Safeguarding biodiversity near Mount Cameroon

I am Ndumbe Knollis Mokake, founder of the Center for Agricultural Stewardship and Development (CASAD) initiative, a youth-led initiative along the foot of Mount Cameroon. Growing up in this countryside along the foot of Mount Cameroon, I experienced firsthand how deeply people’s lives are intertwined with the land and how fragile that relationship becomes when ecosystems are degraded, conflict persists, and climate change accelerates.

I have witnessed the impacts of climate change, land degradation and ongoing civil unrest on my community. These realities shaped my worldview and fueled my passion for environmental studies and grassroots action.  They also shaped my belief that young people are not powerless in the face of crisis. As a youth who strives to make my environment a better place, I see myself as unstoppable. Not because the challenges are small, but because the commitment to act is strong.  The values which guide my life are summarized into what I call the 3Cs of my life, which are Curiosity, Competence and Community. Curiosity led me to ask the bold question: why did our ecosystems decline? My competence grew through hands-on conservation, peacebuilding, and community organizing and community building. My purpose is to turn our lived experience and hardship into collective action to thrive. These values inspired the birth of CASAD as an organisation for climate action and social resilience.

The CASAD team at a nursery site in the Bonavada community. Photo credit: Lovis Joy

For decades, our community has relied heavily on Mount Cameroon’s biodiversity for survival. Activities such as animal hunting, timber exploitation, and farming have long been central to local livelihoods. However, over time, these practices, combined with population pressure, a lack of alternatives and weak governance, have become increasingly unsustainable. The situation has been made worse by ongoing civil unrest in Cameroon, which has displaced people and intensified economic hardship.

Historically, the Bonavada community has relied heavily on Mount Cameroon’s biodiversity for survival. Activities such as animal hunting, timber exploitation, and farming have long been central to local livelihoods. However, over time, these practices have become increasingly unsustainable. Especially from the ongoing civil unrest in Cameroon, which displaces communities, land and causes economic hardships.

In this context, middlemen often exploit vulnerable populations by offering extremely low prices for agricultural products or forest resources. Internally displaced people and local inhabitants, left with few options, are pushed to depend on already depleted ecosystems just to survive. This vicious cycle has led to worsening land degradation, declining agricultural productivity, food insecurity, poverty, and malnutrition. Youth unemployment is widespread, and many young people lack access to basic skills or opportunities, leaving them dependent on unsustainable farming practices or external aid. 

Witnessing this reality made it clear to us that restoring the land could not be separated from restoring dignity, livelihoods and hope. Our team, a group of young graduates and Indigenous youth who grew up experiencing firsthand the negative impacts of climate change and land degradation, aims to restore the ecosystem to which we are culturally tied. We were motivated to launch an initiative called Resilience and Restoration with CASAD. Our initiative aims to raise awareness by training locals, youth and women in organic farming and food processing, and by establishing tree nurseries. Together as a community, we plant fruit and non-fruit trees and promote sustainable land-use practices through community training, climate-smart agriculture, tree planting, youth engagement and the integration of conservation with livelihoods.

Facilitating a training on food transformation and processing in the Bonavada community. Photo credit: Junior Fuagni

We run practical demonstrations by distributing farming tools and hosting training and active involvement at our nurseries. We take this a step further by spreading knowledge about which species are economically viable, promoting livelihood opportunities that steer people away from killing biodiverse species to sustain themselves.

The tree species we promote are carefully selected for their ecological and social benefits. Many contribute directly to reducing malnutrition by providing nutritious food, while others help stabilize soils, regulate water cycles and mitigate the impacts of climate change. In this way, restoration becomes a pathway not only to environmental healing but also to improved health and economic stability.

The CASAD team at a tree nursery site with representatives from the Bonavada community. Photo credit: Njeke Joshua

Our unique approach integrates ecological, social and economic restoration while collaborating with and involving traditional leaders, youths, women and schools. Some of these stakeholders were drivers of land degradation and deforestation, but are now part of the solution. This participatory approach builds trust, strengthens social cohesion, and transforms restoration from an external intervention into a shared responsibility.

Through our resilience and restoration initiative with CASAD, we envision a future where the Bonavada community thrives, where no one goes to bed hungry, and our mountain ecosystem and people live in harmony.  Youth-led restoration is critical for both people and the planet because young people lead land restoration efforts, bringing innovation, determination and fresh perspectives that help safeguard our futures.