Cameroon: Supporting Baka students, and their dreams

The Baka are one of the many indigenous communities living in Cameroon. Historically marginalized, the community faces several challenges in an ever-changing Cameroon but in recent years, improved access to education is helping create change.

“I am going to school so I can become a gendarme (police) officer,” states Ngongo Inyas as his schoolmate Mirreille chimes in “I dream of becoming a teacher.” Ngongo and Mirreille are two of the 700 Baka children in eastern Cameroon who have received school scholarships sponsored by WWF.

As a conservation organization, education is not traditionally an activity WWF is involved in but the decision to create and fund the scholarship was taken on the request of the Baka themselves.
An estimated 26,000 Baka live in Southeast Cameroon, in and around the country’s forests which are a lifeline for indigenous communities like theirs. WWF, which has been present in Cameroon since 1990, works closely with the Baka and other indigenous peoples to identify how conservation can help protect and promote their rights and improve access to services such as education and healthcare.

With the Baka expressing an interest in sending their children to school, WWF launched the Baka education project in 2013. Today, the project supports Baka children in primary and secondary schools in three districts - Yokadouma, Salapoumbe and Moloundou - in the Boumba and Ngoko Division of eastern Cameroon, covering school fees, uniforms and books. Enrolment fees for public exams are also covered by the scholarships provided.
“Thanks to this grant, WWF takes the burden off the shoulders of Baka parents by enabling their children to attend school. That is why this gesture is commendable,” says the Director of Government Primary School Koumela that counts over 40 Baka children among a total of 150 students.

Data by local NGO, CEFAID, an implementing partner on the project, indicates that between the school years of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, enrolment of Baka children rose from 267 to 318, while the number of them admitted to write public exams climbed from 118 in 2014 to 170 in 2015.

“We are pleased that our support is motivating more Baka parents to send their children to school. We have noticed that the school dropout rate among Baka has reduced significantly and are committed to continuing to work with the Baka community to address the challenges they face,” states Olivier Njounan, Collaborative Management Officer, WWF-Cameroon.

WWF works with key partners like CSOs and the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education and Social Affairs, to help support indigenous communities like the Baka through conservation activities.