It was in a three days international workshop fully funded from the 10 to the 12
of November at their head office that brought over 40 environment Journalists from all over the Republic carefully selected in their specialty with mission
to protect nature and conserve the environment under the theme “Media Advocacy
for Sustainable Ocean and Coastline” in other words, “Empowering Journalist to
ensure trash free coastlines through aggressive media reporting.
The
workshop that brought together stake holders reputed in nature and seas reports
or operation had as focal point, empowering journalists to be abreast with
maritime activities and on how to sustain it's resources, why not think “big
and GREEN”.
This
is solely because we can’t “go Green” unless we live “blue” meaning we each owe
the eco-system the responsibility for it’s vitality and sustainability. Two third
of the earth surface is covered by ocean and it has a lot of influence on
weather and nature. As such we must do all in our efforts to mitigate or
regulate.
Coming
back to the workshop holding at it's head office at former GCE board Buea, it also
brought in environment experts in the likes of Mr Louis Nkembi, Dr. Ebot Manga, Dr. Elvis Nkome Ngome,
Mme. Ruth Enjema, Dr. Tata E. Sunjo, Mme Fiona Preston Whyte etc. To drill
participants on how to go about advocating sustainably for the Ocean and Coastlines
while setting up an agenda to build a formidable task force to start producing documentaries
to regularly and consistently report on illicit activities obstructing the
eco-system.
The
precision was on home based water reserves, banks and beaches we have in
Cameroon most especially the Limbe Beach coastline flooded with all type of
waste and debris.
Since
2018 ASCOA pioneer NGO fronting for coastline and maritime sustainable
management activities has been working to ensure that Cameroon coastlines are
clean and free of trash or debris. To achieve these goals for years, they have
constantly organized the cleaning up of the beach and coastlines. Carried out environmental
education and advocacy for policies and practices that encourages rescue over the production of new plastics. ASCOA with her
team of over 1470 volunteers, has for these years in total, collected 1,451,927
Items, Which sum up to a total of 927 tons.
The various
topics handled or treated on the
occasion comprised of “the state of Plastic Pollution, collection, documentation
and management of marine data, the impacts of marine debris, sustainable waste
management, sustainable solutions, to a global approach on maritime issues.
Journalists
participants at the end left the scene calling on ASCOA to step up education
and sanitization campaigns, put up a caravan, share tracks, flyers, erect billboards,
carry out door to door campaigns, work in close collaboration with communities
involved, make provision for motivations, offer small grants to media houses to
sustain the campaign, put up an app, set up a Media network, cause government
to mainstream maritime rights on government agenda, plant trash cans in major
junctions, partner with producing companies to see how waste can be disposed, and
set up a waste recycling huh etc.
That
in all will ensure most absolutely that “together we save more lives” which is
Association for community Awareness (ASCOA) motto.
The
CEO Mr. Linus Ayangwoh Ember, Speaking
to the press immediately after the three days serious brain storming workshop
lauded and appreciated the efforts of participants for actively going through
the contest or challenge to be selected out of the hundreds of applications
that were send for accreditation.
On
the way forward the CEO stated clearly that there is no better ways to answer
nature's call but fighting collectively on all fronts and with all actors
involved.
At the end of the workshop that also saw the practical cleaning of the beach with
journalists and by some invited schools, two certificates were issued to
participants, one from Oceans conservancy organization, funders and the second
by ASCOA host organization.
