The document discusses several community initiatives in and around Iko Esai village in Nigeria. It summarizes that CERCOPAN has invited local school students to visit their Rhoko forest camp to learn about forest and primate conservation. It also mentions that the traditional rulers of surrounding Ayo communities took an oath of peace and unity to address youth unrest in the region. In other news, the document outlines that beekeeping and cocoa farming projects supported by CERCOPAN have increased incomes and production for local farmers.

1. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES
Volume: 6 Issue: 1 January 2011
IKO ESAI COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
RHOKO CAMP SCHOOL VISITS
CERCOPAN has always held
outreach and education work
close to the heart of
operations as the most
effective means to spread the
message regarding the
importance of conservation
to communities surrounding
Cross River National Park
(CRNP).
As part of this work we have
over the years invited
students from schools in Agoi
Students from Owai School Students from Iko Esai School
Ibami, Iko Ekperem, Iko Esai
and Owai to visit our forest
conservation site; Rhoko
camp. Recently we have been
able fund this activity with
the generous assistance of
the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) and the International
Primate Society (IPS).
Students spend the day
learning about forest and
primate conservation from
our staff at CERCOPAN and
have the opportunity to view
mangabey monkeys in their Students from Agoi Unity School Students from Iko Ekperem School
natural habitat.
Inside this issue:
Christmas Gift 2011 Page 2 Poultry Farming in Agoi Ibami Page 7
The CCDC; A Conceotual Approach Page 2 Snail Farming in Agoi Ibami Page 8
Hunter’s Association Visits to Rhoko Camp Page 3 Iko Esai Community Secondary School Page 8
A Second to None Experience of Cocoa Training Page 4 The Progress of Cocoa Farming in Iko Esai Page 9
CActivities of the CCDC Project Committee Page 5 A Report on the CCDC Surveillance Committee Page 10
Report on Beekeeping in Iko Esai Page 6 BNRCC Livelihood Projects in Agoi Ibami Page 11
Peace and Security in Ayo Communities Page 7

2. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES Page 2
CHRISTMAS GIFT 2011
For many years now volunteers ( I ko Esai people’s hospitality and a year now and they have
CERCOPAN has been giving a Community Conservation and support for the conservation helped to make our English
gift at Christmas time to the Development Committee; and development work that Community Conservation
households, chiefs and CCDC) in Iko Esai village as a CERCOPAN does in the area. Manager (Rachel Heming-
way) feel very welcome.
This year we started giving
out the yearly thank you gift When we call on the village
of rice and salt to our host to assist us with community
community Iko Esai in Janu- projects people are all very
ary 2011. willing to pitch in and lend a
hand with the project man-
agement and collection of
Without the support of Iko materials for the work.
Esai people our work would
not be possible as most of
our staff and volunteers CERCOPAN plans to continue
come from the village. In the tradition of thanking the
addition the community has village, the chiefs, and the
been home to one of our CCDC for many years to
international volunteers for come.
Mike Ekpe with the Christmas Gift
THE CCDC; A CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
By Jerry Okon; Secretary
The CCDC is the Iko Esai organisation was elected community’s high standards
Community Conservation from the community in for project work and
and Development September 2009 and aims to transparency. The new body
Committee, a body set up by put in place an effective has already completed two
the community in system of checks and applications for external
partnership with CERCOPAN balances between the power funding for the betterment
in line with the Millennium of the Chief’s, the youth and of Iko Esai’s physical
Development Goals (MDGs) CERCOPAN in addition to infrastructure and has
of education, conservation, transparently and efficiently worked hard to form project
natural resource managing the money paid by implementation committees
development and CERCOPAN quarterly to to ensure the work is
management and female CCDC for village works. completed.
empowerment.
Jerry Okon The CCDC was reconstituted
CCDC Secretary The newly constituted as the former body had
executive committee failed to satisfy the

3. Page 3 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
HUNTER’S ASSOCIATION VISITS TO RHOKO CAMP
By Rachel Hemingway; CERCOPAN Community
Over the past few months Mangabeys in our forest This outreach work is vital to continue to hunt primates
the outreach work of enclosure and hear a talk on the success of forest and to keep them as pets
CERCOPAN in the villages the importance of forest conservation as it allows the despite the danger of disease
surrounding Cross River conservation and people who depend on the being transferred from
National Park has gathered endangered species forest and its resources to monkey to person. Monkeys
momentum with visits to our protection from our appreciate the importance of do not make good pets and
Rhoko forest site from four Community Education and sustainable resource should be left undisturbed in
communities; Iko Esai, Iko Liaison Officer Mike Ekpe, a exploitation and the their forest home.
Ekperem, Owai and Agoi resident of Iko Esai precarious position of
Ibami. CERCOPAN invited the community and Ayitu endangered species,
chief’s, women leaders, and Obeten, a resident from Agoi particularly primates, in Cross
hunters from the surrounding and one of our Research River National Park.
communities to visit the Assistants at Rhoko. Un fo rt u na t ely peo p le
Iko Ekperem hunters after Rhoko visit Agoi Ibami hunters at Rhoko
Owai hunters at Rhoko Iko Esai hunters at Rhoko

4. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES Page 4
A SECOND TO NONE EXPERIENCE OF COCOA
TRAINING IN IKOM
By Arong Akan Oyak
CERCOPAN, a Non- approach toward the socio- compared to 2009 is also a
Governmental Organisation economic wellbeing of Iko Esai result of the efforts of the
(NGO), was founded in 1995 community, most recently by facilitator who received and
in Cross River State; it is a securing a grant from Building passed on the excellent
non-profit organisation Nigeria’s Response to Climate training. If this upward trend
dedicated to conserving Change (BNRCC) to assist local in production is maintained,
Nigerian primates through farmers to adapt to climate Iko Esai community will
rainforest conservation, change impacts. Esai’s Cocoa become the leading producers
‘If the upward community education, farmers have benefitted from of cocoa in the state by 2020.
trend in cocoa primate rehabilitation, and training on improved methods
production is research. The organisation and modern techniques; this
offers sanctuary to orphaned was achieved by sponsoring A focus on cocoa production
maintained Iko Esai
monkeys that have been the myself (a graduate of forestry will minimise the rate of
community will victim of hunting and habitat and wildlife management) to poaching, logging and forest
become the leading loss. CERCOPAN offers the attend a workshop in Ikom on encroachment into our forest
producers of cocoa chance for rehabilitation by cocoa farming in May 2010. ecosystem and preserve the
providing an environment beauty of our naturally
in the state by
that mimics the natural endowed fauna and flora.
2020’ habitat. The long term goal is The laudable experiences and
for the reintroduction of these achievements gained so far
monkeys to a protected forest are second to none and I commend CERCOPAN who
area. cannot be over-emphasised as have found a solution for
the new skills, techniques and environmental sustainability.
methods are employed on our
CERCOPAN has also always farms. The increase in coco
maintained a pro-active production in 2010 as
Arong Akan Oyak
Cocoa Training Facilitator
Training in the field

5. Page 5 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
ACTIVITIES OF THE CCDC PROJECT COMMITTEE
By Rasman Sunnytex D E Aidams; Secretary;
Project Committee
The Project Committee (PC) operandi of the members reproduction rate will
was set up by the Community directly involved in these increase and before you can
Conservation and projects say Jack Robinson, Iko Esai
Development Committee will boast a large piggery. The
3. To guard against
(CCDC) chaired by Mr Stanley public is therefore advised to
misappropriation of funds
Obo. The PC is duly purchase live pigs from the
derived from these projects
recognised by CERCOPAN and farm for their needs in future.
is headed by Mr Peter Arong 4. To flush out persons with
Beekeeping has been in
Aidam, I am the Secretary questionable characters who
existence since 2008, nine
and there are eight other may damage the reputation
hives were originally
members. The aims of the PC of the projects
constructed and placed
are to assist in the
5. To ensure any funds around the community. Four
supervision and management
embezzled by members are hives have been harvested Rasman Aidams
of projects initiated by
returned to the groups with a total of 18 litres of Secretary Project
CERCOPAN that are designed
involved honey sold to the public. Committee
to improve the lives of people
CERCOPAN is constructing ten
in Iko Esai including pig 6. To liaise with CERCOPAN additional hives and training
farming, beekeeping and the on workshop organisation more women on how to
abattoir established by and attendance nurse bees to generate small
CERCOPAN. The PC is
7. To generate initiatives to income for their families. ‘The aims of the PC are
involved to assist CERCOPAN
with the management of attract more income for the to assist in the
these projects and to reduce projects
Appreciation supervision and
stress.
management of
My regards go to Mr Richard
Projects projects’
Carroll, the outgoing Rhoko
Objectives: The abattoir has been fully Camp manager as well as Ms
completed and the business Tanya for their efforts in
1. To create sustainability,
is starting to generate profit starting the beekeeping
correct management and
for the members. The cold project and laying the work conservation to other
further development of these
room has been furnished with for further work. I also give people and to future
projects
a generator a deep freeze thanks and commendation to generations.
2. To ensure that community and all other necessary items Miss Rachel who undertook
beneficiaries are controlled to for the business to function to revive the beekeeping and Thank you CERCOPAN for
care and protect the effectively. The cold room open the other works; she choosing Iko Esai
proceeds of the project in started operation on the 3rd has really shown the love she Community today,
affiliation with CERCOPAN. November and since then the has for this community. tomorrow and forever.
need for people to travel out Let me now express my My profound gratitude
or go hunting to get meat has feelings to especially goes to Almighty God for
Functions: been reduced. granting us the
appreciate CERCOPAN, the
1. To disseminate awareness The pig farm started with 3 only NGO that has promoted opportunities needed for
regarding the need to adult pigs, the number has the image of Iko Esai in this report to become a
embrace conservation to the since grown to 9 adults and 3 Nigeria, Africa and the world reality.
entire community babies. One pig has been sold at large. The people of Iko
to date to generate income Esai are always ready to
2. To monitor the modus spread the importance of Thank you and God Bless
for the group, soon the

6. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES Page 6
REPORT ON BEEKEEPING IN IKO ESAI
By Joy Arong Ekpe
Appreciation Conclusions
We appreciate DIN who Beekeeping was introduced in
introduced the beekeeping in Nigeria to boost the rural
Iko Esai at the request of economy. As a result we have
CERCOPAN to help the women the knowledge of beekeeping
earn a living. We say may God and would like the government
bless them and grant them a to become involved to further
long and prosperous life in financially empower the
Jesus name Amen community to enable the
activity to expand.
Joy Arong Ekpe
The beekeeping beekeepers are as follows:
association was established
1. Checking on the hives
by Development in Nigeria
for honey and bee health
(DIN) in 2008 and given the
name Esai Selected 2. Preparing hives with
Women Association beeswax
(ESWA). The group
consisted of 20 members; 3. Maintaining the area
the chairwoman was Elder around the beehives
Grace Owai. 4. Harvesting and selling
the honey
Aims Treating a hive with beeswax
The aims of the association Achievements
are: The group has been able to
1. Preservation of honey harvest much honey from
bees and the sustainable the hives which has been
extraction of honey sold for a profit of 9000
Naira.
2. The creation of
employment opportunities
for women Problems Faced:
3. The protection and The hives are prone to
conservation of wild bees spoiling from ant
and honey infestations and can be
4. To generate income for damaged by trees
the group and community Human empowerment was
lacking to properly
maintain the hives
Functions:
The smoker spoiled and
The main functions of has not yet been repaired. Esai women attending a workshop on beekeeping

7. Page 7 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
PEACE AND SECURITY IN AYO COMMUNITIES
By His Royal Majesty Attah Ophot Obio A Owai
As a result of youth unrest and in an exercise was undertaken in Iko
attempt to find a solution to the Ekperem and shall be completed in
problems caused to our communities all the Ayo communities including;
by such behaviour, the traditional Owai Ifumkpa, Uyanga Okposung,
rulers of Ayo Communities came Ikami and Igbofia, Uyanga model
together to take an oath of peace Town, Ekpiri Iko, Iwuru Central and
and unity. An oath ceremony took Iwuru Otonikapeng.
place on the 14th of September in Iko
Esai when all the Ayo chiefs moved
together in their traditional regalia The same action has been agreed to
through the streets announcing the be carried out in neighbouring LGA
penalty that shall befall any Biase as the community leaders join
offenders who violate the laws of the hands to keep the peace in the area.
land. The youth leader of Iko Ekperem also
His Royal Majesty Attah Ophot Obio A Owai
took the oath and promised to assist
the traditional rulers in checking the
As promised by oath the same anti-social behaviour of some youths.
C
POULTRY FARMING IN AGOI IBAMI
By Maria Effiong Ekpe
Women in Nigeria often struggle Maria Effiong Ekpe of Agoi Ibami
financially due to customary rules is one of the beneficiaries.
governing the control of assets
“I wanted to start poultry farming
and means of production. This is
as I wanted people to be able to
particularly the case in rural areas
buy eggs within the community
with female headed households;
rather than travelling out and
women do not have the same
paying transport to buy them
access rights to land, means of
outside. I’m hoping to increase
transportation or markets. As
the number of layers I have so I
such CERCOPAN is making a
can grow my farm and increase
strong effort to target vulnerable
the benefit to my family and the
women and families with a sus-
community.
tainable livelihoods programme
based in Agoi Ibami and Iko Esai
communities.
Maria Effiong Ekpe
The programme has been working
closely with the women of these
communities to identify areas
where assistance will be most
effective in enabling women to
gain some small measure of finan-
cial and food security. Chickens provided by the
BNRCC Project

8. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES Page 8
SNAIL FARMING IN AGOI IBAMI
CERCOPAN invited Concern and included information
Universal, an NGO based in on how to breed, manage
Calabar to come to Agoi and sell snail meat for the
Ibami to train a group of best profit.
men and women on how to
farm the African Giant snail.
Snail farming can be a very Snails can lay up to 1200
good source of income that eggs each year and with the
does not require a lot of proper care all of these eggs
time or money and can be can survive to maturity to
done on a group or lay eggs themselves, snail
individual basis. meat is very healthy and
provides a very good source
of protein for all the family.
Snail farming workshop
Nine people attended this
first training session and all markets as it is not yet small business will help
plan to start their own small The group members plan to available to buy. Many them to support their
snail farm with assistance build their own small People enjoy the sweet families and improve their
from CERCOPAN. The individual snail houses and meat of snails and the lives.
training was very interactive breed snails for sale in local group all believe that this
IKO ESAI COMMUNITY SECONDARY
Remaining forests and The secondary school and the
Esai Executive Forum, led bridge that allows access to
for this project by Osam external markets and
Moses Eyo, successfully services. The secondary
applied to the Cross River school work has been
State Social and managed by a local
Community Fund for voluntary Project Manager
funding to renovate the for this purpose, now the
Community Secondary renovations are nearly
School in Esai and to build complete, and work is
a vital bridge on the road expected to begin on the
to Iko Ekperem and the bridge within a few weeks.
highway. The CCDC, led by
Community involvement
Chairman Stanley Obo, has
and support has been
been working closely with
extremely strong with
At work on the school the Executive Forum to
labour and materials
provide the 30%
provided by willing
Iko Esai has been working their first grant last month to counterpart funding and
volunteers.
extremely hard as a refurbish the Community organise the community
community over the past Secondary School, which has labour.
month to the benefit of all been badly in need of repair
people living in Iko Esai. The for some time. Hopefully this will prove to
indigenous and fully elected be the start of a long and
Following a number of
Community Conservation productive era for the Iko
discussions with key
and Development Esai CCDC and Executive
The CCDC is financially persons in the community,
Committee (CCDC), in Forum.
supported by CERCOPAN to the Executive Forum and
conjunction with the Esai assist in the development of the CCDC concluded that
Executive Forum, have Iko Esai community and the the most pressing areas in
received and implemented conservation of the need of attention were the Well Done everybody!!!

9. Page 9 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
THE PROGRESS OF COCOA FARMING IN IKO ESAI
COMMUNITY
By Retired Rev Akan Aidan Oyak
Chief of Ephem village –
Esai Clan
Cocoa farming which was The father who plants cocoa
designated as ‘busy-body will have income and when
farming’ is now one of the he goes away the income is
best types of farming yielding left for his children as the
the best interest to the cocoa farm can continue to
community. Cocoa is not our thrive if given good care.
father’s traditional form of Though I eat yam it is a
farming, who instead valued difficult crop to inherit, it
plantain, yam, and cassava. It goes away when the planter
was not conducive to them to goes away, this is not
harvest, process, and market applicable to cocoa and palm.
Rev. Akan Aidan Oyak cocoa over and above the
traditional crops. My greatest
joy is that everything has Thank you CERCOPAN for
For the past fifteen years men have since joined after changed as the traditional educating one who can help
cocoa farming was seen as a having good instruction on crops did not bring much many to develop their cocoa
difficult task in comparison to how best to manage the income to the family and the farms for a good yield. May
the cultivation of crops such cocoa farm. small income ceased on the God grease your elbows so as
as cassava, yam and plantain death of the father given that to develop CERCOPAN and all
and was called ‘ busy-body it is not easy to inherit such that you do to help develop
farming’. This was because In addition, CERCOPAN crops. this community.
the farmer will rise at 6am to assisted the group with the
start work and continue until registration fee for a cocoa
6pm with a short break at co-operative with the local
lunch due to the shortage of government which will
farmhands. Cocoa farming enable members to access
was designated as poor man government subsidies and
farming and because of this loans.
many people did not embark
on cocoa.
To the best of my knowledge,
cocoa production this year
Recently, CERCOPAN has has increased over earlier
provided cocoa training to years to the benefit of
the farmers of Iko Esai to farmers in Esai. The more
improve production. Farmers farmers that are provided
have benefitted from with assistance the better the
CERCOPAN who trained the harvest and the better the
designated cocoa farmer sales and profits which will
(Arong Akan Oyak) as a culminate in a cocoa boom in
facilitator to lecture the other Iko Esai. The training in progress
farmers. Many more young

10. DUYIN EHUMI — NEWS STORIES Page 10
REPORT FROM THE IKO ESAI CCDC SURVEILLANCE
COMMITTEE
By Bassey Aidams Eyo
Chairman, CCDC Surveillance Committee
In the first place, I give God
perpetual thanks for bringing
CERCOPAN to Iko Esai. I define
CERCOPAN as a rain chosen to
fall in Iko Esai community and
a bridge to progress in this ‘Everybody is now
land. CERCOPAN has been an
organisation that has been beginning to
educating indigenes on the understand the
importance of conservation,
and by God’s Grace everybody
importance of forest
now is beginning to management’
understand the importance of
forest management.
CERCOPAN has been able to
introduce the Community
Bassey Aidams, Chair; CCDC Surveillance Committee
Conservation and
Development Committee
(CCDC) some years ago to
promote development and
On the 11th of July 2010, I Owai indigenes. The places in I am appealing on behalf of
conservation within the
made my first journey with the forest where significant the committee that we be
community. With financial
five other members to Ebin destruction was discovered provided with uniforms, key
support from CERCOPAN, the
Iyura and Iyuyura, we were the tractor road leading ags, whistles and a small
body was reconstituted in
discovered a large number of to Owai village, Opod amount of money to enable
2009 with Mr Stanley Obo
traps and disabled over a Iporopod Iyura, Aya Iko Iyura, us to undertake our duties
elected as chairman. Mr Obo
hundred of them. Following and Ading Iyura. effectively and to
and the executive committee
this, the Chiefs involved the differentiate the body from
have worked hard to develop
hunter’s association of Iko normal farmers and hunters.
a number of different
Esai to join the committee in The surveillance committee The committee members are
committees under the
the forest in order to arrest has been facing challenges very committed to the cause
executive body; I was chosen
the trap setters. Three from hunters and farmers, of conservation and hope to
to head the surveillance
people were successfully many of whom are not avoid any further
committee.
arrested and brought before willing to accept advice from encroachment.
the Chief’s Council. us as we appear in our farm
clothes whilst on duty. Also,
The Surveillance Committee is
some of the committee
charged with forest
In September 2010, we members are unwilling to
conservation through going
visited Okembe Iyura and co-operate as a result of
out into the forest
Ayakor to monitor logging these challenges and having
surrounding the community
activity; we discovered that to make provision for
and checking for illegal
over 100 mature hardwood themselves while on duty.
activities and encroachment
trees had been felled by
into the forest.

11. Page 11 VOLUME: 6 ISSUE: 1
BNRCC LIVELIHOODS PROJECTS IN AGOI IBAMI
By Rachel Hemingway; CERCOPAN Community
Conservation Manager
Climate Change is the increased changes Climare Change BNRCC) to assist some of Rachel
and unreliability of the weather that we the most vulnerable people in Agoi Ibami
have been seeing in Nigeria and through- and Iko Esai to cope with the coming Hemingway
out the rest of the world over the past few changes.
years. These changes are caused by human
activities changing the gas mixture in the
atmosphere and deforestation on the sur- In Agoi, work has finished now on the con-
face of the earth. The effect of these struction of a pig sty for one of the youth
changes is to slowly increase the average groups in preparation for the introduction
temperature of the earth’s surface, which of agricultural pigs for breeding and sale.
in turn affects weather patterns and is This project will assist Agoi community in a
likely to result in increased suffering and number of ways; reducing the demand for
hardship for the poorest people in the bushmeat helps protect the forest ecosys-
world as they try to adapt to the changes. tem on which so many depend for their
livelihoods. Providing support for vulner-
able people to diversify their income
In Nigeria we have seen a difference in the streams will enable them to better with-
onset of the rainy and dry seasons, more stand climatic shocks such as drought that
extreme hot weather as well as the failure cause crop failure.
of Harmattan. CERCOPAN has been work-
ing with Building Nigeria’s Response to
This group in Agoi are not the only benefi-
ciaries of the BNRCC grant for climate
change adaptation, a second group has Learning to bake
also completed work on their own pig sty
with the tireless help of CERCOPAN volun-
teer Dallas. Women in Agoi have profited
from BNRCC through the introduction of
agricultural layers for egg production. Fif-
teen ladies expressed an interest in breed-
ing layers to increase their income through
egg sales within the community, in addi-
tion to training women on baking and sell-
ing snacks (see separate article). Cocoa
Building a pig sty farmers have also received training in im-
proving their crop and a final group has
received training in how to farm snails. The second completed sty
Cocoa training Snail Farming workshop

12. Duyin Ehumi
Photos contributed by staff and
volunteers of CERCOPAN
…….
If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at our office in Iko Esai or at our
headquarters in Calabar:
4 Ishie Lane, HEPO Box 826,
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Mobile: +234 (0)706 494 9572
Email: info@CERCOPAN.org
Web: www.cercopan.org
Blog:
http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org
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