Our Work
Past ProjectsEFA has been working for more than 25 years to protect and restore the natural environment, and provide education for children in Sierra Leone, to become responsible custodians of nature.
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US AID-funded project to demonstrate the how seaweed can make a meaningful contribution to the social, ecological and economic livelihoods of participating communities.
Click here to read the project report (144MB PDF)
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European Union-funded project to improve the quality of livelihoods in rural communities through access to renewable energies, so that the most vulnerable groups of people living in Sierra Leone are empowered to achieve their entitlements to adequate electricity supply and to participate in educational and economic development activities that improve their well-being.
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Collaboration with the ERM Foundation to investigate the casual links between deforestation and the animal-to-human transmission of the Ebola virus.
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REESL was a six-month programme to develop a Knowledge Base” of credible information and materials to inform and facilitate development of national policy and innovative strategies catalysing current and future development of the RE sector in Sierra Leone.
Click here to read the roadmap
Click here to read the project report -
EFA was the national coordinating partner for a three-year Darwin Initiative project to improve rehabilitation and conservation methods associated with rutile (titanium dioxide) mining. The study was conducted in Moyamba and Bonthe Districts in Sierra Leone in partnership with Centre for Ecology & Hydroly (UK); Dept of Biological Sciences – Fourah Bay College and Dept of Biological Sciences – NJala University,.
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Rebuilding the island’s tourism and research infrastructure and building community support for the Wildlife Sanctuary, and supporting community development for the communities who own Tiwai Island.
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The National Committee of Netherlands IUCN (IUCN NL) worked through EFA as its West Africa Regional Focal Point, to improve the quality and impact of its small grants programme in West Africa. EFA provided in-region technical support to IUCN NL’s small grants unit enhancing synergy among grantees and led the process of establishing in 2005, the GAWA network, an informal alliance of national environmental coalitions. GAWA was hosted and coordinated by EFA in Sierra Leone and until 2012, with its members benefitting from regional capacity development and networking opportunities supported by the Regional Focal Point Initiative.
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Mass migration, refugees and internally displaced peoples resulting from war puts pressure on environments that were hitherto supporting far fewer people and require environmental management to reduce the impacts on the environment which irreparably harm vital ecosystems and disadvantage already threatened populations that rely on them.
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This project was implemented along the coastal communities of Sierra Leone, with the main activities including:
- Environmental education awareness raising in schools and communities;
- Formation of eco-clubs and Environmental Action Groups in Schools and Communities respectively; and
- Supporting the Ministry of Education, EPASL and other partners to develop a curriculum for integrating Environmental Education in the national curriculum.
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The project was implemented on Tiwai Island and the eight hosting communities; and Sussex – Freetown Peninsula in Sierra Leone. The main activities are:
- Upgrading of Tiwai facilities; Construction of social facilities in the Tiwai Communities; Skills training for community people;
- Construction of biodiversity and renewable energy learning centre in Freetown to provide facilities for exhibitions, seminars and conservation learning for schools, universities, tourists and the general public; and
- Establishment of permanent nursery for indigenous tree species especially fruit and timber species as well as fast growing exotics; and medicinal herbal gardens.
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The project was implemented in 7 refugee camps with approximately 80,000 refugees from Sierra Leone (1999-2006) and Côte d’Ivoire (2010-2011. Main activities included:
- Supervision of land clearing activities to ensure that trees are marked and critical ecosystem processes are not disturbed through the land clearing for shelter construction;
- Assisting in the identification of deep ravines and drainage channels and supervise the clearing of vegetation around them and the construction of a moderate system of drainage channels to control erosion throughout the camps;
- Assisting in developing tree nurseries and the establishment of woodlots to minimize future impact on forests for domestic energy needs;
- Oversee the setting up and maintenance of a solid waste management system in the camps;
- Provide technical supervision for the laying out of the swamps for all year round crop production and increased food security to ensure alternative livelihood options for refugees while preventing illicit diamond mining activities in the swamps; and
- Support environmental awareness raising activities in the camp, host communities and local schools with respect to waste disposal, forest protection and domestic energy needs.
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The project was implemented in 50 Communities in Bo, Kenema and Pujehun Districts in Sierra Leone. EFA, as sub-grantee was responsible for the result related to development of participatory land use plans and environmental awareness programs in the target communities. Other activities included development of community-based ecotourism initiatives; lobbying to integrate environmental education in national school curriculum; introducing environmental education in local schools and communities; promoting the use of non-timber forest products for local enterprise development; mapping of agricultural and forest lands, and development of land use plans.
