My passion for wildlife started when I was 9 years old. Back then, I used to buy small birds, especially the black-crowned waxbill, from older boys in my community and keep them in cages, thinking they would be safer. However, the birds always died in captivity. Eventually, I learned that these animals are best left undisturbed in their natural habitats and decided to release them back to the wild. After being away from this community for over 15 years, I returned and found that the bushes where my birds had lived were destroyed by infrastructure. This meant that my birds had lost their home. Devastated by this, I vowed to dedicate the rest of my life to protecting not just birds but nature in general. I pursued a master’s degree in applied ecology and wildlife management, which sparked a special passion for community-based conservation in me. Realizing that I could not achieve my goals alone, I built a team and started a grassroots conservation organization called ABOYERD. Through this organization, I am currently leading the conservation of pangolins, their habitats and associated wildlife species in and around the Mbam Djerem National Park using a community-based approach. The main threats to these species in the area are poaching for protein and income, and habitat degradation caused by the cutting down of non-timber forest product trees for their fruits. We believe that the best way to prevent the local extinction of pangolins and other wildlife species in the area is to provide alternative livelihoods to indigenous communities while improving the habitats of these species. As a recipient of the GDF seed project, I wanted to highlight the important role that developing green value chains can play in supporting the conservation of pangolins and other wildlife species while improving the livelihoods of indigenous communities.