4 minute read
WORD FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR
WORD FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR
In my capacity of the Pandrillus Country having operated for the past 6 years in Cameroon, I am honoured to be allowed to express my gratitude to all LWC’s staff, volunteers, supporters and friends and look back with pride to what I have contributed to help the project achieve.
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From late 2015 to now, the number of individual donors increased from less than 60 to more than 400 and brought our revenues from less than 10,000 EUR to more than 50,000 EUR!, hence providing the highest level of sustainability and financial security to the project, which remains the most critical challenge to overcome. As a result, the total annual budget also climbed, from 240,000 USD in 2015 to more than 350,000 USD before COVID19. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the Anglophone crisis strongly affected our fundraising capacities, and yet we are glad we maintained our incomes to more than 250,000 USD in 2020 and in 2021. In this period, the LWC has been consolidated and developed to a more than ever internationally recognised organisation with increased animal welfare standards and conservation impacts.
Thanks to all our growing number of wonderful and trustful institutional and
individual donors, our team has been able to deliver major original and creative projects: I can name the Art4Nature programme, the ProtectWildlife campaign, each of the many successful gorilla and chimpanzee integrations, the splitting of the gorilla enclosure, the building of the special care section for disabled chimpanzees, the redevelopment of the medical complex, the building of the drill metal tree, the African grey parrot rehabilitation and soft release aviaries, the construction of a bridge over the second arm of the Limbe river, providing access to the farmland where the compost area was created, among others. We have always prioritized the welfare of the animals, convenience and facilities for animal care staff and aesthetic and practicality for tourists and visitors. Meanwhile, we have constantly been looking for new creative ways to reach out and encourage Cameroonians to become the driving force of the change of minds and behaviours towards nature that is much needed in this amazingly rich country. By doing so, Pandrillus fulfilled its mission to support the government of Cameroon to protect wildlife while raising awareness and educating the public. But we went beyond that and our education efforts diversified and integration within the national conservation context increased. I am proud to leave a functioning, stable and promising project. Yet, more work needs to be done if Pandrillus is to maintain or increase its conservation impact; and that is a lifetime challenge for the next Manager we are glad to welcome this month before he takes over on 1st January 2022.
The experience as Pandrillus Country Director and LWC Manager were very enriching. It can be hard and frustrating at the time, but it always brings a lot more satisfaction. It was extremely rewarding to lead and collaborate with a knowledgeable and highly experienced team that demonstrates every day its talent, willingness to improve, communicates, shares ideas and stands as one in difficulties. There is strong humanity in the ties that bind each team member and this makes the LWC a unique place to work: we are all together, we understand each other’s and we do our utmost for the animals; this spirit is what’s make the LWC a strong project and these need to be maintained at all cost. Thank you to Peggy Motsch for her tremendous work, unmatched dedication and unique capacities running the Limbe Wildlife Centre for the past 3 years as the LWC Manager and animal care and rehabilitation expert.
After more than one and a half years of looking for a new manager for the LWC, we are glad Jerry Aylmer was appointed. He will progressively learn how to run the Limbe Wildlife Centre throughout a transition period, so he will be in the
capacity to ensure continuity and stability for the project: staff, animals, partners and donors alike. Challenges also arise daily (all volunteers, donors and employees that join us in Limbe even just for a little while in the 1990’ or 2020’ know what I mean!) and each of these challenges can become a threat that needs to be addressed. Nothing is ever gained forever and the successive management teams have constantly had to fight to maintain what has sometimes been gained through strong perseverance and hard work. With support from the Pandrillus Directorate, founders Peter Jenkins & Liza Gadsby and Vet director Felix Lankester, I am confident that Jerry will be up to the task; our mission, started close to 30 years ago (celebration in 2023!), is more needed than ever and must continue. Best of luck to Jerry on this exciting adventure! I ll gladly keep sharing my experience and expertise on biodiversity conservation, wildlife rehabilitation and programme management, but in the meantime, I will remain, amongst you all, one of the most dedicated friends and supporters of the LWC.
Thank you to all who I have had the chance to cross the route in the past few years for being part of this great journey and thank you to all donors for your trust in my leading skills: it was an honour and a true joy.
Sincerely yours,
Guillaume Le Flohic
