General performance
Details
Yes, our activities are effective and the outcomes have been positive;
1. we successfully established 270,000 cocoa nurseries and out plant in to permanent sites / farms in 7 communities for Agriculture Value Chain Project for the Sierra Leone Ministry of Agriculture in Kailahun District for 200 Farmers.
2. AESL reclaim degraded land by planting 10,000 trees on approximately 8.8 hectares of degraded land in Kenema and Kailahun District. Intensify reforestation in the country through the development of community forests in a bid to increase tree cover, and consequently reduce the many environmental disasters that currently occur in the country
3. Long Term Sustainability Plan; AESL Owns 60 acres of cocoa farm in Baja Chiefdom, Bo District and is due to harvest early 2024.
Unintended positive side effects of practice
Details
In all of our activities community participation has been so positive; youth, women & men involvement has been so great including community stakeholders and opinion leaders involvements in meetings / workshops, community awareness and education
Unintended negative side effect of practice
Details
we have encounter in the past challenges and we have learn from them. Challenges such as youth involvement in charcoal burning / production, timber production and artisanal diamond / gold mining. Sustainability of community youth groups that were selected to as forest management committee has been so challenging because of frequent migration of youth from rural to urban areas
Knowledge and skills required for practice
Details
We require knowledge / training in tree crop management, agribusiness and entrepreneurship to promote sustainability
Labour required for practice
Details
yes it requires a lot of labour; from site preparation, nursery establishment and management of the nursery, out planting and managing of farms / forest
Cost associated with practice
Details
Our working budget;
1. Cost of Equipment: high
2. Cost of seedlings / nursery establishment: high
3. Personnel / labour cost: Low
4. Administration cost: Low
5. Monitoring and supervision: Low
6. Project Activities: Training, workshop, community awareness / education: Low
Does it work in degraded environments?
Details
From our past experience with the National Tree Planting Project it worked well, because we recruit community youth as "youth contractors" to provide routine management of young / tree crops (weeding, watering, fire belt construction, pest & rodent control and filling gaps in addition to other responsibilities)
Does it help restore land?
Details
Yes, we recover and (plant) 10,000 seedlings in 8.8 hectares of land; 5,000 in Sembeima Village, Tongo field a diamond mining area and 5,000 in Jojuima Village and the Farm / forest are doing well
Climate change vulnerability effects
Details
Because the impact of our intervention is positive in those communities. their is now Increase knowledge / awareness on the positive use and management of the environment.
Also, other intervention such as; AESL 60 acres cocoa farm in Baja Chiefdom, Bo District and 1 hectare cocoa farm each to 200 farmers in Kailahun will increase tree cover, and consequently reduce the many environmental disasters that currently occur in the country
Time requirements
Details
Work are done base on planned activities and time frame, taking into consideration both wet and dry season. some specific work are done in the dry season while others are done in the raining season.