US Peace Corps at Moringa Cameroun Last Meeting

Below is a summary of a US Peace Corps meeting sent via Moringa News Mailing List.

“US PEACE CORPS AT MOCAM LAST MEETING”

First of all, we do apologize of been unwillingly unable to set up the Internet connection with Muriel Glasgow, the moderator and initiator of Moringa Partners Network as we programmed it in the meeting for her participation, because there was electrical cut off for 55 hours that paralyzed the connection in the meeting hall and Mbankolo area. Nevertheless, the meeting was held at Roman Catholic Church of Mbankolo meeting hall as usual every two weeks and the US PEACE CORPS Agroforestery program coordinator Mr. Theophile TIKI MANGA attended the meeting as he promised.

MORINGA CAMEROUN abbreviated MOCAM, is a national non profit  association of Moringa actors like researchers, producers, communicators, doctors, donors etc…, was created and announced after a long debate in Moringa News Network and Moringa Patners Network. It main objectives are to promote quality moringa and its products in Cameroon, to create a communication network for exchanges among the actors, to conduct seminars,workshops and conferences on moringa growing in Cameroon. It has mission to undertake researches, training novice and farmers in moringa sector, control the quality of production and undertake the standardisation activities for moringa certification with the cooperation of local and international partners, provide the necessary information for the recommendation of the actors for founders.

Please visit www.moringacameroun.fr.gd

It was Wednesday 5th August 2008. The meeting started at 9.30 am as it was programmed after a short prayer, there was a report on last meeting, then reflex ion on MOCAM bylaws till 10:00 o’clock am when we received Mr. TIKI who joined the meeting, Mr Tagne Theophile delivered the welcome speech, followed by the introduction of the members present at the meeting.

The time was given to Mr. TIKI who was pleased to explain the different Mission of US Peace Corps volunteers in Cameroon.

Their objectives and his remarks about the enthusiasm of volunteers of planting Moringa in the community assigned to them. But he had a serious preoccupation after having the report from some volunteers who observed that the plants had difficulties to grow fastly as they red on the internet and his worriness about the frustration and rejection of the plant by the populations in the future. And he was proposing to find alternative plants to Moringa.

A short time was given to MOCAM members for their point of view and he was amazed when LIBERT BRICE Tomfack the plant biologist explained the different factors that could affect Moringa plants by its genetically sources, soil, climate, and the will of MOCAM to contribute of solving the problems Mr TIKI mentioned during his speech.

Also, Takuepeka Leopold, MOCAM finance administrator explained different Market for moringa trade opportunity that can attract local population interest in MORINGA in addition to nutritional and medicinal potentialities then Tagne Theophile explained the different source of Moringa Oleifera cultivated in TIDA pilot farm at Bafia and the great interest of the local population to involve in Moringa cultivation and he pointed out the importance of training the population by considering the purpose of moringa farming and the factors like climate,soil,seeds sources, and seeds quality .

Members like Rose Nguemo, Partrick Kenye and Espoir Ayissi their concern about more researches opportunities in moringa.

We explained the need of collecting more information from volunteers involved in different area and the need to follow up the growing process of the plants after a volunteers left the area. Also the need of having a seed bank for promotion in rural areas. After a short debate, he concluded to give report to US Peace Corps Executive Bureau in Yaounde, and we resolve that MOCAM will be invited to give short seminars to new volunteers coming in on September 2009 before they go on the field then he took the charge to use volunteers as resource persons to give information to permit MOCAM to set up a national data.

He promised to assist MOCAM meeting once a very month. And finally he encouraged MOCAM legalisation for ceasing partnership opportunities with organisations.

We ended the meeting with prayer at 11.30 am

We invite you to visit us on our site in construction: www.moringacameroun.fr.gd

Reported by Kenye Patrick the MOCAM deputy secretary and published in the network by Tagne Theophile MOCAM president.

THEOPHILE TAGNE, tidahumaniste@yahoo.fr, TIDA-Association Tondji International Development (2009-08-11)”