About Us

About Us

Blessings Of The Forest" (BOTF) is an International Social Organization committed to the Conservation and Sustainable and Equitable Valorization of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of Gabon for the benefit of all humanity.

Our approach starts with Listening, Understanding, and then Supporting the Gabonese People who are dedicated to the Preservation and National, and subsequently International, Valorization of their Material and Immaterial Resources. This is in accordance with the principles of the “Nagoya Protocol,” an International Biodiversity Agreement that originated from the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity (CBD) and was first adopted globally by the Gabonese Republic in November 2011.

The Founding Spirits of BOTF

Our Team

The best workers for sustainable development

Yann Guignon Consultant in Intercultural Mediation & Sustainable Development Founder and Co-Director of BOTF CIC BOTF Gabon Coordinator

Yann Guignon

Consultant in Intercultural Mediation & Sustainable Development

Founding member and Vice President of the Association

Marie Lou Miboka Aboghé Nurse President of BOTF Gabon Responsible for Gender Parity and Solidarity

Marie Lou Miboka Aboghé

Nurse

Founding member and President of the Association

David Nassim Chinese Medicine Consultant Co-Director of BOTF CIC International Relations and Finance Officer

David Nassim

Chinese Medicine Consultant

Founding member and Head of Fundraising and International Relations

Me Moubeyi BOUALE Lawyer of the Bar of Gabon Grand Master of the Bwiti Missoko Rite Director of the National Association for the Preservation of Bwiti Missoko "Maghanga Ma Nzambé" Honorary Member of BOTF Gabon Special Advisor in charge of Moral Order

Me Moubeyi BOUALE

Lawyer of the Bar of Gabon, Grand Master of the Bwiti Missoko Rite, Director of the National Association for the Preservation of Bwiti Missoko "Maghanga Ma Nzambé"

Honorary member of BOTF Gabon and Special Advisor of the Association

Hugues Obiang Poitevin Socio-Cultural Advisor Founder & Executive Secretary NGO Ebando Honorary Member of BOTF Gabon Special Advisor in charge of intercultural, social and organizational issues

Hugues Obiang Poitevin

Socio-Cultural Advisor Founder & Executive Secretary NGO Ebando

Honorary Member of BOTF Gabon Special Advisor in charge of intercultural, social and organizational issues

Guy Bertrand Mapangou : Ancien Ministre des Eaux et Forêts en République Gabonaise - Haut Représentant Personnel du Chef de l’Etat Gabonais - Nima du Bwete Dissumba.

Guy Bertrand Mapangou

Former Minister of Water and Forests in the Gabonese Republic

Personal High Representative of the Gabonese Head of State - Nima of Bwete Dissumba

Georges Gassita Environmental Lawyer In charge of legal and administrative issues for BOTF Gabon

Georges Gassita

Environmental Lawyer

Founding member of BOTF Gabon and Secretary-General of the Association

Rudy Declercq Consultant in Agro-forestry, Herbalism and Artisanal Fishing Treasurer and Responsible for Monitoring Community Projects of BOTF Gabon

Rudy Declercq

Consultant in Agro-forestry, Herbalism and Artisanal Fishing

Founding member of BOTF Gabon and Head of Treasury, Accounting, and General Resources

Ladislas Ndembet President of the NGO Muyissi Environnement In charge of mediation and monitoring of community projects in southern Gabon in agreement with BOTF

Ladislas NdembetLadislas Ndembet

President of the NGO Muyissi Environnement

In charge of mediation and monitoring of community projects in southern Gabon in agreement with BOTF

Judicaël Mboulou Mossala Painter Technical Secretary of BOTF Gabon in charge of Communication Tools

Judicaël Mboulou Mossala

Painter

Active member of BOTF Gabon and Assistant to the Head of Treasury, Accounting, and General Resources

Claude Maganga Moussadji Geopolitics student Active member of the NGO Muyissi Environnement in charge of climate issues Responsible for gender parity in projects supported by BOTF in southern Gabon

Claude Maganga Moussadji

Geopolitics student

Active member of the NGO Muyissi Environnement in charge of climate issues Responsible for gender parity in projects supported by BOTF in southern Gabon

Carmella Akendenguey Wora à l’équipe en tant que « Chargée de Communication Publique

Carmella Akendenguey Wora

Communication

Public Relations Manager

Grâce Ngoyo Moussavou Law student Communications Officer BOTF CIC France

Grâce Ngoyo Moussavou

Finance student

Communications Officer BOTF CIC France

Muriel Bitome Digital Expert DIgital Communication BOTF CIC France

Muriel Bitome

Digital Expert

Digital Communication Consultant BOTF CIC

Cédric Aboghe

Audiovisual Producer

Photo/video project manager BOTF Gabon

OUR APPROACH

Encounter

Encounter, attentively listen, comprehend

Engaging with communities, identifying their potentials, and understanding their challenges.

Raise awareness, inform

Raising awareness among the communities regarding the value of their natural and cultural heritage in Gabon and internationally. Convincing them of the long-term benefits of iboga cultivation and identifying short and medium-term Income-Generating Activities that can be implemented concurrently.

Facilitate exchange

Building trust within the communities by taking concrete actions of material and social support while encouraging them to initiate permaculture agroforestry projects to test their commitment.

Monitor and track

Assisting communities, if necessary, in forming associations to define their objectives and operational guidelines.

Fournir des équipements et des ressources financières (numéro 5 sur le site )

Provide equipment and financial resources

Establishing a 5-year partnership agreement between BOTF and the communities, initially dedicated to the development of their agroforestry project. If there is noticeable progress, extending support to their other potentially sustainable income-generating projects. Providing financial, material, and technical support to communities for the cultivation of iboga alongside other high-value plants.

Offer support

Establishing a local support team and a regular monitoring program to accompany the developing projects.

Foster and promote

Advocating for the communities' commitment to national authorities and international donors to secure material and administrative support. Connecting potential clients, primarily international, who adhere to the principles of the Nagoya Protocol, with the communities. Marketing the fruits of their investments at the most advantageous prices for the communities and ensuring that at least half of these revenues are reinvested in community projects, ultimately leading to financial autonomy.

Our Projects

We support the development of village communities

wishing to sustainably and equitably share the material and immaterial wealth derived from their forests.
OUR PARTNERS
GABON The Last Dance

If you want to get a glimpse of the cultural and natural heritage of the Gabonese people, we recommend watching the remarkable documentary "Gabon The Last Dance," directed by Josh Ponte in 2008.