Dieudonne Tantoh Nforba, popularly known as Farmer Tantoh, is a Cameroonian grassroots environmental activist, farmer, and social entrepreneur who has been making waves globally with his innovative approaches to environmental conservation.
Recently honored as one of the four global winners of the prestigious Earthna Prize in Doha, Qatar, Farmer Tantoh's dedication to preserving ancestral knowledge and cultural heritage in addressing contemporary environmental challenges has earned him international recognition.
The Passion for Environmental Conservation
Farmer Tantoh's journey into environmental activism began 29 years ago when he was a teenager in high school. His passion for ensuring that communities can be the change they want to see in their environment drove him to start working on water resources and conservation projects. After contracting typhoid fever in agricultural school, he realized the importance of access to clean water and began researching ways to provide sustainable solutions to water scarcity in his community.
The Earthna Prize, initiated by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, recognizes outstanding efforts in preserving ancestral knowledge and cultural heritage in addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Farmer Tantoh's persistence and consistency in working at the grassroots level for 29 years without major recognition made him an ideal candidate for the award.
Impact and Future Plans
Farmer Tantoh's work has had a significant impact on his community, with over 500 volunteers trained since 2005. He is currently working on water projects in eight communities, including Nkambe, Sisia Quarter, Mambu, Bafut, Ntenefor at Hot Spot, Nguri village in Nwa, and Bongoma County in Western Kenya. The Farmer Tantoh Foundation has supported over 70 water projects, benefiting more than 250,000 people across Cameroon, with over 50,000 water-friendly trees planted and 20 water recharge facilities established.
The Eco Village
The Eco Village is a man-made intentional community designed to reconnect city dwellers back to an ecological lifestyle. With features like hydroform interlocking bricks technology, fruit trees from other parts of the world, and a rich aquifer underground, the Eco Village demonstrates sustainable landscape maintenance and agroforestry systems. Farmer Tantoh's vision is to make the Eco Village inclusive, with facilities like a conference hall, canteen, and car wash, where people can come and experience nature while enjoying medicinal tea and fruit juice.
According to Farmer Tantoh, the Northwest region of Cameroon does not have a water shortage, but rather a lack of knowledge on water conservation techniques. He advocates for sensitizing communities on water conservation principles, rainwater harvesting, and building storage facilities to ensure access to clean water throughout the year. His Eco Village in Bamenda serves as a model for sustainable water management, with an aquifer that can pump over 30,000 liters of water daily, even during the peak of the dry season.
Environmental Movement
The Farmer Tantoh New Village Environmental Movement is a youth-led initiative that aims to inspire young people to relocate back to their rural communities and become change makers. The movement focuses on environmental activities like planting lawns, flowers, and trees to prevent soil erosion and dust, empowering youths in sustainable agriculture and livestock breeding for income generation.
Farmer Tantoh's story has been documented in the children's book "I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon," which highlights his inspiring journey from being mocked as a child for his interest in gardening to becoming an environmental hero bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to Cameroon. The book has been translated into French for francophone Africa and Haiti, while the English version is used in elementary schools across the USA.
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