2014-602-E Arts - Friends of the Carrboro Branch Library for 2014 Arts Grant Agreement $1,500

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DocuSign Envelope ID: C65FFCA2-OCAA-4476-9EO3-793FA837F635 % CG VTC�"y�KV\11 Vo , In January of 2014, Debbie Meyer(who is the arts and animal columnist for the Chapel Hill News and Durham News)and Diane Toomey,a former National Public Radio environmental reporter,traveled to Cameroon,Africa. They spent two weeks at the Sanaga Young Chimpanzee Rescue Center in the Mbargue Forestdoing research and writing the draft of a children's book. The pair had been asked by the sanctuary founder, Dr.Sheri Speede,to create a book that would be used for all of the school children of Cameroon showing how the chimpanzees of Cameroon were a national treasure and why they should be protected and allowed to thrive. Chimpanzees have long been killed for their meat. Orphaned chimps of the slaughtered chimpanzees are sold for pets in private homes or for exhibits. Though these practices are now illegal,they still go on. Chimpanzees are in danger of becoming extinct. Through posters, brochures, a national radio campaign,and how this book, IDA-Africa works to bring awareness of the intelligence and deep emotional capacity of chimpanzees as well as their similarity to humans. The book is based on a true story of a young man who gathered great courage to bring an orphaned chimpanzee to the sanctuary. The watercolor illustrations for the book, "I Protect the Chimpanzees," were created by Mary Swift, a sanctuary volunteer.The book was written in English then translated into French,the language that most Cameroonian children speak. Debbie Meyer may be reached at writ(tc)clois�@ rnail,rorri, or at 919-357-6142. Her mailing address is Debbie Meyer, 150 Wild Horse Run, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Images in the show will include the book illustrations as well a sampling of Debbie's photos of the sanctuary,the chimpanzees, and the neighboring remote villages and their residents,who grow the food that the chimpanzees eat. These residents have also grown to become protectors of the chimpanzees.