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Expedition Diary - Congo Basin

Education for Nature

Judith Mashinya
© WWF

Conserving the Congo: Education for Nature

For almost 15 years, WWF’s Education for Nature (EFN) Program has been equipping conservation leaders with the training and practical experience to take on challenges in their home countries. Follow Judith Mashinya of WWF’s EFN Program as she travels through the Congo Basin to visit conservationists supported by WWF. Along the way, she travels across lagoons teeming with crocodiles and learns how to avoid a buffalo attack.

Because of its rich natural resources, Gabon’s economy is strong. Here, rainforest logs await export in Libreville Harbor, Gabon.
© Martin HARVEY / WWF-Canon

Part 5: Sticker Shock

To travel to Gabon from Cameroon, I had to take a plane from Douala to Libreville. I woke up at 4:30AM and took a taxi to the bus station to catch the bus. The trip was about four hours long. Since I had not had any breakfast and was not certain whether I would be able to get food at the airport, I hurried to a hotel just next to the bus terminal. I had a serve-yourself breakfast of an unappealing cup of coffee, a couple of not-too-fresh croissants, and a boiled egg—and got a bill for about $16! This was not a five star hotel - and I know the U.S. dollar has lost some value- but to me this was another shocking example of how expensive life is in Central Africa.

But it turned out Cameroon was nothing compared to Gabon. I had heard about the high cost of living but I still suffered sticker shock at every purchase. The situation has been exacerbated by the fall of the US dollar and the rise of the Euro, to which the local currency is pegged.