WWF SUPPORT FOR THE ECOLE DE FAUNE, GAROUA




or more than 20 years, the Garoua Wildlife School in Cameroon has helped students from French-speaking Africa to become park wardens and wildlife specialists. Modelled on Mwaka in Tanzania, the school has trained 700 students from 22 countries since its inception in 1970. The government finances two-thirds of the school. International environmental organizations make up the rest.

WWF's contribution to Garoua's success has come in the form of funding for programme development, and scholarships. The WWF project provides scholarships for the two­year course at the school which trains senior conservationists and guards for wildlife departments throughout francophone Africa.

Because of its location in the savannah region of Cameroon, Garoua's original objective was to train students in savannah and savannah woodlands conservation methods. But, since many of Garoua's students come from countries where there are large rainforests, the school has extended its activities to include training in rainforest management as well.

In 1967, WWF initiated a project to help Garoua develop an effective rainforest conservation programme. The project has enabled students to visit rainforests and acquire the necessary skills to manage one. The first field-study trip took place in 1987, when students and teachers spent two weeks in the Dja Reserve, an important forest and a World Heritage Site. The success of the visit convinced the school that rainforest conservation should become an integral part of Garoua's curriculum.

In 1986, WWF started funding a scholarship programme for students to study rainforest management. Tuition grants, boarding stipends, and help in defraying medical and transportation costs of deserving students are borne by WWF.

In 1987, it was recommended that eight scholarships for the wildlife management course should be funded through the project. These are for two­year practical and theoretical training courses covering areas such as animal ecology, planning techniques, habitats, national parks, zoological gardens, and firearms.



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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature