CULTURE AND NATURE PROTECTION

The 2015 Festival of Arts and culture in Limbe (FESTAC): 4th to 11th of April 2015

Mallay (Elephant) Dance

Victoria is a transparent and one of the highly cosmopolitan towns in the south West region of Cameroon. Victoria as it was called during the colonial era but today known as Limbe (the Town of Friendship) is located at the foot of Mount Cameroon and along the shores of the sea. The town shares a unique feature in its geological, climatic and social characteristics within Cameroon and some of their close neighboring countries like the Equatorial Guinea. The town of

Lingombi Dance Group

Limbe is also very imperative, treasured and a freethinking town. It is also known of its fascinating and fast growing touristic sites (sea, beach, botanical garden, wild life center, hotels, restaurants and most especially the hospitable nature of the inhabitants). Limbe is also located close to the second wettest place in the world (Debuncha) a small village along the ring road of Mount Cameroon.

The available and good transport network linking Limbe to other areas of Cameroon and the outside world has motivated the highly cultural diversity with this small town. Cultural diversity and national integration (through the Limbe annual Festival of Arts and Culture); a unifying event to the over 250 cultures and other neighboring cultures located in the Town of Friendship. A seven days event designed to host, flourish, and promote the ideology of cultural heritage and identity by creating a humble, friendly, welcoming, and serene atmosphere for locals from different communities, ethnic back ground, ecological zone and religious communities.   

Craft Work from Dead Wood

The direct and most common significance would be the preservation of cultural heritage and identity but indirectly, the event especially to the inhabitants of one of the ever green forested areas of Cameroon were culture has a great role with the environment (nature; forest and the sea). Thus a greater extent of the event is an indirect step towards the preservation of shrines a tool towards natural resource conservation.

Traditional Painting

The over 41 villages around Mount Cameroon rely on the forest in performing their culture and traditional rights since in the past each of this 41 villages controlled over 2 hectares of land each contributing to the very deep, dark, dens and ever green forest. A forest exploited with the goal of sustenance and continuity but in present times, the disappearance of some villages has also facilitated the fast loss of the forest (mainly the shrines) and the quick desertification. As such, events like the annual FESTAC festival is an eye opener for the necessity of culture and indirectly the preservation of nature particularly through the shrines.   

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