Parfait Mimbimi Esono has been a pioneer of FSC in Cameroon and the Congo Basin. In 1999, he joined the FSC, when the organization was still in its infancy, as an active member and focal point for Cameroon. He formed the first national working group as the basis for the development and deployment of FSC in Cameroon. As one of the very first FSC members in Africa, Parfait, affectionately referred to as "Mimbimi" by his peers and the entire FSC network, was a strong advocate for responsible forest management in the Congo Basin and an active and committed voice for FSC. Mimbimi remained a member of FSC until 2012 when he retired.
Kim Carstensen, current FSC Director General, expresses FSC's sorrow: "It is with deep sadness that we learned of the sad passing of Mr. Parfait Mimbimi Esono, a prominent member of FSC International and a pioneer of FSC certification in Africa and particularly in Cameroon. FSC International joins the family of Mr. Parfait Mimbimi Esono and the FSC community in mourning this irreparable loss. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time."
The entire forest management community of the Congo Basin will forever be grateful for his unwavering commitment to the defense of sustainable forest management.
Rest in peace, Papa Mimbimi.
FSC members and staff
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Biography of Parfait Mimbimi Esono, 1941-2021
Parfait Mimbimi Esono was born in Ekoumoudoum in the current department of the Ntem Valley, Southern Region, on June 2, 1941, the son of farmers and the eldest of a family of 10 children. He grew up between Sangmelima, precisely in ESSAMVOUT, Meyo-Centre, and Ambam, where he obtained his CEPE and the entrance exam to 6th grade with a scholarship. He began his secondary education in Yaoundé at the Leclerc High School, then in Douala at the Joss High School, where he obtained his BAC 1 and BAC 2.
He went to France to pursue his higher education in Paris. He obtained a Certificate of Higher Commercial Studies at the Commercial Academy of Paris, then at the Institute of Economic and Social Development Studies of Paris Sorbonne, where he obtained his graduate degree. In addition, he studied management of small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan and project development and USAID funding at George Washington University in the USA.
Parfait Mimbimi Esono began his professional career in the maritime sector in 1978 in Germany with the Rhein Maas See (RMS) group in Duisburg. His expertise earned him the recognition of the managers of RMS Duisburg, where he was appointed Advisor to the General Manager, Mr. Stomberg. He worked there for ten years, receiving many honors and being selected as the Group's Deputy Africa Manager in 1991. He decided to return to his country to contribute his experience to the development of his native Cameroon. With his keen sense of work well done and his natural skills, Parfait Mimbimi Esono actively participated in creating many companies such as CAMSHIP, CAMTENAIR, SOCAMAC, SCATRAM, the port agency SUD MARITIME, MTL.
This brilliant economist was also involved in promoting forest certification in Cameroon and the Congo Basin, with positive results that earned him two international awards from WWF and FSC. He also contributed to the development of the FSC in Cameroon and participated in establishing the Project (CAMPO-MA'AN), which became a National Reserve.
Parfait Mimbimi Esono worked in the spirit of the values transmitted to him by his parents: "Always do everything well that you have to do." In turn, he tried to teach this spirit to the young people under his supervision. On the humanitarian level, Parfait Mimbimi Esono brought his contribution to the Ad-Lucem Foundation, where he was Director General.
Parfait Mimbimi Esono, "Tara oh" as his colleagues called him, was a man of the field, a public man, and a politician. He was the first President of the CPDM section of the Ntem Valley, his department of origin, and a Deputy of the CPDM.
Humility, simplicity, and the fear of God inherited from his parents brought him closer to the most humble people and to the Presbyterian Church, which he served as a church elder at François Akoa Abomo Parish.
He was married and had eight (08) children.
The dimension of a man's life lies in his impact on the lives of his acquaintances, friends, and others who gravitate around him. The Grand Duke slips away discreetly, in all simplicity, to better remain among us.