SCNL, VADEMCO Sign Sustainable Livelihood Sub-Grant For Gola Forest National Park Project

The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) and the Vainga Agriculture Development and Management Consultancy (VADEMCO INC), have signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the agriculture component of the West Africa Biodiversity Climate Change (WABiCC) project.

Under the MOU, VADEMCO was sub-contracted by SCNL to carryout sustainable livelihood activities such as peanut and cocoa planting.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Wednesday at SCNL office in Congo Town, both SCNL Executive Director Michael Garbo and VADEMCO Chief Executive Officer, Saulima Kamara expressed willingness to working together for the successful implementation of the project.

Garbo and Kamara stated that both organizations were upbeat in making sure that the project meets its desire goal.

The cocoa and peanut production is part a 28-month WABiCC project titled “Community Landscape Management to Reduce Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss in the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape”.

The project is to conserve the unique biodiversity of the transboundary peace park for Sierra Leone and Liberia and to sustainably manage the remaining natural forests surrounding the park. VADEMCO is also involved with providing technical service to smallholder farmers in remotest geographical locations of the country. Over the years, the company has worked in Gbarpolu, Bomi, Bong, Lofa and Grand Cape Mount counties. VADEMCO technical support to farmers includes, but not limited to Farmers training (Farmers Field School module).

It also does routine farm supervision including collection of geo-spatial data (waypoints and tracks) to analyze farm-level yield, Farmers Organization formation. The organization has also experience in agriculture product handling, processing and marketing (solar dryers, fermentation etc…) amongst others.

The sub-contractual agreement is in a tone of over US$44,000.00 (forty-four thousand united states dollars) for two years.