HISTORY OF OUR LAND 

 

Lake Nyos is a crater lake located in the northwestern region, near Sawi, Cameroon. The vast and deep lake is placed on the flank of an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain alongside the Cameroon line of volcanic activity. On the fatal night of August 21, 1986 a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos struck, killing nearly 1,800 people and 3,500 livestock. It was believed that many of the victims had been poisoned by a mixture of the gasses. The aftermath of the Lake Nyos Disaster was compared to that of a neutron bomb. The eruption left community members devastated as they grappled with the loss of family members and friends while attempting to rebuild their community. Many children woke up with unimaginable news, forced to face the fact that everyone in their family had passed. Alone, terrified, and with limited to no resources to turn to from safety and guidance. Impacts of the devastation include loss of education, social economic effects, and economic decline in the village. Much of the village’s economy is based on agriculture so, with the massive loss of livestock, the communities’ economy began to perish. 

 

Over 35 years later, our village is still greatly affected by the aftermath of the Lake Nyos Disaster. There is a lost generation of children that are directly impacted by the socioeconomic downfall of the community. With a perished economy and limited resources, parents couldn’t afford to send or keep their children in school, forcing them to go without a formal education. This cycle continued as that generation grew to have their own children.

 

As a foundation, we are committed to making a change in hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty in the village by supporting education and community development projects. We look forward to collaborating with environmental organizations interested in sustainability. Surveillance of the lake and neighboring lakes is vital to assure that another occurrence does not take place and to ensure that evacuation and precautionary plans are in place.