Promoting Agriculture Governance and the Environment (PAGE) with funding from USAID has embarked on an awareness raising exercise on forest Co-management in Kambui North targeting 80 forest edge communities in four blocks.
Addressing the participants from the various sections in Lower Bambara Chiefdom at the community centre along Kono highway Daniel Sarmu the Field Activity Coordinator PAGE said they are meeting with them as a community in order to ensure the wise use of the forest for the benefit of them and the future generation.
He spoke about the climate change that is affecting the community and the world at large. He also said the organisation is not preventing the community people from using the forest but it must be done wisely in the interest of all.
Daniel Sarmu appealed to all to come together to co-manage their forest known as Kambui North. Giving a brief background of the PAGE project and the co-management concept the National Resources Management (NRM) officer Gassimu Bhonopha said it was started two years ago and they have some important activities achieved such as the Kambui Forest Reserve identified as the pilot site in the Kenema District, land use pattern mapping, formation and training of Forest Management Committees, Awareness raising campaigns of communities and stakeholders meetings.
He also said the Forest Co-management is a new forest management concept in Sierra Leone that requires an understanding of its basic principles, strategies and procedures as well as direct involvement of key stakeholders in forest management.
The meeting he said is intended to raise awareness on the PAGE’s Co-management approach and to have a clear position on additional communities within and on the edge of the forest critical to the ongoing co-management intervention in the Northern Kambui.
In his statement the Governance officer for Kenema and Kailahun Districts for PAGE Sandy Massaquoi said the current meeting is a continuation of the outcome of the stakeholders meeting that was held early January at 3 Ks Guest House.