MaaViva

Drs. Kristen Zainer and Phil Burns will be running the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on October 1, 2023. As a means to encourage them in their efforts, they hope to raise $10,000 for Planting Hope, a charity created in the memory of fellow veterinarian, Dr. Mike Kleban.

Dr. Kleban was a compassionate soul, father, friend, and veterinarian, who like an alarming number of other veterinarians, unfortunately died by suicide. He had been a board member of MaaViva, where he championed projects that supported conservation and humanity across Africa.

Since its inception, Planting Hope has planted thousands of trees across Africa, building connections and spurring educational conservation awareness in children and their communities. These trees replace those lost to indiscriminate harvesting which has ravaged villages and left villagers with extremely little to sustain themselves. Besides helping these villagers, trees are one of the greatest gifts we can offer our planet.

Phil and Kristen believe that by supporting Planting Hope, they can bring awareness to the struggles in their own profession as well as those of the greater world. They believe in planting seeds of hope in trees and in the hearts and minds of children through education for a better tomorrow.

We live in a global culture, environment and economy, yet we seldom have direct relationships with those impacted by our choices. We usually do not even know what those impacts are. MaaViva the Institute of Interconnectedness strives to build connections and consciousness through direct relationships.

Frank and I are currently in Cameroon - deepening relationship and coming together with our friends and MaaViva partners to share perspectives, knowledge, creativity, and build together.

A rare rainbow at Lobe Waterfall where a river meets the ocean, during a festival for the Spirit of Water

This year while figuring out my capstone project for my master’s in environmental conservation (The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW Madison), to my surprise several threads of my life (my relationship to Cameroon, my mom’s organization, my master’s and interest in elephants, and being able to collaborate with my life partner Frank) wove together to bring me back to Cameroon.

Walking along the road in Kribi from Christophe's family home to Mbeki village to plant a tree

Being here in Cameroon, I am reminded of the unimaginable trauma of history (genocide, wars, imposition of foreign cultures, the slave trade) and the ongoing extractive relationships. The extraction and exporting of minerals, timber, etc. leave environmental destruction here, transforming into products sold in Europe, the USA and elsewhere, while little (in terms of local compensation and access to these materials) returns to the people who are directly affected by these industries.

An oil drilling site in the ocean viewed from the beach

At the same point, I am reminded of how many people are working hard to heal the world and how we can find our humanity through coming to know each other, and supporting each other's dreams.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Plant trees with Christophe MaVevi in continuation of the Planting Hope - Dr. Mike Kleban Memorial Fund in Kribi. Hopefully we can also plant in Edea and Yaoundé.

Discussing the importance of trees with a beach restaurant owner. Christophe planted trees here 2 years ago and they have already grown tall providing shade (upper left with benches underneath).

Connect With Each Other and Elephants through art (drawing, writing, conversation, music, storytelling, and installation creation) in Kribi with FOJCAM at IFACA (International Festival of Art, Culture, and Agriculture), CASA (Centre de Acuille Le Samaritain – Orphanage), and hopefully at schools in the Kribi Region and Yaoundé.

Victor, Frank, and Bombo constructing an upcycled elephant artistic installation with a black belt in jujitsu for IFACA

Build Relationship Through Conversation and passing time together with our brothers and sisters at CASA and the NJEWEL family in Edea and Yaoundé, with Christophe and Victor and their family in Kribi, with Maurice Rabier and his family in Yaoundé, and with those we meet along the journey

Being gifted a book on the history of Kribi while visiting and having deep conversations at the FOJCAM office with Mr. François (Agriculture expert) and Mr. Felix (Treasurer)

Documentation Through Multimedia Storytelling led by Frank Agrama

Putting My Master’s Learning into Practice on the Ground

COLLABORATORS IN CAMEROON

CHRISTOPHE MAVEVI & VICTOR MEVEVI (FOJCAM)

Christoph next to a tree he planted several years ago through Planting Hope

Christophe has been a key partner for MaaViva now for several years planting trees through the Planting Hope - Dr. Mike Kleban Fund (in memory of our dear friend) in Chrisophe's hometown of Kribi. Deforestation due to coastal development has made the coastline vulnerable to severe ocean storms which have been increasing with climate change and oceanic destabilization through extraction projects. The lack of trees on the coastline leaves people vulnerable to the waves and soil easily washes away with erosion. In addition to addressing coastal erosion and helping to create a green barrier to ocean storms, trees planted in villages help provide fruits to support local communities, shade and traditional medicines. Christophe is also a conscious rap artist and eco-builder.

VICTOR MAVEVI

Victor's Jujitsu class in Kribi (FOJCAM)

Victor Christophe’s brother) is a member of a local organization called FOJCAM who is hosting us here as a partner. Victor leads Jujitsu teaching young people martial arts but including the values that accompany this training. A second focus of Victor’s work within FOJCAM is talking about and striving to prevent drugs and violence. Both Christophe and Victor grew up as orphans on the streets here in Cameroon so they know first-hand about these societal challenges.

The brothers partner together to do environmental education. As they explained to me, sports grab people’s attention more than environmental education so it’s a good entry point. They share how Ju Jitsu supports an inner environment of Health and Safety first and foremost, and from there we can build ecological care.

CENTRE D’ACCUEIL LE SAMARITAIN (CASA)

Reunited with CASA family after 7 years

When I was 21 (7 years ago) I lived in Cameroon at Centre D’Accueil le Samaraitain (an orphanage in Edea Cameroon) for 6 months during a project striving to construct an autonomous and ecological orphanage (EcoCasa). Christine Njewel (Maman Do) and Mr. Gilbert Njewel (her late husband) began the orphanage in 2002 in order to adopt two children who were left without any care after their mother passed away. From then forward the government continued to bring them more children who needed a home but without support to do so. CASA has worked tirelessly to find a way (by the grace of god as Maman often says) to feed, clothe, provide healthcare and send the children to school.

Dimitri leads the celebrations through his impressive dance skills!

The time I spent living at CASA profoundly changed who I am. It broke my heart to leave and I cried all the way from Cameroon back to New Zealand because it felt painful to say goodbye to all of my brothers and sisters at CASA and because there is so much inequality in the world that is hard to reconcile within oneself. For seven years now I have tried to return but it never has been the right moment. I’ve asked myself at times if I am supposed to learn to release it and wondered what the right relationship for myself, born an American, is to Cameroon. What has felt true beyond doubt is that I wanted to return to stay connected to my Cameroonian brothers and sisters.

Now many of my little brothers and sisters are young adults (the same age I was when I first visited). They are trying to get technical trainings in Electricity and other trades but often have to suspend their education for lack of funds. At the same time, there are many new children at the orphanage who are quite young.

CHARLES QUENTIN MAURICE RABIER

Presenting to students at a university in Yaoundé

Maurice Rabier lives in Yaoundé with his family. He is an expert in project evaluation and monitoring and holds strong values of ecology and social well being. He currently is working on an agroforestry project here in Cameroon with his project partner Rohan Guyot Sutherland. A scarcity of funds makes it challenging. I came to know Maurice through the Eco-CASA project 7 years ago. He is exceptionally kind, skilled and dedicated to good work in the world.

FRANK AGRAMA

Frank Aleph Agrama brings creativity into our living experience, aspiring to cultivate social artistic capacities through Elderberries Threefold Cafe & Circles For A Renewal of Culture. Along with being the artistic director for the MaaViva Institute, he co-creates with the creative sentiment of Earth Union.

ZURI BURNS

Zuri cares deeply about people and the environment. Currently completing a master’s in environmental conservation at UW- Madison, Zuri works in community-based conservation & conversation. She is particularly inspired by human-wildlife coexistence (especially elephants). Seven years ago Zuri lived in Cameroon for 6 months during the Eco-CASA project (Bio-construction) and has since returned to Africa for community-based projects with MaaViva. Zuri has experience with natural building, and has recently been a co-worker at Elderberries Threefold Cafe helping to organize gatherings and support community and culture.

YOUR SUPPORT WILL MAKE POSSIBLE: