Framework between FOMOD Dja and Mpomo and the team that will be responsible for future production and marketing of the pens.This will pave the way for transparency, accountability and effective management of the machines, which unfortunately seem not to have been the case so far.This will equally boost the local economy and create emplyment opportunties.

---

Report on the Introductory tour to the Four Municipalities that make up FOMOD Dja and Mpomo with two new volunteers. October 11 -15 2010, Mesok, Ngoyla, Mindourou and Lomie respectvely.

The purpose of the trip was to get the volunteers acquanted with the jusrisdiction of their job especially as one of the volunteers,Mr.Denis Lafleur will be working as Institutional Development Adviser with the four Councils within the Dja and Mpomo Model Forest, that is, Ngoyla, Mesok, Lomie and Mindourou councils respectively.The delegation for this tour was made up of Mr.Patrice Paah, executive director of FOMOD, Michael Orock,cuso-vso volunteer in the region since May 2010, Mr.Yacouba Kaba and Mr.Denis Lafleur.

The executive Director led the team in Mesok, Ngoyla and Mindourou but could not be present with the delegation for the meeting in Lomie on the 15th of October 2010 since he had to attend to other duties in Yaounde.It should be noted that the entire expenses for this tour were borne by VSO-Cameroon.This tour proceeds a trip to these four municipalities in September 2010 carried out by cuso-vso volunteer Michael Orock to announce the arrival of the two volunteers with financial assistance entirely from VSO-Cameroon.

Mr.Denis Lafleur and Mr. Yacouba Kaba arrived Lomie, one of the four municipalities that make up FOMOD on Saturday, September 18th 2010 accompanied by Mr.Mikael Belanger cuso-vso represensative from Ottawa-Canada, and the Director of Programmes from the Cameroon Office, Mr. Ibrahim Peghouma and his assistant, Mr.Achile Momo.The volunteers arrived Lomie after spending two weeks in Yaounde for the in-country training.

The introdcutory tour started on Monday 11th of October 2010 with Mesok being the first stop.The two new volunteers were accompanied on the trip by senior cuso-vso volunteer in the region, Michael Orock and the Executive Director of FOMOD Dja and Mpomo, Mr. Patrice Paah.The team was welcome at the Mesok Council by the 2nd assistant Mayor Mr.Madon Nazaire in the presence of the secretary general of the Mesok Council and the Councillors.Mr.Patrice Paah then presented the volunteers and elaborated on the activities of FOMOD.

Michael Orock, introduced  VSO and its activities in Cameroon and also elaborated on their partnership with FOMOD.The meeting in Mesok started at about 11 pm and ended at 2pm. The councillors and a few representatives from the NGO community in the area expressed their gratitude to cuso-vso for supporting FOMOD by sending the volunteers to the council and other local organisations.They promised to cooperate with Mr Denis Lafleur so as to facilitate his job in the council.The meeting ended with a reception funded by VSO Cameroon.

After the meeting to in Mesok on the 11th of October 2010, the next stop was Ngoyla.The team arrived Ngoyla on the 12th of October and had two meetings.The first was at the WWF Office in Ngoyla where the cuso-vso volunteers were introduced to partner organisations  and NGO community in the area.The meeting lasted for two hours.The team then met the Mayor of Lomie, Mr Alphonse Bametol and the Councillors at the Lomie Council premises.The meeting at the Council was chaired by the assistance District Officer for Lomie Mr. Essoh Hyainthe.

Like in Mesko the previous day,the executive director of FOMOD, Mr. Patrice Paah introduced the two new volunteers and made a presentation of FOMOD and its activites so far. The councillors were pleased to finally see the volunteer who wll help in capacity building within the community.

The Mayor, in the presence of and the  assistant D.O for Ngoyla, the FOMOD delegation and the councillors then showed the delegation the premises they have secured for the Mr. Denis Lafleur for the time he will spend working in Ngoyla.The premises belonged to the US Peace Cops but the Mayor said he has secured the permission of the US authorities for Mr Lafleur to reside there for the time he will be working with the Ngoyla municipality.It should be noted that Mr Lafleur for now s based in Lomie but will have working visits that may last for months in other councils. The meeting ended about 6.15pm with a reception.

The delegation spent the night in Ngoyla and left the next day for Lomie to prepare for the next stop-Mindourou on the  14th of October 2010.

The delegation led by the Executive Director of FOMOD, arrived Mindourou on the 14th of October 2010.They were received by both the Mayor and 1st assistant Mayor of Mindourou.The delegation went through the same process of introduction as was the case in the last two meetngs in Mesok and Ngoyla.The meeting ended as usual with meetings sponsored by vso ended with a reception.

The tour ended on the 15th of October with the meeting in Lomie.In Lomie the councillors expressed their readiness to work with Mr.Denis Lafleur to foster the development of their community and thanked FOMOD and VSO for making it possible for the volunteers to be in Lomie andCameroon.The volunteer, Mr Denis Lafluer promised to organise a meeting with the Mayor and the councillors in which they will come out with an action plan for the months ahead.The meeting ended with a reception.