Chimpanzees and Inga Alley Cropping (January-February 2021)
By Gaston Bityo | Newsletter No. 107
The Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Centre (https://www.sychimprescue.org ) is one of many places that have invited our Cameroon partner, Gaston Bityo, to bring them Inga alley cropping.
Chimp at the Sanaga-Yong Rescue centre. Photo © Gaston Bityo
From the Sanaga-Yong website:
‘In the forests of Cameroon, habitat destruction and the illegal ape meat trade are driving chimpanzees rapidly toward extinction. While vulnerable populations dwindle, individuals suffer unimaginably.’
Besides rescuing chimps, particularly orphaned babies, they say
‘We educate and sensitize populations about the importance of conservation, with an emphasis on primary school children.
We increase the engagement of local people through employment opportunities and programs that improve their lives.’
So it is not the chimps that will be doing Inga alley cropping, but the local villagers.
The centre is a long way from Yaoundé, deep in the forests, but there are several villages nearby as well. The approximate location is marked on the maps below.
Green circle marks where the Sanaga-Young Chimp rescue centre is located, and some of the villages that Gaston Bityo took the Inga to are marked.
Map of Cameroon
This trip was made possible by a grant from the Zurich Community Trust, for which we are very grateful. However Gaston would like to make a follow up visit. Past experience has shown that the farmers work much more diligently when there is follow up. We need to raise some more money to cover this.
Please help us to do this by supporting our raffle.
You can buy the ‘tickets’ (it’s all online, we email you your numbers) at
Or you can first check out the lovely prizes at
Thank you very much
Fund raising during the coronavirus has been much harder and we really do need your help. We are a small group, the support of every person counts. Please support our important work, and support the donors of the prizes and the work of those who have set up this raffle (there’s more work involved than you might think).
Thank you very much.
The closing date for the raffle is 26th February 2021.
REPORT OF THE TRIP TO THE SANAGA- YONG
By Gaston Bityo
We started our trip to the Sanaga Yong Chimpanzee Rescue, me and Calixte, on Tuesday the 17th of November 2020.
But before we left, I called the Responsible of the Sanaga Yong to tell him that we are leaving Yaoundé, but we don’t know the way to get to the Sanaga Yong. I know only from Yaoundé to Nnanga Eboko. And he said we will find somebody waiting for us at Nnanga Eboko. He will lead us to the Sanaga Yong. We left Yaoundé in the morning around 8 o’clock, met the man at Nnanga Eboko and reached the Sanaga Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Centre in the night. We could not go fast because of the bad roads.
The Sanaga Yong is located in the heart of the forest. There are just small houses. On arrival at the Sanaga Yong we found that people living and working there were waiting for us because they were aware of our arrival. Immediately they showed us where to spend the night and other facilities. And after, food was served to us, but we didn’t eat because we were very tired and preferred to go to bed immediately. But before we go to bed, the Responsible came to greet and welcome us. After greetings and a short chat, we sat for a moment to draw up a plan of work for the next 2 days: Wednesday and Thursday, because we were supposed to leave the Sanaga Yong on Friday the 20th of November 2020. Then we went to bed.
The house where we spent the nights
In the morning water was served to take a bath and later breakfast. After breakfast we started the work. We were supposed to visit 10 villages, but that was impossible in 2 days, so I suggested that we could choose a place in a village, where all the people can gather. It could be the chief’s house. Then the truck can transport all the other people from their villages to that place and bring them back after the sensitization meeting. The idea was appreciated and that was what we did. So we agreed to do 5 villages the first day and the other five, the next day. The villages we met the first day are: Mbinang, Ngombe 1, Meyene, Bikol1 et Bikol 2. But because the distance between the villages is too long, we decided again to divide the 5 villages into 2 groups. The first group with 2 villages (Mbinang and Ngombe 1) and the second group with 3 villages (Meyene, Bikol 1 and Bikol 2).
We started with Mbinang and Ngombe 1. 22 farmers came, both men and women. After the introduction by one of the responsible people of the Sanaga Yong to tell the farmers who we are and why we came, I took the floor to explain to these local farmers how the Inga alley cropping works. What are the advantages and benefits of it? Why they should abandon their traditional way of growing food to adopt this new system. I also told them the main objectives of the Cameroon Inga Project: To assure food security to farmers by increasing their food production and incomes and to protect the environment.
Explaining the Inga system and why the farmers should adopt it.
After these explanations were done we distributed the Inga pods we brought to the farmers to open (after having shown them how to open them). They could also eat the white pulp that is inside the pods round the seeds. They then filled the biodegradable bags the Sanaga Yong project brought with soil and then put the seeds into the bags, watered them and would then take them back home with them to start their own nurseries.
Explaining how to do the Inga system and Showing how to open an Inga pod
The farmers appreciated a lot this exercise, opening the Inga pods, eating the white pulp, filling the bags and putting the seed into the bag and watering it and bringing the bags home.
Filling in the biodegradable bags with soil
After this exercise we distributed the illustrated Inga leaflets we brought to the farmers and some refreshments were served to all. Then the truck brought those coming from a long distance back to their homes and the meeting was over.
Giving out the leaflets
Then we moved to the other 3 villages the same day. And we did the same things as in the first villages.
Explaining the Inga system to the farmers in the other villages
At the end of the day, we went back to where we were staying.
The next day we took the road to the other side of Sanaga Yong project to meet the other farmers from the five villages which are: Ngock-Etele, Dimako1, Dimako 2, Mbarge and Ngombe 2.
We did exactly the same thing as we did at the first villages the day before.
Farmers from Ngombe 2 and Mbarge
Farmers from Ngock-etele, Dimako 1 and Dimako 2
At the end, the people of the Sanaga Yong project were very satisfied with the work we did there. We agreed that we should go back in March 2021 to see what the farmers have done with the Inga seeds we gave them. Did they start the nurseries or not, and make new plans for the future.
By Gaston Delor Bityo
______________________________________________________
This way of farming is very new to them. Please help us find the money for a follow up visit by supporting our raffle.
You can buy the tickets at
Or you can first check out the lovely prizes at
Thank you very much
Can you tell your family and friends about the raffle?
Can you put it on your Facebook page?
We really do appreciate any help you can give us.
Thank you very much