The Cross River Information Team (CRIT) is a student-led, on-going collaboration between The Cross River Gorilla Project and Newcastle University. When CRIT was established 2 years ago, the students were tasked with researching various topics surrounding the Lebialem Highlands (where the Cross River Gorilla is found) and also to create a questionnaire that John, the CEO of CRGP, could take out to Cameroon in order so see how the young people in the local community valued their forest and its wildlife. The students also took part in organizing a fundraiser held at the Great North Museum.
Last year, 5 other students and I (CRIT2) looked into how a fully funded centre for children/women’s empowerment could benefit the community, and produced a booklet proposing our ideas. Feedback from ERuDeF founder Louis Nkembi was positive, however plans for the centre have been put on hold because of the ongoing political unrest in the area. It seems that CRIT is growing year on year with new students bringing new skills and our latest campaign ‘The Pencil Case Project’ is evidence of this.
This year students are running a campaign called the Pencil Case Project to collect pencil cases filled with stationery for school children in Cameroon and we need your help – because after all, a small gesture really can go a long way. So come the end of exams instead of throwing all your good-as-new stationery into your draw never to see the light of day again, why not donate them to The Pencil Case Project and in doing so help put a smile on a child’s face! Anything from pens to rulers that are small enough to fit into a pencil case will do. Donation points will be in the Robbo, the SU and scattered around campus.
Enjoy the holidays, work hard and have a merry Christmas!
Photo credit: Paul Spillet
Note. Donations are now closed.