Save Your Future Association (SYFA)

My Name is Dieudonne Tantoh Nforba AKA Farmer Tantoh.I am a grassroot environmental activist and Ashoka Fellow. I started my movement in 1996 while a teenager, working in rural communities of the North West region of Cameroon. Later on, founded a non-profit organisation called Save Your Future Association (SYFA) in 2005. I have been working with children, youths and low-income farmers, educating them on the importance of planting trees, flowers and lawns, introducing organic farming and agroforestry practices to low -income farmers, protecting, conserving and building springs water catchments/tanks and drilling wells for portable water. Up till date, my movement has built over 60 water tanks/wells and have also planted over 800 gardens in the entire North West Region of Cameroon. Moreover, my story has been illustrated in a children’s book titled: I am farmer, growing an environmental movement in Cameroon and is being used in elementary schools across USA.

My project is committed to solve water crisis through conservation and protection of spring water catchment areas, building tanks and drilling wells in communities for portable water. I am also advocating and sensitizing the entire nation on the importance of water, hygiene and sanitation by installing handwashers

My proposed project is to protect and conserve spring water catchments through planting of agro forestry/environmentally friendly trees, harness and build 20 springs with water tanks each, drill 25 wells in the North West and other Regions of Cameroon. Moreover, I will be installing 100 handwashers to sensitize the communities on handwashing.

Availability of portable water will save thousands of lives from water -borne diseases, irrigation of agricultural farms and gardens. The handwashers will enable thousands of people to learn how to wash their hands with clean water and above all, contribute to prevent diseases especially the corona virus pandemic.

My specific problem is solving the prevailing water crisis especially at peak of dry season in Western highlands of Cameroon. Due to population increase, many farmers move up hills in search of fertile farmlands located in water sheds. They slash and burn the forest which shades the water catchments, use chemical fertilizers which is harmful to the ecosystems. Soil erosion has led to soil infertility hence poor yields in agricultural farms. Many have also constructed houses in catchments areas.

All of these activities have led to disappearance of potential spring sources and depleted the watersheds. Portable water is scarce in dry season. More than one million people are affected. Moreover, the habit of washing of hands frequently has never been part of our culture and thousands of people contracts diseases due to dirty hands.

Population increase has led to water crisis. Existing water schemes built over 40 years cannot sustain the growing population. More than 2.5 billion people in the world lack access to portable water. In Sub-saharan Africa, more than 500 children die every day due to lack of clean water and sanitation.

My project is to conserve spring water catchments, build water tanks, drill wells in communities and install local handwashers. The following stages describes how my project works.

Stage 1: The needy community expresses its need and invites me for feasibility studies.

Stage 2: Water catchment or site for well is identified, project is created and project father/mother is elected by the community.

Stage 3: Available local resources are identified (materials/human resources). Project is designed and presented to donors both internal and external for financial resources.

Stage 4: Upon receiving funding, project is executed ie springs are harnessed, tanks are built, pipelines and stand taps are installed and water catchment conserved. Also wells are dug manually or drilled with machines, concreate rings and pipes are inserted, concreate pillars constructed and plastic tanks, submersible pumps and stand taps installed. Above all, hand washers are built for hygiene and sanitation.

Stage 5: A water management committee is created and the community takes ownership of the project to sustain it.

My project shall serve everyone living in rural and urban communities of  North West- Cameroon.  Hundreds of thousands of people shall have portable water closer to their homes.  Many families shall engage in fish ponds and gardening due to availability of water for irrigation. Communities shall be sensitized on importance of handwashing using the handwashers. Above all, water borne diseases like typhoid  shall be greatly reduced.

In order to understand the needs of the community, I carry out regular surveys through the administration with questionnaires. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis are carried out to understand the true picture of what their needs are.

Most communities I work with are marginalized communities, that have been neglected by government and bigger international agencies. An example is the Fulani tribe who live isolated with cattle in hills and residence in ghettos in cities.

Since access to clean water is a universal human right, any community without it is always eager to have it. Women shall play a big role to execute the project since they are highest users of water at homes. Every member in community shall participate in the project: digging, laying of pipes, carrying stones and sand and planting trees.

By working with marginalized communities, in order for the water projects to be realized, they have to accept and own the project by electing a project leader who is trusted by the community. Most leaders are women who will mobilize every community member to actively participate. Experience have proven that when they own the project, they better sustain it. The project gives the community the opportunity to enjoy clean water.

       My story, I AM FARMER inspires people worldwide to start and grow their own environmental movement. People interested in what I do support my work mostly through grant writing.

When I was a kid, I loved playing in springs and nature. In 2002, while studying at the Regional College of agriculture in Cameroon, I drank dirty water and was infected with typhoid. This traumatized me and I thought I was going to die. Although It took me seven years to be completely healed, I started researching and asking why should thousands of people go every day or die because of lack of clean water? When I remembered how springs that I used to see as kid have disappeared or polluted, this became a turning point in my life and I decided no one should die of lack of clean water. I specialized in agroforestry and spring catchment conservation in 2004, got a scholarship to study watersheds of the world in USA and Siberia in 2007.  

During the outbreak of COVID-19, since handwashing is not part of our culture, in order to contribute to prevent the spread and sensitize people on importance of handwashing, I networked with a local partner to build handwashers which is now being introduced to communities.

I am so passionate about my project because of so many reasons. Firstly, I was born and raised in the North West Region where I experienced acute water crisis.I have felt the pains of my people and have vowed that the generation after me will not go through same pains.

I believe everyone in this world was born with an ability and a purpose to impact lives. When I contracted typhoid and almost lost my life, that was the moment I discovered I could also contribute my little best to serve humanity so that thousands of people can have access to clean water. When I see communities actively participating in water/environmental projects, people smiling because they don’t get sick anymore due to availability of clean water, springs being conserved and the water used for irrigation, fish farms, animal husbandry, I feel motivated to do more. I believe that as a citizen of a nation, it is my duty to solve problems for the welfare of humanity rather than wait on the government. As JFK said “My fellow citizens, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

I believe that being consistent and persistent for over 23 years building this movement at the grassroot till date, I have gained the trust from my people, my country, the international community and stand a better chance to deliver this project.

I have acquired professional skills on watershed management, sustainable farming practices, horticulture and landscape designs in colleges in and out of Cameroon. My practical experiences and community services have earned me international awards in and out of Cameroon namely: African International Achievers award in UK 2011 for being the best grassroot environmentalist in Africa, Green Apple Award for Environmental best management practices and sustainable development-Africa Gold winner at House of Commons, and numerous recognitions at National and local level. The most inspiring recognition was being elected into Ashoka fellowship to protect and conserve springs in Western Highlands of Cameroon.

All of these recognitions makes me feel so fulfilled that I have been doing something for humanity and will continue to do more for posterity. Hundreds of communities have contacted me to come to their rescue to work with them on their water schemes and environmental projects. They are ready to learn from my experience and pass it on to other communities. All of these have positioned me to be able to deliver this project.

Four years ago, I succeeded to provide clean water to Njirong village who have gone without clean water ( and have been drinking from a polluted river) for over thirty years  because of tribal conflict with a neighbouring village called Ntumbaw. Both villages had a join project in the  70’s and the main spring was in Ntumbaw majority located up hills. Because of conflict about land, Ntumbaw refused to connect a pipeline to Njirong-minority.

When requested by Njirong to visit and see about their water crisis in 2016, we spotted a spring down the valley and initiated their first ever water project. During execution of the project, I had a lot of confrontations from Ntumbaw where roads were always blocked, villagers will attack us and at times destroy pipes. This never stopped us and we gradually pushed the project and succeeded in building the spring, water tanks, pipelines etc. Now, the project is gradually reconciling the two villages as Ntumbaw villagers are also benefitting from the njirong spring project.

Other obstacles include administrative bottle necks, political infringement where elites tend to pressurize me to join their political affiliation so as to benefit grants. To overcome this, I remain apolitical.

I have trained over 500 volunteers who are now active volunteers in their respective communities. Being a host to over 80 international volunteers worldwide, it gave me a lot of experience to coordinate them alongside local volunteers despite their diverse cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, for my story to be illustrated in a children’s book to inspire kids worldwide, it is an incredible legacy to be cherished forever. During the spring of 2019, I was invited to do a book tour in USA. I visited over 40 schools in ten States and presented to over 30k kids, sharing my story and inspiring them how to grow a movement. Back at home, many young people in my country now look up to me as role model as their mindset about agriculture and the environment have changed completely.  I have been invited on several radio and TV shows both on national and local stations to share my experience and educate the public about my work. At the end of each show I usually receive at least 250 phone calls from listeners who always ask me questions to orientate them how go about water hygiene and sanitation, how to start their gardens etc.

My project is innovative because I have been working using the grassroot approach, empowering communities to take ownership of the project by doing it by themselves. In order to carry out any water project, we have to first of assess all the available resources that the community can provide. Examples are stones, sand, community labour, local trees to plant in the water catchments etc. When that is done, we then write a proposal requesting just for small donations to purchase cement, pipes and pay technical labour. Using this grassroot approach, almost all our projects have been very succesful. Moreover, I believe in small projects that are achievable and can impact lives. "From small things, big things grow". “ Be the change you want to see in the world-Gandhi”. I use these quotes frequently to inspire communities during execution of our projects.

I am unique because I don’t have a degree nor masters, but my professional diplomas have earned me a PHD based on three principles: (P=Persistence, H=Hope and D=Dedication).  Our world of today Is not a world of certificates, it is a world of what can you do. I therefore believe that it does not matter where you come from, you are never too small or insignificant to contribute to the long term sustainability of the planet, by doing simple things to the best of your ability, you are improving our world.

Problem

Environmental degradation leading to water scarcity, poor water hygiene and sanitation practices

Theory of change. Growing an environmental movement in Cameroon

Inputs/activities

-Planting of trees to protect and conserve catchment areas, create demo  agro-forestry gardens.

-Building of water tanks and drilling of wells.

-Training of community leaders

-create schools environmental clubs

-Installation of handwashers.

-Regular radio programs

  Outcomes

-Over 20  water catchments will be identified and protected with trees.

-20 water tanks will be built and 25 wells drilled

-200 community leaders shall  be trained on water issues

-50 school environmental clubs will be created

-100 handwashers  will be installed

    Longterm goals

- sensitization on water catchment conservation through posters, flyers and TV documentary.

-training of community activists on environmental issues

Map 200 springs in Cameroon for protection, harnessing and building of tanks.

-Drill 100 borehole wells

-advocate for creation of organic gardening in every household in the community

-Propose the inclusion of I am Farmer book in primary school curriculum  in Cameroon.

-install 500 handwashers  

My theory of change is growing an environmental movement in Cameroon using grassroot participatory approach in working with communities. I am working to address acute shortage of water especially at the peak of dry season due to environmental degradation caused by human activities.   I am also working on water hygiene and sanitation to reduce spread of diseases. Moreover, I am advocating for the creation of organic flower, vegetables and agro-forestry gardens in the community. I believe that in order to create a change  that will eventually grow into a movement and scale up in Cameroon and beyond, it is best to empower grassroot populations to take actions and solve their own problems.  The various activities that we carry out shall lead to tremendous out comes. In order to scale up this movement in the long term, continuous sensitization, TV documentaries of success stories from other communities shall inspire millions of people to take action.

Moreover, the introduction of my story “I am Farmer” in the primary school curriculum will inspire kids and parents to start their own movements to safe the planet.

Currently, all the water projects we have built is serving 60,000 people. In one year, my project will serve 180,000 people. And in five years, my project will serve 10 million people. By then we must have carried out mass campaign on handwashing, building springs/water tanks and creation of backyard gardens through the media (TV shows/ documentaries, flyers, social media, news papers).

My goal within the next year, is to build 5 spring water catchments with tanks, stand taps, drill 5 wells and installing 30 handwashers with pedals that will benefit more than 180,000 people.  

My goal within the next five years is to build 40 springs, drill 50 wells, installing over 150 hand washers. I also aimed at planting over 5 million water friendly tree seedlings (raffia bamboo, acacia, calliandra, and variety of fruit trees). After the introduction of my story I AM FARMER in schools in USA, I intend to collaborate with the government of Cameroon to introduce my story in the school curriculum. Moreover, I intend to do a global book tour to inspire children through my story. The book tour will continue through 40 American States, Europe (UK, Austria), Punjab State in India, Africa (Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Burkina Faso).

Lastly, I intend to complete my Eco -village which I started four years ago in Bamenda city and also build a resource center with offices and conference halls. This will reconnect everyone in the city back to natural living. At the eco-village, I intend to collect arts and crafts of Cameroon, landscape with flowers, agroforestry trees, installing small animal farms (pigs, rabbits, chicken and fish ponds), installation of bio gas and solar system etc. The site shall also serve as a training center and a destination for eco-tourists and international volunteers.

I intend building a team that shall be responsible for different tasks.

For the past three years, there has been a political instability in the North West and South West Regions (English speaking parts of Cameroon) where the Anglophones separatists are fighting to separate from Francophones. This has slowed down work in the field and will possibly slow down work in the next year and beyond if peace does not come to normalcy. It has been difficult to move to the hinter lands for fear of being kidnapped by separatists against a ransom. Activities with international volunteers as well as grants from benefactors have also slowed down.  

Moreover, the corona pandemic has greatly slowed our activities. In addition, the lack of transportation means (4WD) is a hindrance as all roads into projects sites are not paved.  

Furthermore, administrative bottle neck is also hindering us to be effective in the field as most top government officials will always want us to bribe them before they can give us authorization to execute projects in the field.

In order to overcome these barriers, I had to focus within my vicinity and to avoid going to too far into remote villages.  I mapped out some springs around my area and working with the community to harness and build tanks. I know which areas are pretty safe to work. Also, I am extending my projects to the French zone of Cameroon where there is relative peace.  We have mapped out dozens of springs to build and drill wells with communities in Yaounde vicinity.  

In order to sustain our projects during these challenging moments of lack of funding, I have set up a water and landscaping business to raise income to support my projects. We design and realize edible landscaping from door to door in my neighborhood, distribute water to construction companies to raise income to sustain our projects. We have a small truck that we use and always hire a 4WD to transport heavier materials.  

Although the COVID-19 has slowed down activities, it also opened our eyes to install hand washing machines so as to sensitize communities to frequently wash their hands, hence creating awareness about personal hygiene and sanitation thanks to availability of clean water.  

Moreover, to deal with administrative bottlenecks, I use the community leaders to stand at fore front when approaching them and present the project as a community-led project so as to avoid pressure from the administrators on me.  

Above all I also advocate through TV and radio and answer questions on the phone.

I am currently partnering with Ashoka where by as an Ashoka Fellow elected in 2012, I received a stipend for 3 years to support my work. At the end of my stipend, I still remain Ashoka fellow for life. Ashoka supports fellows in networking with like-minded fellows and links fellows to grant opportunities, participate in summits.  

Moreover, I am also partnering with ICON- Innovative Cooperative for Optimal Nutrition. ICON was founded by 17 Ashoka fellows across west Africa who are working in the field of environment, agriculture and the goal is scale nutrition across Africa. As an ICON member, we engage in projects to empower producers on how to farm sustainably using all the best management practices and how to process, preserve and market nutritive products.  

I also partner with the White feather Foundation in UK and they have donated grants for two of our water projects in Cameroon.  

Furthermore, I also partner with SAIWI (Students Association for International water Issues of University from Nevada. They came and trained us on manual well drilling technology.  

Above all, my organization is registered as 501 © 3 non- profit called SYFA-USA. We partner with schools (Auburn enlarge school district -New York) in USA that are using my book-I Am Farmer and also churches like Lincoln Height Missionary Baptist Church in Ohio, Prince of Peace catholic Church in Green Bay-Wisconsin and First Unitarian Universalist Church of Marietta-Ohio. Donations raised are always channeled to us via SYFA-USA to support our projects at grassroots.

 Mission: Protecting local environment, changing lives

KEY PARTNERS

-Ashoka

-White Feather Foundation

-ICON

-Prince of Peace Catholic Church-green Bay

-First Universal Universalist Church-Ohio

-SYFA Volunteers

KEY ACTIVITIES

-Water catchment conservation protection/tree planting

-Water tanks construction, pipelines, and stand taps

-Well drilling

-installation of hand washers

-creation of demo agro-forestry farms, fish ponds and  gardens

-advocacy for environmental protection and sustainable farming.

VALUE PROPOSITION

-Holistic community involvement in our projects which sustainably solve the problem of environmental degradation and water shortage.

- Agro-forestry for income generation and fight hunger /malnutrition

- Water, hygiene and sanitation..

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

-Equipping grassroot women to play leadership roles in community development

-Empowering young people to be self-employed and invest in agriculture and community development

-Everyone including disabled person to have access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation

-Inspire children to learn how to start and grow a movement

CUSTOMER SEGMENT

-Women

-children

-Youths

-Aged

-Persons with disabilities

KEY RESOURCES

-Eco-village and resource center

-Agro-forestry nurseries

-Transportation means (4WD)

-Staff

-Volunteers

-Demo farms

-Recreational space

CHANNELS

-social and broadcast media

-print media

-word of mouth

- I am Farmer book

-workshops and seminar

COST STRUCTURE

-Water catchments protection, building springs, tanks, drilling wells and installation of handwashers=$800k

- completion of eco-village and construction of resource center with conference halls= $ 500k

-  Planting of 5 million agroforestry trees and raffia palms$700k

REVENUE STREAMS

-Landscape designs

-water supply to building companies

-Sales from agroforestry/flower nurseries

-Eco-tourism

-Consultancies

-Donations and grants

In order to sustain my work, I shall raise funds from the eco-village and resource center upon completion. I am setting up an eco-tourism component of my work where eco-tourist shall be lodged at our eco-village and pay a fee. Besides, the resource center shall be made of two conference halls. These halls shall always be rented out to the public and other NGO’s for meetings, birthday parties and weddings etc. At the eco-village, the animals from the demonstration farm shall be sold to raise income. Furthermore, schools shall visit the eco-village for excursions to learn and a fee shall be charged for each school. Also, we have set up program to supply water to construction companies at peak of dry season and a fee is charged. Moreover, the landscaping project in wealthy residential homes shall raise us income. Upon completion of the eco-village and resource center, we shall only depend on small donations and grants from our network of volunteers who have previously worked with us and other well- wishers. The bigger part of our funds shall come from the resource center and eco-village. We anticipate raising USD 100K annually from the eco-tourism and resource center/landscape designs to sustain our work.

• The stipend provided by Ashoka over a period of three years was USD108k from January 2014 to December 2016. This stipend was to support fellows as they work in the field to scale up their idea. I also used the stipend to start the construction of the eco-village.
• In 2014, I raised USD 16k in Austria organized by a past volunteer with us. His community and church coordinated this fundraiser to support a water project in Bafut village of Bamenda.
• Moreover, the grants received from White Feather Foundation in 2017 and 2018 was USD 20K to support two water projects in Cameroon.
• During the I Am Farmer book tour of spring last year, I raised more than USD 30K from schools, churches and individuals across 10 States. These funds went a long way to purchase the additional land besides the eco-village that is earmarked for the construction of resource center with conference halls.
• I also received donations from SYFA-USA this year worth USD 15k.
• For the past 12 months, I have generated over USD 12k from landscaping projects in residential homes.
• I have also generated over USD 2k from supplying water to construction companies.

My goal is to raise USD 2 million in the next 5 years. I will need grants as well as investors to complete the eco-village and resource center projects, conserve and build more springs, installation of handwashers, initiate the planting of 3 million agroforestry trees (acacia, caliandra, Leucaena and fruit trees) and 2 million raffia bamboo palms with farmers in the field. The raffia bamboo is an economic crop that is good for water catchment conservation as well as provides natural palm wine for ceremonies, bamboo for construction, arts and crafts.

Summary of funds needed to raise

1

protection of water catchments, building of springs, tanks, drilling of wells and installation of handwashers =$800k

2

completion of eco-village and construction of resource center with conference halls =$500k

3

Nursing and planting of 5 million agroforestry trees and raffia palms=$700k

Total

$ 2 million

Summary of my estimated expenses for 2020 is $75k.

No

Description

Amount in USD

1

Building of 4 springs with water tanks=$34k

2

Construction of 10 handwashing machines= $6k

3

Building of retaining walls and fencing around the eco-village/ resource center=$20k

4

Building of piggery and poultry at the eco-village=$15k

Total=$ 75k

The elevate prize will help me tremendously to scale up my projects and expand even to other countries. The prize will help me to achieve the following:

• I will conveniently be equipped financially to build so many springs and water tanks, drill wells in Cameroon without stress. We shall design a poster on water catchment conservation with technical details on what it takes to conserve, harness and build springs/water tanks. These posters shall be printed in various sizes and distributed to communities  to create awareness. More to that, I will set up a construction site to build handwashers that shall be distributed to communities to help fight COVID-19 and other diseases.
• Afford for a transportation means (4WD) to facilitate transportation of materials, staff  and international volunteers especially as I am extending my projects to French zone of Cameroon.
• In addition, I will recruit additional staff so they can be assigned to different tasks as we focus to scale up the projects.
• More to that, I will travel to other countries for book tour to inspire youths in other communities to start their own movements
• I will continue to advance the resource center project and eco-village project so that upon completion in five years, the center shall be a destination for people of all ages to come and learn and future environmental  activists shall  be trained in the center.

I will need partners that will work with us to realize and achieve the following

• Organize fundraising, training on grant writing, and annual reports etc,
• Mentorship and coaching on how to structure an organization, accountability, managing staff and capacity building as a whole.
• I need partners to become board members of SYFA-USA and also advisors so that we could build a good team and networking to achieve the goals of SYFA-USA.
• I want to enhance skills in project monitoring and evaluation.

• Above all, I need partners like National Geographics, media experts that can work with us to build documentaries of our projects, create and manage face book account,design posters and flyers etc.

I would love to partner mostly with grassroot and student-led organizations. These organizations should be focused on projects that are related to water issues, renewable energy, eco- tourism and agriculture.  

Our partnership will facilitate raising funds for various projects. Volunteers can take a trip to visit us in Cameroon and participate hands-on in the projects. We shall lodge them at our eco-village/ resource center. By so doing they shall experience our cultural ways of life and also visit other surrounding villages in Cameroon.  

I will also love to partner with technological companies that can come to train young Cameroonians on renewable energy, farming equipment and food processing and preservation.  

I will equally love to partner with UN environmental agencies and world bank related projects hence representing them at grassroots.  

Above all, I will like to partner with  MIT-SOLVE for mentorship, capacity building and coaching.