[ projects ] → [ africa ] → [ Gola Forest, Sierra Leone ]

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Saving the Rainforest and Developing Sustainable Livelihoods, Gola Forest: SIERRA LEONE

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Article 25 is working with the villagers of Lalehun, to save the 75,000 hectare Gola Rainforest and help develop sustainable livelihoods and opportunities in conservation and eco-tourism for the 100,000 people living in and around the Gola Forest. This project will help protect one of western Africa's most important natural habitats - and offer a route out of poverty for local communities.

Together we will build a sustainable Park Headquarters with renewable, green energy resources and staff village. We are currently producing a ‘masterplan’ for the Gola National Park, and for improvements to the villages surrounding the forest including a clinic, school, marketplace, clean water extraction and sanitation.

This project is vital in improving the protection of the park and attracting visitors and future investment in sustainable development. We are working to ensure that local people are involved in the project and that jobs are created locally.

[ project location ]

The Gola Forest in eastern Sierra Leone is a rainforest with unique biodiversity and is home to many endangered species of plants, birds and animals including chimpanzees, leopards and forest elephants. It is and vital to preserve the rainforest in the battle against global warming for the amount of carbon the trees absorb every day. The Gola Forest is an essential source of income for local communities, but there is a need to change to sustainable activities. Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest nations, with nearly half of Sierra Leoneans earning less than $1.25 a day; this project has great potential to create sustainable growth that will provide new livelihoods and increased incomes in Sierra Leone benefitting the 100,000 people living around the forest.

[ project partner ]

Article 25 is working with the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) who are improving conservation, training local staff as park rangers and developing international support for the Gola Forest National Park. We are also working closely with local people, giving training in sustainable construction, water extraction, sanitation maintenance and building maintenance.

[ project type ]

The newly designated National Park requires a sustainable infrastructure to enable better conservation and to attract visitors to the park. A park headquarters, visitor centre, and staff accommodation are required alongside agricultural improvements, educational, civic, and medical facilities for the local communities. We are working to provide the essential buildings as well as renewable, environmentally friendly energy sources.

[ problem addressed ]

A decade of civil war (1992-2002) left Sierra Leone in poverty. This national disaster led to dependency on unsustainable agriculture and primary exports, creating a cycle of poverty and destruction of natural environments. This project will combine conservation with the development of livelihoods that use resources sustainably to bring Sierra Leoneans living around the Gola Forest out of poverty and make the country a stable and strong provider for its people. This project will benefit Sierra Leoneans locally and nationally and will be beneficial for the whole world through conservation of a unique environment and the impact this will have in reducing carbon in the atmosphere.