In 2008, the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) in partnership with the African Conservation Foundation (ACF), UK launched the maiden Lebialem Highlands International Volunteering Program (LHIVP) to attract global conservation volunteers to visit and support the Lebialem Highlands conservation program from a couple of international volunteers per month to a peak of 10. The LHIVP continued to pull traction till 2016 when the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon turned in to armed conflict. In the 9years ending in 2016, Lebialem Highlands was gradually being transformed into touristic destination. The support of conservation volunteers had helped to create two core conservation areas namely, Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (2014) and Tofala-Mone Corridor (2019) as well as the ongoing proposed Njoagwi-Fotabong 3 Essoh Attah Wildlife.

In order to further consolidate the previous and ongoing support of international conservation volunteers, ERuDeF and ACF resolved with some of the volunteers to create a platform called the Friends of Lebialem Highlands Network that would work to consolidate and galvanize global funding to support the ongoing conservation work in the highlands. It is within this context that the Friends of Lebialem Network is being formed to bring together all those who have supported conservation in the highlands for tourism and any other conservation related business.