ABOUT US

Who We Are

The Environmental Management and Livelihood Initiative (EMLI) is a dynamic, impact-driven non-governmental organization in Cameroon pioneering local solutions to global climate and human development challenges. We are a dedicated team of environmental advocates, agricultural specialists, health professionals, and educators united by a single conviction: that ecosystem preservation and human prosperity must advance hand-in-hand.

As structural change-makers, we serve as a trusted bridge between vulnerable populations and sustainable development. We specialize in transforming marginalized individuals—particularly women, youths, and children—into active stewards of their own environment, health, and economic future. At our core, EMLI is an agile, transparent, and innovative partner committed to building a resilient Cameroon where nature and humanity thrive together.

Our Mission

Our mission is to empower marginalised communities to thrive through innovative programs in conservation, climate-resilient agriculture, public health, and education. We strive to foster a future where nature and people – especially women and youth – flourish in harmony.

The Environmental Management and Livelihood Initiative (EMLI) is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Cameroon, dedicated to harmonizing ecosystem preservation with human advancement. Born out of a commitment to sustainable development, EMLI operates at the critical intersection of environmental stewardship, rural prosperity, public health, and social equity.

We believe that a healthy environment is the foundation of a dignified life. To turn this vision into reality, EMLI deploys innovative, community-led programs across four core pillars:

Environment: Advancing species and biodiversity conservation, expanding clean water and sanitation access, and championing menstrual hygiene management.
Agriculture: Boosting food security, enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods, and building climate-resilient farming systems.
Health: Improving rural healthcare access, strengthening public health outcomes, and protecting sexual and reproductive health rights.
Education: Expanding access to quality, inclusive learning opportunities for underserved populations.

By forging strategic partnerships and centering our work on marginalized groups—particularly women, youths, and children—EMLI builds resilient communities capable of thriving in lasting harmony with nature.

Our Vision

We envision a world where resilient communities flourish in harmony with nature, safeguarding human rights and enjoying equitable access to a dignified quality of life.

OUR VALUES

At EMLI, our work is driven by five core values of Integrity, Community empowerment, adaptation and innovation, Respect for nature and Equity and rights-based action with acronym ICARE:

Integrity (Transparency and Accountability): We operate with absolute honesty, transparency and high ethical standards in managing resources, delivering programs, and engaging with partners and local communities.
Community Empowerment (Inclusivity and Equity): We put marginalised groups, especially women, youths and children, at the centre of our work, equipping them with tools, knowledge, and rights to drive their own sustainable development.
Adaptation and Innovation (Resilience): We design creative, climate-resilient solutions tailored to changing environmental and socio-economic realities, ensuring communities can withstand future shock.
Respect for Nature (Stewardship): We are dedicated to protecting biodiversity, restoring natural ecosystems, and promoting a culture of deep environmental consciousness that respects the interconnectedness of people and the planet.
Equity and Rights-Based Action: We champion the fundamental human rights of all individuals, advocating for health equity, educational access, and environmental justice for underserved populations

OUR APPROACH

At EMLI, we believe that lasting change must be driven from within the communities we serve. We do not apply one-size-fits-all fixes; instead, we combine grassroots knowledge with scientific innovation to create sustainable, scalable impact. Our operational model is built on four core methodologies:

Community-Led Co-Design: We never impose solutions. We work directly alongside local leaders, women's groups, and youth councils to identify challenges and co-design interventions, ensuring deep community ownership from day one.
Integrated Nexus Approach: We break down traditional development silos. By recognizing that environmental health directly impacts food security, public health, and education, our programs are cross-cutting to maximize long-term community resilience.
Capacity Building & Agency: True sustainability means independence. We focus heavily on training, equipping, and empowering marginalized individuals—especially women and youth—giving them the skills and legal awareness to defend their rights and manage their own natural resources.
Data-Driven Accountability: We track our impact rigorously. Through transparent monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks, we measure project outcomes continuously to guarantee maximum accountability, efficiency, and return on investment for our donors.

Learn More

EMLI Team

The EMLI team is a passionate and diverse group of professionals, each bringing their unique expertise and dedication to our mission. With backgrounds in environmental science, agriculture, social entrepreneurship, education, and development, our team works together to empower vulnerable communities and create sustainable, lasting change.

Every day, our experts and change-makers collaborate across various disciplines to address the challenges faced by marginalized groups, ensuring their well-being and resilience. The strength of our team lies in our shared commitment to environmental sustainability, social equity, and inclusive development as we work toward a brighter, more equitable future for all.

Luma Likanjo

Executive Director

Luma Likanjo is a WASH and Climate Change professional, Chevening Scholar, Mandela Washington Fellow and the Executive Director for EMLI. Prior to joining EMLI, he served as the Head of Hygiene, Sanitation and Environment Department of Limbe III Council, and a consultant with various international organisations. He has designed and delivered several climate-smart agriculture, climate-resilient health and WASH interventions. He has also successfully designed and secured funding for a multi-million-franc regional livelihood consortium that brought together national ministries, traditional rulers, and international stakeholders to empower rural communities. He holds a Master’s degree in Water and Sanitation for Development from Cranfield University, UK, and other certifications in climate and development finance, project management, development evaluation and data analysis.

Nkembeteck Henry Nkwa

Program Manager

Nkwa has over 10 years of hands-on experience acting as a strategic link between an organisation’s vision and field execution, providing comprehensive oversight across different thematic areas. He has a strong experience in ensuring donor compliance, managing large project budgets and producing technical reports. He is a mentor and holds a Master’s degree in International Development and specialized training in NGO governance and multi-sector

project coordination. With his strong experience, he supervises all project leads and delivers sustainable, community-led transformation across the country.

Njieni Juslene

Project Lead – Conservation

Juslene has seven years of administrative and operational experience overseeing large-scale ecosystem conservation grants and managing international donor timelines. He has extensive scientific field research experience focusing on biodiversity tracking and threatened species population monitoring. He holds a diploma in conservation from the Garoua School of Wildlife with specialized training in IUCN Red List frameworks. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management from the University of Buea. He has served as the delegate for forestry and wildlife in Cameroon, where he led a field team that successfully discovered, mapped, and established a community protection plan for endangered endemic amphibian species whose habitats were threatened by severe deforestation. He is known for his successful, on-time execution of massive, multi-year habitat protection projects, coordinating diverse field teams to meet all donor indicators. He supervises 4 community-based volunteers who support field conservation works like biodiversity monitoring, tree planting, workshops and other activities.

Enow Bruno

Project Lead - Environmental Health/WASH

Bruno is a an Environmental Health specialist possesses six years of field engineering experience designing rural water delivery networks and community-led total sanitation programs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master’s in Public Health. He has supervised the construction and community handover of 15 school gravity-flow water systems and eco-friendly menstrual hygiene blocks, directly driving down child waterborne illness rates by 40% in targeted zones in the Northwest and Southwest regions. He supervises 5 community-based volunteers supporting the construction of catchments, hand washing stations, distribution of hygiene kits and managing menstrual hygiene management.

Etakah Edia

Project Lead - Agriculture

Etakah Edia, a Climate-Smart Agriculture Specialist brings over eight years of field experience in agronomic extension, rural food security modelling, and agroforestry implementation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture (Crop Production) and an MSc in Development Studies. She has established a network of 25 Farmer Field Schools that trained over 2,000 smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable techniques that increase crop yields by 35% while adapting to unpredictable weather patterns. She supervises 5 community-based volunteers who provide support during the setting up of demonstration plots, distributing climate-resilient seeds and conducting agribusiness training.

Vickram Mbando

Project Lead - Education

Vickram holds a Bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy Engineering and Educational Technology with five years of innovative technical experience intersecting educational technology with rural renewable energy installations. He has designed and installed several solar-powered off-grid digital learning stations that successfully introduced tablet-based literacy apps to over 1,500 out-of-school youth in underserved rural communities in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. He supervises 4 community-based volunteers community who facilitate literacy and tech programs and the distribution of school supplies.

Dr. Tatah Divine

Project Lead - Health

Dr Tatah Divine is a Public Health Specialist with over a decade of experience advancing sexual and reproductive health rights and HIV/AIDS management. Prior to joining EMLI, he drove regional epidemic control and community health initiatives as the District Medical Officer for Nguti and the Regional Coordinator for HIV/AIDS for the Southwest Region. Highly regarded for his grassroots advocacy, Dr Divine has successfully spearheaded mobile testing caravans and public campaigns that reduced stigma and expanded healthcare access for vulnerable populations. He now leverages this extensive background in strategic leadership and community outreach to advance EMLI’s health initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) with specialisation in Epidemiology from the University of Buea. He supervises 5 community-based volunteers who provide support during the setting up of mobile clinics, registration, material distribution and peer-to peer outreach.

Esther Eyong

Finance and Compliance Officer

Esther brings over eight years of rigorous accounting and corporate financial oversight experience under both the OHADA and IFRS frameworks. She holds a Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance and ACCA certification. She has designed a multi-currency grant tracking ledger system for a national NGO that passed three successive international audits with zero negative findings and budget variances.

Abia Rita Ajor

Human Resources & Administration Officer

Rita is a dedicated HR professional with 6 years of experience managing personnel files, labor disputes, and office logistics within the NGO sector. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management and Master’s degree in Employment Law. Prior to joining ELI she worked as an HR consultant for where she managed the seamless enrollment, contract migration, and statutory CNPS compliance for the rapidly expanding organization of over 80 staff members while enforcing strict internal safeguarding protocols.

Jerry Esukise Burnley

Security and Logistics Officer

Jerry brings on board seven years of specialized experience in humanitarian access mapping, complex supply chain monitoring, and crisis risk management within volatile environments. He holds a Master’s Degree in Peace, Conflict and Security from the University of Buea. He has safely routing over 50 metric tons of high-value agricultural and educational assets through active regional checkpoints, ensuring zero loss of property or threat to field staff lives.

Motia Felicia Nja-Njobaya

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Officer

Felicia is a seasoned data scientist with over six years of experience remote verification methodologies and impact evaluation within complex community development initiatives. She holds a Master’s Degree in Statistics and a professional certificate in Project Evaluation. Before joining EMLI, she worked for CARITAS, Buea. She built an offline, mobile-based Kobo Toolbox data matrix that systematically mapped and verified over 10,000 distinct beneficiary feedback entries across rural communities to guarantee absolute reporting transparency.

Ebotetah Andrew Ndonyi

Communications and Media Officer

Ebotetah Andrew Ndonyi is a web designer, SEO, and social media marketing professional with over seven years of experience in digital communications and online visibility. He specializes in creating impactful digital strategies that strengthen organizational presence and audience engagement.

He also produced a short documentary highlighting the economic challenges of rural women, which gained national media attention and attracted increased interest from international donors and individual supporters.