Benethea

The Team

PETER BRUCE ANBAINBU

Peter Bruce Anbainbu is one of the founding members and financier of Benethea Organic Farming Cooperative. He hails from Njinikom, another rural area that is about 25km away from Eleh, Mbueni where the project is located. During his University studies in Germany, he specialised in Environmental and Sustainability issues necessary to be implemented in the project. With his advanced know-how on sustainability issues, he’ll also assure that the jointly owned cooperative engages in sustainable farming systems for the mutual benefit of both farming members and the community as a whole.

YOUNG BENJAMIN

Benjamin YOUNG a multitalented, resourceful, innovative, creative and results public management professional who hails from Belo/Njinikom two sub divisions between which Mbueni is geographically wedged and where the project is located. As an educationist, he came to realise that the first step towards the empowerment and development of any community was giving them access to education. He has earned invaluable experience in addressing complex issues in a holistic manner working mostly in very difficult and constraining conditions to design, organise and implement programs with the private and public sectors. His mastery of local community dynamics, governance issues, grassroots realities and his 20 years farming experience will ensure participation, inclusion and transparency in the BOFCOE initiative. His multi-disciplinary experience, understanding of and contribution in micro-finance will bring about the necessary partnership between the project partners and the community for win-win local development outcomes and shared knowledge, know how and prosperity.

NJUA TOH CHRISTOPHER

Christopher Njua Toh popular known as ‘Commando‘ is a retired military officer from Njinikom. After serving his country Cameroon in the military for about three decades, he did not stop being active as the word entails. Instead he rolled up his sleeves and got himself engaged into heavy subsistence farming practices including animal husbandary. Today, he has become an expert in animal breeding in Njinikom.

MUNCHONG BERNARD

Munchong Benard is the architect of this project’s development. He studied agronomy in the University of Dschang from 2004-2010 and carried out pre-professional internship on Identification of maize, pig and plantain farmers in the North West and Western Regions of Cameroon under the FAO and PNSA of MINADER (2008). Professional internship on soil fertility assessment and fertilisation in the South, South West and North regions of Cameroon following the fertiliser program of MINADER (2009). Defended for the diplome "ingenieur agronomy" in January 2010. He also conducted Socio-economic study on the Bamenda Ekok road (2010). Training on the job on banana production 2010. He is presently Field Engineer in BOH plantations limited from 2011 till date.

DOROTHEA ANBAINBUE

Dorothea is Innovator and financier of this project and an Architect by profession. As a descendant of an industrious agriculture family in Muenster Germany during the 20th century, she is committed not only to ensuring a successful project but in realising an interesting cross cultural and global socio-economic experience .

Dr. NGES IVO ACHU

Dr. Ivo Achu Nges has been working in the research fields of anaerobic digestion since 2006, bio-ethanol since 2012 and bio-hydrogen since 2015. His main areas of interest are Waste/water treatments, nutrient recycles and renewable energy production in from of biogas (bio-methane). Within the Benethea Organic Farming Co-op, we envisage to convert agricultural and organic waste into biogas while at the same time creating a bio-fertilizer from the process effluent. Such a development will lead to a sustainable recycling of nutrients, improves soil carbon content, and improve agricultural yields. This application is most cost effective as it does not only lead to a renewable generation and waste treatment; it also enables the recycling of plant nutrients thereby offsetting the use of chemical fertilizer.

BENYINGME RICHARD LUFUNG

Richard is an agroforestry scientist with a focus on the application of local ecological knowledge to restore ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. This summer of 2016, he successfully completed his MSc in Agroforestry systems and practices at the Bangor University in the UK. He previously obtained his MSc in sustainable tropical forestry management from the technical university of Dresden, Germany. He has also successfully carried out studies with the assistance of ICRAF and DAHARI in the Comoros Islands on tree-crop-livestock interactions on smallholder farms with an objective of identifying the opportunities and constraints to promoting sustainable agro-ecological intensification. As an agroforestry expert, he’ll study and provide the guidelines on the role of trees, propose suitable agroforestry options and practices that restores and sustains the ecological functions that underpin ecosystem services.

Research At BOFCOE

Building a Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Benethea's objectives is to create a model for the village, where we can demonstrate sustainable, integrated farming techniques that can be easily adopted by local farmers – improving livelihoods and positively impacting the environment.

Volunteer's input

As a volunteer, you’ll help us maintain our sustainable farm and grow cocoa intercroped with maize. Here’s a snapshot:

Farm life is not the easy life. You should be fit and healthy to participate.

You will rise early to start the day and spend lots of time outdoors in the sun/rains, there will be a lot of walking, lifting, bending and squatting. You’ll dedicate your mornings to watering the young shoots, and helping maintain consistency. You’ll also spend time weeding, harvesting and sowing crops.

What You’ll achieve

All about tropical agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture principles through hands-on experience

Animal husbandry to be integrated within the next two years Systems of farm management

Additional Details

Work Schedule: You’ll work Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 2 pm. Outside of the 5-day commitment, you’ll be able to assist on other projects, and help our members with various small tasks to Keep the cooperative running smoothly. Commitment: We ask that you commit to a 3-month minimum stay to participate in this project. The longer you stay, the more you’ll learn! Accomodation are available.

Why Conduct Fieldwork At BOFCOE?

Access to about 47 hacters of diverse rainforest/savanna habitat, Easy access to virgin rainforest across a range of soil types, riparian areas, wetlands, and estuaries, Healthy populations of all Major natural rainforest/savanna faunal taxa. Pleasant climate, Well-marked on-site trail system, Opportunities to establish long-term research plots, Accessible town with tourist amenities, located 20 minutes by public transport or private vehicle, Accomodation available.

Apprentices and Trainees

Research and development via Internships, agricultural livelihoods training and youth training programs would improve the sustainability of cocoa-growing in the area in the long-term.

Building a Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Why Sustainable Agriculture?

What You’ll achieve

All about tropical agro-ecology and sustainable agriculture principles through hands-on experience.
Animal husbandry to be integrated within the next two years
Systems of farm management.

Work Schedule:You’ll work Monday-Friday from 6:30 am to 2 pm. Outside of the 5-day commitment, you’ll be able to assist on other projects, and help our members with various small tasks to Keep the cooperative running smoothly.

Commitment: We ask that you commit to a 3-month minimum stay to participate in this project. The longer you stay, the more you’ll learn!

Accomodation are available.