The use of theatre to sensitise the local population and administration in Cameroon on an estranged albeit important subject like climate change and its devastating effects is evidently a cutting –edge communication and education method.

The sensitisation through theatre performances dubbed “Climate Change Road Show” is a UK-sponsored project that recently took off, criss-crossing some selected towns where the effects of climate change are very glaring and passing on salient messages through exhilarating theatre performances.

“We are just amazed by the unprecedented encouraging population turn out and the enthusiasm by the local population to watch and listen to the messages, a clear departure from what obtains with other sensitisation campaigns” said the acting British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Timothy Fisher, recommending that the approach be used by other stakeholders.

The Cameroon National Traveling Theatre Group headed by Dr.  Donatus Fai Tangem of the University of Yaounde 1, came up with the idea so as to not only attract local farmers, hunters, fishermen, the grassroots population and other users of the environment to adhere to the climate change mitigation struggle in particular and the sustainable environmental management in general but also to spur local administrative authorities and civil society organisations to buckle down to work with result-oriented environmental actions and projects.

“The fight against climate change is our collective responsibility. After observing the relative lack of interest and resistance to change of behaviour towards environment protection, we thought we should transpose society on stage to better pass on the message” Donatus Fai said. He admitted there was no silver bullet to sensitise and meet climate targets, reason why several strategies have to be used to succeed. The group uses drama, messages on placards, songs, practical illustrations, quizzes, etc to pass on their messages, the president said.

“Theatre enables people to see, hear and the society to view itself in the mirror and clearly act. We act with the people by integrating them in the performance (spectators) through quizzes and sometimes the award of prizes after the show. This is what we have styled ‘edutainment’ meaning educating through entertainment. Since creation in 1994 we have been acting to bring social change and right the wrongs of society on issues like human rights, corruption, democracy and now climate change,” Donatus Fai explained.

Over 500 Held Spellbound In Kribi
The over 500-man crowd that thronged the Kribi local council hall to watch and listen to the climate change messages was held spellbound by the creative format in which the actors weaved them. Holding empty dishes and some empty cups, the actors said “Forest is our source of food and water. No forest, no food and no water, which means death”. Clad in green military-like outfits the actors called on all to be armies of environmental protection.

“Join the green military force. We should smell green, clad green, act green to protect our greenery”.
Carrying their hands on the head and wailing in agony, the women cry for help to show how floods, drought, depletion of animal species have brought the emergence of new diseases.
“Climate change is a monster that brings diseases, killing our children and vulnerable population. Let’s together chase away the monster, lets act now”.

“Cut one tree, plant one tree” as the actors break through the crowd sharing nurseries of fruit trees like mangoes, pear, oranges, lemonade  obtained from the Institute for Agricultural Research and Development Cameroon and environmental friendly tree  species from an international NGO, ANAFOR to the audience.  The population was told that the planting and growing of trees especially fruit trees could be an income-generating investment to support  their income-earning activities to water down the excruciating effects of climate change. Locals were shown models of improved stoves developed by Cameroon’s Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection thanks to UK funding to reduce wood use for cooking and distributed to recognised women groups. Some of the local women who watched the actors on stage could not hide their feelings.

“We enjoyed the show and have learned how important it is to protect the environment”, said Marie Enono, president of Batanga ladies.

Beaming with smiles and brandishing her tree nursery, Helen Angie, 46, a local farmer said “I have understood that burning of the forest for farming is a bad practice and have learned the lesson of using a stove rather than wood.

This will save me the trouble of traveling long distances in search of wood for cooking”.

Key Message To Local Administration
A key message from the show to the local authorities, NGOs and the Cameroon government was the need to take advantage of funding opportunities such as the Congo Basin Forest Fund and the UN Global Environment Facility Scheme to help their communities adapt to the cruel effects of climate change. It was also necessary, the audience was told, for local councils to devote reasonable parts of their budget to address climate change.

The mechanisms known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) holds promise for countries like Cameroon to make money from protecting their forest rather than they could from logging away such forest.
Carbon credits would also help them benefit from their role in fixing a problem mostly created by industrial nations, the actors said.

Kribi Under The Grim Grip Of Climate Change
Kribi is one of the three coastal towns in Cameroon after Limbe and Douala where climate change has wrecked havoc.

According to the mayor, Serge Martino Benaye, the tourist town was facing the grim consequences of climate change with the persistent cutting down of the mangrove forest that has left the coastline bare and vulnerable to coastal erosion and floods due to unusual rainfall, thus upsetting the planting calendar of local farmers.

With a planned investment project by the government for deep seaport and a hydro-electricity dam in this seaside resort town by 2020, much deforestation is likely to take place, thus the need to sensitise the population to plant more trees and develop an environmental friendly culture.