Makamte Ngankam Paul, Driver

"..get me out at any time of the day or night to do work"

Paul has been working for WWF as a driver for the Coastal Forest Programme since 2002 and he loves what he is doing.

Paul has been working for WWF as a driver for the Coastal Forest Programme since 2002 and he loves what he is doing.

Shuttling hundreds of kilometres between the Coastal Programme Office in Nkongsamba and the WWF main office in Yaoundé on sometimes weekly basis, the humble Paul does not complain. Not even when thunderstorms force him to pass the night in his vehicle in the mountainous forests.

"I love my job and as a driver I meet a lot of people on a daily basis who want to know about WWF... some just want to know more about the animal on our logo."

It is thanks to sensitisation carried out by Paul and his colleagues that the locals have come to know WWF as an organization that cares for man and his environment.

"We had problems when we just came to this area because people thought we were like a timber exploiting company. I gave my boss the green light to get me out at any time of the day or night to do work".

What strikes Paul most as he drives through the Coastal Programme Area? "There is real poverty and I think people look up to organizations like WWF to provide them with long term solutions to their problems".

What will he propose if the programme had more funds? Without hesitating, Paul thinks they need at least two good four-wheel drive vehicles to enable better coverage of the vast area by WWF staff. While waiting for better days ahead, Paul like most of his colleagues is bubbling with enthusiasm and dedication.