The Sierra Leone Program:
ENFOSAL – The Environmental Foundation for Sierra Leone

ENFOSAL was initially set up as a charity in the United Kingdom in 1992, with support groups in Germany, Ireland and the USA. In January 1996 a base was set up in Freetown, where a membership scheme was launched in April 1996. By May 1997, there were over 1,000 registered members in 2 out of 12 districts in Sierra Leone.

ENFOSAL's mission is to make the repair and rehabilitation of Sierra Leone's severely degraded environment a priority issue, in all sectors of the economy, and to work closely with governmental agencies and other local and international partners to plan, design and implement sustainable schemes of land reclamation and regeneration for agriculture, forestry and other uses.

The 1997 coup and the subsequent escalation of the civil conflict led to a disruption and eventually suspension of the program activities in rural areas. Small scale tree nursery activities in Freetown and environs have been maintained through the last two years with meagre resources and a small group of very committed and enthusiastic volunteers.

Under EFA, ENFOSAL's program will now be revived starting with a small project in the Freetown area.
Freetown School and Community Environmental Awareness and Action Program
A 2-year environmental awareness and action program targeting schools in Freetown and village communities along the Freetown peninsula, with funding from NC-IUCN/TRP.

ENFOSAL's achivements prior to the coup include

  • Environmental awareness-raising in several communities in northern Sierra Leone and subsequently the reclamation and rehabilitation of 20 acres of redundnant agricultural swamp land, degraded by diamond mining.

  • A media campaign using national radio and TV to raise the general public's awareness of environmnetal problems in Sierra Leone .

  • Developing video documentaries as resource materials for awareness and education programs in schools and the general public.

  • Working closely with the Sierra Leone Government, UNDP, other environmental groups and concerned agencies to launch a national environmental awareness and tree-planting campaign.

  • Building the capacity of local communities through enabling the formation of environmental action group to raise awareness and undertake agroforestry activities at a local level. To date over 25,000 tree seedlings have been nursed and transplanting by communities in Kambia District and the Western Area.

EFA is serving as an "umbrella" organisation for its country programs.
The Liberia Program is managed by EFA and will, in time, be managed by a local set-up.