In Cameroon we leave West Africa and cycle into a new region, Central Africa. Here we cycle far east, into the jungle, to meet the Baka, one of the world's last indigenous hunter-gatherer people. Deep in the world's second largest rainforest, we meet a people who live in, by and with nature, but whose living conditions are disappearing as the forest is cut down. Fortunately, we also meet people who are doing everything they can to help them.

Colors, humidity and endless forest

The tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin is the world's second largest rainforest after the Amazon. We cycle on a dirt road that winds through the forest and only opens up when we reach a small village. A place that is so different from what we know. The sounds of animals and birds fiddling in the forest floor and in the treetops. The monkeys jumping from branch to branch and sending signals to their friends when they spot us on our bikes. The humid forest smell settles in our nostrils and mixes with the sweet smell of fermented cassava root that we are served with every meal. Our T-shirts are constantly soaked and clammy from the heat and humidity, and it is impossible to dry our clothes.

When it rains, the road turns to mud, and in a split second, the bikes and clothes are completely orange from the clay soil. The view is green with trees, creepers, hanging plants and even more trees of all shapes and sizes. The high humidity and temperature create ideal growing conditions for trees and plants, but also for fungus and rot, which hang heavy in the air.

It seems as if there is a certain order in the chaos of how the plants grow and the lianas parasitize themselves on the trees to survive. Or they all fight to get to the light, which gives the very tall characteristic trees. The diversity is enormous. We see with our own eyes how the rainforest is the most species-rich area on earth. Both in terms of plants and animals.

We don't see the horizon, but into a thick wall of green hues on either side of the road. The rainforest seems endless, even though we know that deforestation and destructive mining are raging out of it. There are so many details and layers in the jungle, and yet it looks the same to our untrained eye. Behind the green wall is a treasure trove of all kinds of animals, crops, berries and medicinal plants, which are home to the Baka people, whom we cycle out to meet.

The Baka – a hunter-gatherer people

The Baka people are one of the world's last indigenous peoples. They are a hunter-gatherer people and anthropologists estimate that their culture has existed for more than 40,000 years. Previously, the collective term pygmies was used, but the Baka prefer to be called by the name of the people.

The Baka people live in symbiosis with nature, hunting and harvesting what they need for daily survival, but no more. The men can hear where the animals are and where they are moving. The women gather berries, leaves, roots, honey and plants. The forest is their storehouse and medicine cabinet, and other tribes come to them for healing. They live semi-nomadic, and they build huts of palm leaves for shelter at night. The forest is their home. Their lives are so closely connected to the forest that other tribes believe that the Baka can transform into animals through various rituals.

But all that has changed. The Baka people have been displaced, oppressed and pushed into the shadows of the modern world. It started in the 60s, but became really evident in the 90s, when deforestation and the creation of wildlife reserves were accelerated. Activities that ensure economic progress for the few, but at the expense of the livelihood of an entire population group.

WWF was at the forefront of establishing the reserves to protect the animals from the large-scale deforestation process. In return, they banned the Baka from entering the reserves. In their homes, which they have always moved freely in. There are cruel stories of how WWF guards have beaten and abused the Baka, while rich foreigners have paid large sums for trophy hunting in the reserves. Whereas the indigenous people are no longer allowed to hunt to survive. With fewer and fewer areas to move around and fewer opportunities to feed themselves, the Baka are being pushed into small villages next to the road, contrary to their nature.

In many places we see small empty alcohol bags thrown on the road. Cheap booze that can be bought for 50øre, in a small bag. From early morning and throughout the day we meet people whose eyes are flickering and the smell of alcohol cannot be hidden. People seem resigned and the villages dysfunctional. The Baka people do not have the tools to cope in the modern world, which they have not chosen to be a part of. It is not their natural instinct, or the way they grew up. They are repeatedly exploited by cocoa farmers and others as cheap labor. In the worst cases, they are only paid with alcohol. They are used by straw men to shoot animals illegally, and if they are caught, it is the Baka who end up in prison. The stories are many and depressing for a people who are the greatest role model for living in harmony with nature. With foreign interests that only focus on extracting raw materials as cheaply as possible, a government that only thinks about its own profit, and WWF that is only interested in nature and animals, the Baka people stand alone and are the big losers.

Fortunately, there are NGOs and locals who are fighting for dignity and respect for one of the world's last indigenous peoples. Some of them we are lucky enough to meet in Cameroon.

The meeting with Charles Jones

We visit Charles and his family in the town of Bertoua. Charles is a fantastic, warm-hearted, bubbly, wise man whose life's work is to fight for the Baka and their living conditions. At the same time, he is a realist and recognizes that the Baka cannot continue with their original way of life. Charles' goal is to help the Baka hold on to their rights, roots and traditions while at the same time becoming integrated into society.

Charles' wife is a strong smiling woman who has a huge vegetable garden close to the house and another in the jungle, where they get most of their ingredients. We are spoiled with delicious home-cooked food, and Marie learns some tricks. We enjoy spending time with the family, where we immediately feel at home. Charles passionately draws a map for us while he talks about his work with the Baka. He explains where we can meet the Baka and gives us several contacts who can help us along the way. Among others, to his good friend Dieudonné, who is waiting for us in Yokaduma.

Dieudonné and the nuns

As we cycle into the town of Yokaduma, a man on a motorbike overtakes us, saying 'You are welcome' with a huge smile. It takes a moment before we realise that it is Dieudonné, whom Charles has put us in touch with. We cycle after Dieudonné through the town and to a Catholic mission, where we are warmly welcomed by Nun Julienne. It is a Catholic mission established in the 70s. A huge place with a church, several associated buildings and a beautiful garden. Today, three nuns and the church's priest live in an associated building. We are accommodated in one of the rooms belonging to the mission. A nice turquoise room with an associated bathroom – and a much-needed shower.

We spend the rest of the evening with Dieudonné. He is an enterprising man with a big heart, and we immediately become good friends. He runs an organization with Julienne, in memory of Rita Rossi. An Italian woman who came to Cameroon as a Catholic missionary and dedicated her life to helping the Baka. She lived in Cameroon from 1974 until her death in 2016. When Dieudonné moved to the city, he developed a close relationship with Rita Rossi, and that is why he wants to continue her mission of a better life for the Baka. He takes us to a school that the organization has built. At the school, children and young people from Baka families receive an education, and they live at the school in the meantime. One of the Baka who has attended the school has just been trained as a teacher and is now teaching in one of the Baka communities. This is exactly what Dieudonné dreams of. How the school can help give back to the Baka communities.

Visiting the Baka people

With the same organization, we go the next day to a small village with Dieudonné, nun Julienne, a lab technician, a lawyer and a translator to a small Baka village. The car is packed with medical equipment and medicine to be used to treat diseases. Once a month they visit a village where they provide information and treatment.

We arrive at the small village, where there is a collection of houses on both sides of the road. There are a few traditional Baka palm huts and other wooden houses. The village teacher comes to us and shows us the school. An open house with a roof over it. While we start setting up, the driver drives further into the jungle to pick up more Baka who live further into the forest. We greet the village chief and people gather around us curiously to see what is going on. The population is a mixture of Baka and Bantu, which is a general term for ethnic groups in Central Africa. There are often disputes between the Baka and Bantu, but here they live together.

A projector is set up in one of the houses and music is played. Beautiful local music blasts out of the speakers. People are having a good time and start dancing. Marie and Kenneth are pulled into a dance, and the atmosphere is good. The driver comes back with the car and the back is full of people. We all gather in the community center, where people are squeezed together and almost sit in layers, so that everyone can be there.

Dieudonné starts by telling us why they are here and continues with various pieces of information. The most important information is that alcohol and drugs do more harm than good, and that there are consequences if they engage in violence, illegally shoot animals or commit other crimes. Dieudonné is responsible for the prison in Yokadouma, so he knows firsthand how important it is to explain to the Baka what a prison is and that it is not a place they want to go. It impresses us that the Baka people live so isolated from the rest of society that not everyone is necessarily familiar with prison and education as we know it. And we remind ourselves that we are deep in the jungle and far from the city. We don't see many telephones, radios or other contact with the outside world. Dieudonné has a video in which a young guy is interviewed who is in prison. There are examples of Baka who are in prison for violence, illegal hunting of animals, self-defense, or because they have been used by others. The lawyer who is with them gives them advice and guidance and explains that they can get help from him if they need it.

A large part of the organization's work is also to produce birth certificates. Without a birth certificate, a person cannot get an identity card and without it, they cannot access the school system or other rights in society. Many Baka live completely outside or parallel to the rest of society for this reason.

Then the mobile medical center is prepared. The lawyer and Marie start by registering the sick and measuring their blood pressure, weight and temperature. Marie is responsible for the weighing and opens her eyes wide, as several of the women weigh around 40kg. and some as low as 32kg. It is not much, but it is common, as they are small and slim by nature. Then they are sent to the nurse, Nonne Julienne, who assesses what needs to be done. The next step is to see a doctor, which Dieudonné represents. They take blood samples, which the laboratory technician reviews and then they receive treatment. An effective set-up that works. Today, there are 48 people receiving treatment.

First, women with small children come to check, then women without children, the men, the young women and finally the young men. It takes almost the whole day, and two young guys come up to fight over something or other. A man and a woman are getting into each other's faces. Some of the men have been drinking, and a couple of them ask Kenneth for money, which they don't get. It's a motley bunch of people, who are on the one hand so strong and on the other hand so vulnerable.

The living conditions of bakers

We stay a few days in Yokadouma to hang out with Dieudonné. We are invited to his sweet family home. He has five sons, the youngest only a few weeks old. His sister is visiting with her children to help take care of the house and children. It is tradition for the family to send a member to help the new parents.

As darkness falls, Dieudonné drives Nun Julienne and us back to the monastery on his motorcycle. Four men high on a motorcycle through the city in the fresh evening air; The person in charge of the city prison, a nun and two Danish cyclists. Something of a sight and such good friendships begin.

Dieudonné shows us the prison where he works. The first thing he shows us is the cutest little chimpanzee baby they've rescued. It was sitting completely glued to its dead mother's body. The baby chimpanzee runs to Dieudonné, who gives it a swing ride, which it really likes. Then it spots Kenneth, and it's love at first sight on both sides. Kenneth picks up the little guy, and he snuggles up to him.

We continue into Dieudonné's office. Here we meet a young Baka man who is incarcerated with his mother. The guy walks on crutches and has a bad leg. Dieudonné helps him with treatment. The young guy's mother is incarcerated for beating her husband to death with a club to the head. We didn't fully understand the young man's role in the fight, but he was incarcerated with his mother.

There is also a sack of rice in the office, which Dieudonné gives some to the inmates. The prisoners only eat once a day, and the state does not give them enough money to eat. So the prisoners depend on their families bringing them extra food. The families of the Baka do not do this, as they live in the forest far away and do not have the means to do so. That is why Dieudonné helps them as best he can. He also helps them if they need to go to the hospital or if they need assistance in court. He speaks and understands some of the Baka language and can help translate. In addition, Dieudonné says that there were four inmates for violating the law for ritual acts. That is, they have either dug up a corpse to use bones for ritual acts or harmed people to take some of their body parts.

While we are sitting in the office, the little chimpanzee cub comes back and jumps onto Kenneth's lap. They are so clever, those dear chimpanzees. It was just about to join the bike.

The day continues on to another small Baka village. We sit on the back of Dieudonné's motorbike. He waves and greets many people as we continue out of town on the characteristic red roads. In the Baka village we visit a house that Rita Rossi built, which a family has now taken over. There is a dilapidated bed, but the house is otherwise empty. The family lives in a hut that they built themselves a little further away. We also visit the school that Rita built. Right now it is empty, as it is summer vacation. One of the women from the school is there. She has taken over teaching at the school. She has two years left to complete her education, but she became pregnant and had to go back to the village to look after her child. When the child is older, she hopes to continue in school again.

We drive a little further to visit another family who has lost their 13-year-old daughter. The house is completely empty, and the neighbors say that they have taken to the forest. Our big dream is to go into the forest with the Baka, learn about the plants and animals, seen through their eyes and their vast knowledge. But that can't really be done. However, we find warmth in the fact that in the midst of the Baka's misery, it is clear that they still go out into the forest often, not just to hunt, but to be.

From tropical wood to designer chair

The situation of the Baka people is complex and influenced by many factors, but one thing is certain. Their forest and home are shrinking day by day. Every day we see trucks with huge logs driving out of the rainforest and towards the port of Douala to be exported to the West and Asia. We would like to learn more about this. We have read and heard a lot about deforestation and the consequences it has for the climate, animals and population, but standing in the middle of it and seeing the deforestation is impressive.

We drive with Dieudonné to a sawmill deep in the jungle. In the huge area, several trucks with large logs loaded on the trailer are parked. With Dieudonné's good persuasion skills and a call to the boss, we are allowed to have a tour of the site. We learn how there are three types of trees that they go after. The precious wood is especially in high demand. The dark hard wood, which is used for everything from furniture, boats, musical instruments and much more. That is what is lying in front of us on a truck, and which the man says may be a 150-year-old tree. We walk around the factory and see the different steps from it being on the truck to being split and packed onto pallets. There is a large portion of wood ready to be sent to Canada. He says that they work with the certification, OLB, which ensures that it is not illegal wood, but they do not work with FSC, which ensures that it is sustainable wood. He also says that there will be a new certification from the EU in December, which will affect them.

Right now they are working in a cycle where they can come back to the same area after 30 years to cut down trees again, and that the trees have to be a certain size for them to be allowed to cut them down. Although he also adds that it may be a little smaller when they come back. They do not do anything to replant, as the forest can do it itself in his opinion. We continue on behind the large factory. Here there is an entire village with 300 people who work for the company in different ways. Either at the factory, in the forest or with service around the factory. The man tells us how the factory is obliged to comply with all sorts of different rules. Most of them from the EU. Among other things, they have to ensure that the 300 employees do not hunt illegally in the forest. They do this, among other things, by allowing you to report if you see someone hunting.

We are invited to dinner in the small working-class town. The dish is bushmeat! No one raises an eyebrow. I wonder how they are going to comply with all the other rules?!

As green as the forest is on the map, its future looks bleak. In addition to deforestation, there is also mining, which is a whole chapter in itself. Like so much else we have experienced so far on our trip to Africa, it is easy to criticize deforestation and mining, but there is so much behind it. So many people trying to survive and make their everyday lives work. Corruption, power and history. A huge pressure and power struggle for resources from other parts of the world. Nothing is black and white, but full of nuances – but there is no doubt that what is happening is harmful to the entire population of the earth, and that it is the people of the forest; the Baka – who pay the highest price.

What is the future of the Baka people?

As we leave Cameroon, our minds are bursting with impressions. Of all the contradictions we have encountered in the rainforest. How one of the world's last indigenous peoples who live in harmony with nature is pushed to the side of the road, while they watch life and their living conditions pass them by on the backs of large trucks. How they are forced into a society that is unnatural to them and without help to integrate into it. How the peace of nature and their sharp senses are replaced by alcohol and internal conflicts. How an entire population group loses so that Cameroon's elite can become even richer and the rest of the world can get beautiful houses, furniture, boats and whatever else the exported wood is used for. How the forest and its animals disappear, and how it affects the climate of the entire world.

Fortunately, we meet people who want the Baka people to do well and each one does what they can to help them. About warm-hearted people who fight for the rights of others. And who let us become a part of their everyday life for a while.

We have learned many things in Africa, and one of them is that everything has a price. How Africa is blessed with many of the world's most important raw materials, but that it is also their curse, because it means a fight for resources, and the Baka are the losers in that fight.

A huge thank you to Peder Frederik Jensen for putting us in touch with Charles Jones. Peder, together with photographer Anders Rye Skjoldjensen, has published the book 'Under the Same Moon' about climate change in Africa. An exciting book that gets close to the people who feel climate change every day in their daily lives.