Article 25 is working with the villagers of Lalehun to save the 75,000 hectare Gola Rainforest and 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.

Article 25 are designing a masterplan for the new Gola Forest National Park, building a sustainable Park Headquarters with renewable, green energy resources and accompanying staff village. Improvements to the existing villages will also be provided, including a clinic, school, marketplace, clean water extraction and sanitation facilities.

This project is vital for the protection of the parks natural habitat and to attract visitors and future investment in sustainable growth and development. We are working to ensure that local people are involved in the project, building construction skills, providing new livelihoods opportunities and creating jobs locally.

location:

The Gola Forest, Eastern Sierra Leone border with Liberia. The Gola Forest is a rainforest with unique biodiversity and is home to many endangered species of plants, birds and animals including chimpanzees, leopards and forest elephants.

partner:

Article 25 is working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, and local government to improve conservation, train local staff as park rangers and develop 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.

timeline:

Phase 1: housing and community facilities under construction March – June 2011.

Phases 2 and 3: to provide National Park Headquarters, residential village, school and clinic to follow.

problem addressed:

A decade of civil war has 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 sustainable livelihoods to raise Sierra Leoneans living around the Gola Forest out of poverty and make the country a stable and strong provider for its people. It will also be beneficial for the whole world through conservation of a unique environment and the impact this will have in reducing carbon in the atmosphere.