Text : Sia Fasuluku and Photos : Godwin Mawoh
Together with local communities, the Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) launched a project in May 2002 to restore Tiwai Island in southern Sierra Leone as a model for protected area management and community development.
EFA’s strategy was to assist communities in promoting conservation and protecting environmentally sensitive areas that are being increasingly threatened by returnee settlements mushrooming across Sierra Leone, particularly in the south and east. Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary is now a community conservation programme, managed by the Tiwai Island Administrative Committee (TIAC), which represents communities, government, universities & conservation organisations.
This project is the first & only community conservation programme in Sierra Leone.
The Wildlife Sanctuary of 12 sq kms is located on one of Sierra Leone’s largest inland rainforest islands, in the Moa river. This area has the highest density of primates in the world. There are over two thousand individuals from eleven different species on the island. Most precious are the chimpanzees. These apes are so endangered that this reserve is one of the last places left in the world where they survive undisturbed.
This island area is definitely renowned for its flora and fauna and hosts also over 135 different bird species.
The Sanctuary is offering a unique experience of the rainforest through :
- Forest trekking ; wildlife watching : visitors are invited to participate to guided trips on well-maintained trails on the Island (up to 50 km of walking paths).
- Boat tours : visitors can take a river tour in canoe or motorboat, watching birds fly overhead or river turtles surface. For explorers, night tours are offered to search for the elusive and extremely rare pygmy hippopotamus.
- Beaches : At the tip of the island lies one of two stretches of sandy beach. Access to the beach is seasonal, as in the rainy season, the sandy mounds are hidden underwater.
- Visitors are also encouraged to help collecting ecological data, by marking all wildlife sightings on the board map, Visitors Centre. In order to better understand Tiwai’s special environment, the Department of Biological Sciences, Njala University College (NUC), is co-ordinating a wide range of biological research on Tiwai, including a full inventory of all plants living on the island.
By inviting visitors to explore the rainforest, the project will lead to supporting the communities to protect their own unique Island and some of the rarest wildlife in the world.
Visitors will be able to sleep at the visitor centre on the island in tents, surrounded by an evergreen forest & the sounds of hornbills and monkeys calling from the canopies.
Visitors must bring some equipment with them : bed sheets & a blanket, toiletries (soap, toothpaste etc.), drinking water (pump water is available), torchlight, food (only local food – rice & sauce – offered).
Local food is prepared by one of the community members for those who wish to order food. The nearest small shops are 15 km from the island !
People in the surrounding villages have taken an active part in the work and are now welcoming their first visitors. In May 2005, the project will be handed over to the local communities who will run the sanctuary with some expert advice and guidance.
All funds raised go towards running the project as well as that of supporting the Community Development Fund, to help finance community initiated programmes (Construction / refurbishment of primary schools and clinics for primary health care, rehabilitation of roads and bridges, skills training for various community groups, introduction of organic gardening and small scale animal husbandry, harvesting of Non timber forest products for income generation, agroforestry for income generation).
Modalities are in place to ensure that for every $1 generated, 40 cents will go to TIAC which controls and administers funds to communities. During the past year nearly $2000 has been generated and this amount is in a savings account. Presently communities are in the process of identifying and costing their development priorities for presentation to TIAC. It is undertsood that TIAC cannot fulfill all the requests from the communities but the newly established secretariat is tasked with the responsibility of raising funds from other sources to supplement TIAC funds for community development assistance. By June this year when EFA /NUC hand over Tiwai to TIAC, it is envisaged that funds currently available plus whatever will have been generated will be appropriately distributed to kickstart the first round of community development projects.
Contact
Tommy Garnett, Patrick Lamboi
1 Beach Road
Lakka Freetown Peninsula
Sierra Leone
Tel. : +232 76 755 146 or +232 76 611 410
Email : ahbarrie@yahoo.com
enfoafrica@hotmail.com
plamboi@yahoo.co.uk
Internet : http://www.efasl.org.uk/tiwai/tiwai.htm and
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/tiwai.asp
Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary
10 Lahai Street, off Bo-Kenema High Street
Kennedy Section, Bo, Sierra Leone
Tel. +232 76 755 146
Email : tiwai_island@hotmail.com
Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA)
1 Beach Road, Lakka
Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone
Tel : +232 76 611 410
Email : enfoafrica@hotmail.com ou efasl@sierratel.sl
Internet : www.efasl.org.uk
Recommanded tours
Small groups, families, individuals, volunteers
Stay in winter (January-April) : dry season with the warmest months
Forest trekking ; wildlife watching : visitors are invited to participate in guided trips on well-maintained trails on the Island (up to 50 km of walking paths).
Boat tours : visitors can take a river tour in canoe or motorboat, watching birds fly overhead or river turtles surface. For explorers, night tours are offered to search for the elusive and extremely rare pygmy hippopotamus.
Beaches : At the tip of the island lies one of two stretches of sandy beach. Access to the beach is seasonal, as in the rainy season, the sandy mounds are hidden underwater.
Visitors are also encouraged to help collect ecological data, by marking all wildlife sightings on the board map, Visitors Centre.
Stay in summer : to avoid due to rainy season from May/june- September/ October.
Large inland rainforest islands located on the Moa river, 300 km from the capital city Freetown.
Duration of stay : typical stay for local visitors is minimum 2 nights.
The island of Tiwai is located in the Moa river in eastern Sierra Leone. It’s almost 300 km form Freetown, and some 15 from Bo, but it’s not really easy to get here. The hard work involved in the travelling is worth your while however if you want to see monkeys and apes.
This island area is definitely renowned for its flora and fauna and hosts also over 135 different bird species. Prior to the outbreak of civil war in 1990, Tiwai Island had gained recognition for its contribution to ecological research, training, ecotourism opportunities and participatory conservation. Designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1987, this area is the country’s only official protected area.
Visitors will be able to sleep at the visitor centre of the Wildlife sanctuary on the island in tents, surrounded by an evergreen forest & the sounds of hornbills and monkeys calling from the canopies. Artisan crafts are on sale at the visitors centre. Guided visits are available.
More information
http://www.efasl.org.uk/4_projects/tiwai.htm