By Kemo Cham
The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS) has handed over seven huts built as part of a project designed to protect the environment within the Western Area Peninsular Forest.
The newly-constructed community huts were designed to serve as centers for recreation, meetings and other activities. The beneficiary communities of Sussex, York, Cobber Water, Regent, Mothaim, John Obay and Russel are all surrounding the sanctuary which is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of chimpanzees. These communities were also presented with seedlings of orange, Jack fruits and other trees, as well as signposts bearing the name of each community and the project.
This is all part of the TCS Family for Nature Club Project, which is being implemented in collaboration with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the International Zoo Educators Association (IZEA).
The aim of this project, according to TCS, is to connect families to nature and encourage communities along the Western Area National Park to be more involved and interested in protecting wildlife, through environment awareness-raising programs and engaging in environmental sanitation practices.
According to TCS, it had earlier this year donated building materials to the seven communities to construct the 12x13 centimeter community huts. It said the people themselves chose the locations, design and size of the structures.
Each community was given a minimum of 10 days to design and construct their hut. The seedlings that were earlier nursed by the communities were planted as part of the reforestation campaign.
The communities also received watering cans, shovels, hoes and head pans.
According to a news dispatch from TCS announcing the handing over of the huts, the Headmen and Women and other stakeholders in all the seven communities commended and appreciated the reforestation project and pledged their commitment to take care of the seedlings and the huts for future generations, while appealing for more support.
Ethel Sillah, TCS Communications and Education Coordinator, was quoted saying that the goal of the project is to equip families with adequate knowledge on environmental and wildlife protection as well as create a platform for families to contribute to the protection of the environment and value nature in their daily lives.
The communities involved in the project are expected to replicate lessons learnt in their respective communities by sensitizing neighbors and friends to protect wildlife and the environment, plant trees to prevent flooding and other environmental disasters and to always clean their environment.
For 25 years, Tacugama has played a huge role in protecting one of Freetown’s major water catchment areas and last year in recognition of this success, the Sanctuary was awarded ‘The Queen’s Canopy Award’ by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Tacugama is also rated as the Number One ecotourism destination for Sierra Leone.
However, said officials of the sanctuary, successive governments have failed to provide enough protection for it and the catchment area around it.
© 2019 Politico Online
