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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