Scaling the Wisdom of Local Community-Led Efforts
THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA IS A LOCAL NGO WORKING IN SIERRA LEONE AND A FOUNDING ORGANIZATION OF ACBA. EFA’S COMMUNITY-LED EFFORTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO PEACEBUILDING IN SIERRA LEONE AND NEIGHBORING LIBERIA THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND LAND RESTORATION.
In 2020, AWF brought together civil society organizations from throughout the continent to form the African Civil Society Biodiversity Alliance (ACBA). Today, this network of more than 150 organizations is a powerful force, collectively advocating for policies integrating biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across Africa.
One of the founding members of ACBA is Tommy Garnett, Founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA), a Sierra Leone-based NGO founded in 1992 during the country’s civil war. One powerful example of their work is Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a community-initiated and managed conservation initiative. The 1,200-hectare property in southeastern Sierra Leone was once a war-ravaged landscape. Today, due to community leadership, it is part of a thriving tropical rainforest home to pygmy hippopotami, 11 species of primates, and over 135 different species of birds.
As a member of ACBA, Garnett has found support to further EFA’s work through shared knowledge, access to resources, and a vision for Africa that influences governments to embrace conservation and sustainable development. “It takes sustained investment, political will, commitment, and love to reverse biodiversity degradation and champion conservation. Our evolving relationship with ACBA members and AWF promises to bolster ongoing efforts to conserve biodiversity in the Guinean forests of West Africa and contribute significantly to our continued progress,” explains Garnett.
>>Read more about community-led conservation in our Resilient Africa newsletter.