The Environment Protection Agency of Sierra Leone leads a team of Experts from the Global Ecovillage Network to undertake a needs assessment for the establishment of an Ecofriendly Village in Mano Dasse Chiefdom in the Moyamba District. The two Expert team members from the Eco Friendly Village are; Kosha Anja Joubert and Omar Hajji.
An Ecovillage is a traditional or intentional community with the goal of becoming more socially, culturally, economically, and ecologically sustainable. It is consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes to regenerate and restore its social and natural environments.
The purpose of the meeting over the weekend was to assess and get a platform where Community members will highlight their problems in protecting their environment as well as underscore challenges and Community needs in other to further protect the environment.
After hours of discussions and deliberations with the Experts and staff members of the Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone, the Community people informed the delegation that they want to embark on Inland Valley Swamp farming, fish ponds, backyard gardening and intensive Garri production in their various Chiefdoms.
Mano Dasse Chiefdom is among the few places in the country where Community members and their traditional leadership had banned logging and charcoal burning. After the assessment is done, the Chiefdom will be the first to have an Ecofriendly village in the country. Before an Ecofriendly Village is established, what the Community people are doing is to protect the environment and how they are coping or supporting each other must first be discovered.
Kosha Anja Joubert who was impressed with the initiative thanked the community people for their resilient measures in protecting the trees in their Chiefdom. She showers praises to the Paramount Chief Member of Parliament, Madam Haja Fatmata Bintu Koroma nee Meana Kajue for initiating the bylaws in her Chiefdom. Among the many Communities she had visited, she was impressed with the initiative she saw among Community members in Mano Dasse Chiefdom.
The EPA-SL’s Assistant Deputy Director Policy, Planning and Research, Beran Foster said the Agency thought of not only educating or raising awareness on the environment to the Communities but also thought it necessary to provide them with livelihoods in other to further help save the environment.
PCMP Haja Meana Kajue thanked the EPASL for considering them in their efforts towards saving the environment. As she trusts her Community in ensuring that they save the trees, she also promised to continue their efforts when the eco village is established in her Chiefdom.
