Mayumba National Park Outreach ProgramA National Park should be a dynamic entity that concerns itself not only with wildlife conservation within its borders, but also with the health and well-being of its neighbours. Protected area conservation can only succeed through the support of local populations. Education and healthcare have been identified as priority issues in the Mayumba area. |
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The Mayumba Outreach Program regularly visits 10 villages in the area surrounding the Park. Slideshows, hands-on demonstrations, and group discussions address topics including malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, hygiene, nutrition, and mother and infant health. Most of these villages have no access to regular health care. As such, a strong accent is placed upon wellness and preventative health. The program also works in Mayumba’s secondary school, offering health education directed specifically at young adults. Our yearly World AIDS Awareness event and regular conferences on health topics relevant to teenagers motivates students to make responsible decisions about their health. The program seeks to develop alternative revenue-making and social initiatives. We have created a local women’s weaving collective, which finds more lucrative markets for the region’s finely crafted traditional mats and uses the profits to fund health education, mosquito net provision, and doctor and midwife visits to the artists' villages. We are also active in the promotion of Mayumba as a ecotourism destination. Products such as tourism brochures, posters, a website, and promotional films are raising the profile of the area and have already helped attract new investment to this sector. A community waste management project is also underway, providing a cleaner, healthier, and more attractive environment for Mayumba’s inhabitants and visitors.
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| During the 2005 Independance Day parade, Mayumba National Park's Environment Club students put on skits about the animals living in the Park, and how their protection can benefit the community through activities such as ecotourism. |



