ACHARE ELVIS AYAMBA

Achare Elvis Ayamba was born in 1994 at Eyanchang village of Cameroon and has dedicated his life’s work to mitigate Environmental and Agricultural problems in Cameroon and beyond. Ayamba brings in a wealth of passion and enthusiasm with him, in his efforts to address the plight of the environmental and agricultural problems in Cameroon. He is committed to seeing a society where people have access to sufficient nutritious rich food and lives in harmony with the environment for sustainable development.

"There Is no Limit of Who You Can Become in Life"

Q: Tell us a few things about your country, and also your life's story!

The name of my country is Cameroon. I'm a Cameroonian by nationality. My country has a great biodiversity of marine and terrestrial wildlife. Cameroon has a great cultural diversity.

I grew up as a young fisherman in my community. After doing fishing all through my life when I was in secondary school, I developed passion for the job. I then decided to go to the university after my secondary school to study Fisheries sciences.

I am a holder of master's degree and an engineer in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

After my studies in Fisheries Sciences, knowing the threats pose to our environment, I developed a great passion for it. In order for me to contribute to conserve our environment, I founded the Environment and Food Foundation (E2F), a non profit/non governmental Organisation with a mission to promote sustainable management of natural resources.

Q: What is your view of the Coronavirus crisis and the world as it is today? How do you define the concept of a better world especially given the hard lessons we have taken from this unprecedented crisis?

Coronavirus is a threat to the world today. Coronavirus has disrupted the activities of everyone in the world. What I can say about coronavirus is that it has affected every human being on the planet Earth either directly or indirectly, in one way or the other.

I believe there is going to be a better world after coronavirus. Everyone has learned a good lesson and this will make everyone to put in place good measures to prevent such crisis in the future.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society currently and how do you think CoVid-19 will affect your country?

Some of the main challenges in my society today are:

• Economic crisis - times are very hard, many people have lost their jobs, leading to financial difficulties.

• Shortage of materials, which can only be imported, because the borders are closed

Q: As a young individual what are a few of the hurdles that you had to overcome up until today?

Financial difficulties: since the coming of CoVid-19 things became tougher, but I have been surviving up till date.

My activities that give me money to live are suspended up till date due to CoVid-19.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you?

The role of a mentor is important because I could learn easily from the mistakes of my mentor so as not to make the same mistakes. Because enables me to be guided and directed not to miss my track in life. Because helps me to be focused in life.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?

Not yet.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives!

The plastic waste management project of the Environment and Food Foundation (E2F), is helping to improve the lives of unemployed youths and women by giving them, incentives for picking up plastic waste. Hence, creating jobs for unemployed youths and women

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are made towards gender equality?

There is no gender bias in my country.

Q: Share with us a phrase, a poem or a story that you love or you find interesting!

Every human being on earth is who he/she thinks he/she is.

There is no limit of who you can become in life - as you think in your mind you are, so you are.

Q: Share with us a project that you would like to make happen for your country or a cause that you are passionate about?

The project that I want to make happen in my country is the project to combat the issue of plastic waste pollution in Cameroon.