“The project for the development of the capacities of local populations in the production of clay baked bricks in the Lobéké National Park in Mambélé” was officially launched on March 3, 2020. This initiative implemented by the Lobéké National Park (PNL) with the technical and financial support of FTNS will enable the local populations of the villages located around the park to be trained in the production of clay bricks. The expectations of the project are on several scales: capacity development, training, job creation, income generation in the local economy and, on the long term, improvement of the habitat of the local populations.

In order to ensure the proper implementation of the project, a technical assistance of 05 technicians has been deployed in the field. They will be in charge of training local populations, identifying extraction sites, fermenting the soil, moulding, drying and finally baking. 02 manual pressing machines have also been made available to facilitate the production process.

According to Mr. Grégoire, the head of the technical team, “this initiative will contribute to the economic growth of local populations through job creation and the construction of more sustainable ecological houses”. This first phase will result in the production of more than 40,000 clay bricks that will be used in the construction of the new ecoguards’ camp in the Lobéké National Park. It will also mobilize some 20 young residents who will be trained in production techniques.

Upon completion, the project should reduce the pressure on the wood forest resources commonly used for habitat construction and also create alternatives for sustainable economic development for the local population.