BY BEATRICE MOKAM
Buea-Based NGO, known as Association of Community Awareness, ASCOA, partners with
TeamSeas and Ocean Conservancy on Saturday January 15, 2022 to rally youths, volunteers and CBOs to clean up Down Beach seashore, they were accompanied by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development MINPDED South West. The event was tagged: TEAMSEAS BEACH CLEANUP IN CAMEROON
Speaking to the press after the exercise, the CEO and founder of ASCOA, Linus Ayangwoh Embe said “We are here today to give good face to down beach coastline. I think it is a tradition of ASCOA, we care for the coastline mostly in the South West region.”
Quizzed why such activity, he explained that as the town welcomes visitors for AFCON it was good to give a good face to the coastline
“This work we are doing in collaboration with the D.O for Limbe I and also some community leaders. ASCOA is also part hygiene and sanitation from task force for AFCON so, we recommend they should be clean up in this particular coastline and actually, we are still looking foward for more clean ups event not only today. On the 29th of this month we are still going to be here to do clean up. Also we are targeting other clean up and beaches” Embe explained.
Embe said they are targeting 100 pounds of debrit to be collected from Down Beach coastline. For day one, they were able to collect 60 pounds he is optimistic that they will complete 40 pounds in the second phase.
Speaking to the press one of the volunteers Stassy Besong said “We are here purposely to make sure the coastline of the beach Is clean.i feel so happy the community especially beach line and tourists from abroad can be able to feel happy and good in our country”.
On his part, the Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, MINPDED South West Ekwadi Songe said, the activity falls in line with national environmental laws.
He said the ministry is trying at all levels to complete the chain of waste management. Songe congratulated ASCOA and encouraged them to do more, while urging other organisations to emulate what ASCOA is doing to keep the coastline clean.
He urged the population of Down Beach to always clean their beach and should not deposit plastic at the shore. She emphasised that, her ministry always partners with NGO to empower the community in environmental activities.
He added that his ministry is just implement the circular of the minister in charge of environment to keep the town clean especially the beach. Songe stressed that the activity is important because strangers who are in town will need to enjoy the beaches and they can not came and see beaches dirty. Songe explained that the minister requested the beaches be clean because of AFCON and equally because Limbe is the most cleanest city in Cameroon so it supposed to be kept clean.
ASCOA CEO, Linus Ayangwoh, pose with volunteers during clean-up
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