STEWARD Program

1. October 2015 Newsletter
The STEWARD Program conducted
participatory awareness campaigns
on integrated WASH activities in the
Program’s priority zones (PZs) from
the 20th to 31st July 2015, targeting
over 30 communities. The campaigns
were designed to increase knowledge
among communities about the
Program’s WASH activities and the
critical relationship between WASH
and biodiversity conservation. The
campaigns provided an opportunity
for interaction and community
engagement in the implementation of
the WASH activities.
Community based drama groups that
were trained by the Program developed
an outreach activity, producing drama
messages around the theme: “Saving
the Forest Increases Water Supply
and Health”. To widen the coverage
of the outreach activity and reinforce
positive messages, the drama groups
toured various targeted communities
with prerecorded Public Service
Announcements (PSAs) on a PA
system. The audience greatly enjoyed
the PSAs as they had listened to them
on radio during the STEWARD drama
fellow Muslims,” the Deputy Chief
Imam noted. He also called on all to
continue protecting the forest, as it
is key to sustainable supply of clean
drinking water in their communities.
Throughout these activities, the
field Coordinators emphasized the
link between forest conservation and
the provision of WASH facilities in the
communities. Good WASH practices
and forest conservation for creating
sustainable community water supply
were communicated.
The campaigns presented a
significant opportunity for communities
to better understand the need for
hand washing and improved sanitary
practices. Communities committed to
continue protecting their forests and
also constitute surveillance teams to
keep close watch on households that
still practice open defecation. The
recent triggering activity was also
recapped during the campaign to
encourage communities to construct
household latrines.
Written by
Abdul Kaprr Dumbuya
STEWARD Communication Coordinator
Awareness Campaigns Mobilize Communities on Integrated WASH Activities in the
Priority Zones
broadcasts. Soft drumming, mime
and songs accompanied the drama
performances and audiences were
thrilled to participate. Huge crowds
from all the communities witnessed
the performances. “I do listen to these
jingles every evening, so I want to
encourage everybody especially my
fellow women to listen to them and
share what we learn together,” asserted
by Madam Zenaba Camara, Chairlady,
Water Point Management Committee
in Sekou Soriyah in PZ1 – Guinea. She
also urged folks to protect their water
sources and maintain all water storage
facilities. She added that respecting
their community By-Laws on water
sources and maintenance would help
them maintain their health.
Religious leaders delivered brief
lectures during interaction sessions
on good hygiene practices. Sheik
Mohamed Kamara, Deputy Chief
Imam for Fintonia in PZ1 – Sierra
Leone, encouraged participants to
maintain the highest standards of
hygiene in order to be sure of God’s
acceptance of their supplication. “I am
very much delighted as a Muslim to be
in this forum to help spread messages
of improved hygiene practices to my

2. VOICES FROM THE FIELD:
Cash Crops and Tree Nurseries
Improve Livelihood in Fintonia
Community
My name is Alikalie Musa Kamara. I am
the Town Chief of Fintonia community,
Tambaka Chiefdom. I was a very low, nearly
no income peasant farmer until I received
technical support in nursery management
in 2011. Before this period, I used to
cultivate onions but was getting low yields
due to traditional farming methods such as
slash-and-burn and shifting cultivation that
also destroyed the forest.
In 2011, I started noticing changes in
my life after I became part of a host of
farmers invited by the STEWARD Program
to participate in a seven-day training on
nursery management in Mamou, Guinea.
The training covered daily sessions and
group work that significantly improved our
knowledge on cash crop and tree nursery.
Understanding the complexities of
reporting scientific stories of climate
change in the media, that can be easily
understood by the general public,
the STEWARD Program recently
conducted capacity building trainings
on Environment and WASH reporting
for journalists in Cote d’Ivoire (Abidjan)
and Guinea (Conakry). The aim of
these trainings was to equip journalists
with important skills to acquire
information and tools to contribute to
ecosystem protection through climate
change reporting in the media in their
respective countries. The Program
earlier conducted similar activities for
journalists in Sierra Leone and Liberia
in March 2014.
The Abidjan training was held on
July 28 and 29, 2015 with twelve (12)
participants (2 women, 10 men) and the
Conakry training was held on August
31, 2015 with fourteen (14) participants
(3 women, 11 men).
The trainings were facilitated with
pre-packaged materials, PowerPoint
presentations and handouts, followed
by interactive question-and-answer
sessions and several group exercises.
Thefacilitatorsestablishedlinksbetween
the overall development of the region
and the involvement of journalists in
the promotion of a healthy environment.
Participants were encouraged to always
strive to understand the facts and trends
STEWARD Trains Journalists on Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change and
WASH Reporting
of global warming and climate change
around the world and in West Africa to
ensure accurate reporting.
At the end of the training in Cote
d’Ivoire, the participants expressed
their realization that climate change is
connected to the change in weather
such as reduction in rainfall, which leads
to decline in the varieties of food. They
also expressed strong commitment to
use their new knowledge on climate
change, biodiversity conservation
and WASH to do more environmental
reporting and raise public awareness
for behavior change. A participant
in Abidjan, Kaunan Khan Frank,
acknowledged the level of support that
STEWARD has provided them. He said,
“Let me assure STEWARD that we will
utilize this knowledge in our endeavour
to promote environmental protection and
mitigate the impact of climate change on
our people.”
In Guinea, of the participants, Lansana
Traore said, “This is a good support
to us journalists in order to ensure our
contribution in the process of effecting
desired changes in the attitudes and
practices of our communities towards the
environment”. He continued that ‘‘Before
the training workshop, the environment
was not really my first concern. But
from today on, in light of what I have
learned, I plan to get involved in forest
conservation reporting in the media by
developing a TV show on the subject. I
am sure that the lessons I learned from
this workshop will be of great help to
me”.
By Abdul Kaprr Dumbuya
STEWARD Communication Coordinator
Practicing improved nursery techniques
has subsequently led to an increment in
the yield of my nurseries. I started with 100
trees of different varieties of seedlings;
today, I have up to 2,000 trees of different
varieties in my plot.
My business income has since risen from
Le 500,000 ($100USD) to Le 2,000,000
($400USD).Throughmynurseryplantation,
I have been able to construct my family
house that was burnt down during the
rebel war. Even though I am not formally
educated, but I have supplied nurseries to
organizations like CARE International and
Biodiversity Conservation Project (BCP).
This has been possible due to STEWARD’s
intervention. Three of my children are
currently in school; I have been able to pay
their school charges and related expenses
through earnings from my nursery.
I can now safely say that, STEWARD
is the life-blood of my family for which I’m
grateful to them and the American people.
We were trained on improved nursery
practices like moisture management,
pest and disease control, organic fertilizer
application, mulching, budding, grafting
and weed control. We were also supplied
a variety of cash crops such as mango,
cashew nut, orange and oil palm trees;
as well as forest trees like Moringa,
acacia and tectonia seedlings to start
our personal nurseries. Trees generated
from various nursery sites were planted in
several community forests within Tambaka
chiefdom to further improve on the
resilience of our community forests, while
also mitigating climate change.

3. In both Sierra Leone and Guinea,
women and children usually gather
firewood from fields for preparation of
food. For this purpose, smaller trees
in the forests are cut down, dried
and carted away in large volumes
to business centers. Over time, this
practice negatively impacts biodiversity
and affects the climate. Additionally,
fetching firewood is one of the major
causes of forest degradation.
In an effort to reduce this practice,
the STEWARD Program organized
a six-day training for 360 women in
twelve communities (30 women per
community) in PZ1 Sierra Leone. These
women were selected from the Village
Bushfires are one of the major causes
of land degradation, carbon emission
and pose a serious threat to biodiversity.
As part of the intervention, the
STEWARD Program earlier engaged
communities in discussions to prevent
and control bushfires in Tambaka
Chiefdom, Sierra Leone. During these
discussions, various recommendations
to control bushfires and other
destructive activities in the community
forests were put forward. Improving
the irrigation system in communities,
Savings and Loan Association (VSLA)
groups in the targeted communities.
The training aimed at improving stove
production using local technology in
order to reduce the quantity of firewood
used for cooking and minimize threats
to forests.
During the sessions, the facilitators
explained the various processes
involved in producing improved stoves
in their local dialect, Susu, followed
by practical exercises. Animal waste,
anthill, elephant grass and tomato
cups were put forward as alternative
materials that can be used for cooking,
and are locally accessible. For example,
using a tomato cup containing two holes
Women Benefit from Improved Stove Production Training in Priority Zone
Communities Supported to Prevent and Control Bushfire in PZ1, Sierra Leone
is designed to control the emission
of smoke, and to reduce the quantity
of firewood used to prepare meals.
Participants were split into small groups
and tasked to produce a stove.
Participants and other community
members thanked the STEWARD
Program for giving them the opportunity
to acquire such useful skills. Madam
Kadiatu Bangura, a participant, said, “I
now feel highly empowered due to these
skills; I’ll transfer this knowledge to my
fellow women in my community”.
Written by:
Musa Nabie Kamara
STEWARD Communication Officer, PZ1 – Sierra
Leone
“Thisstoveismuchfasterthanthetraditional
firewood method our wives have been using
to prepare our meals. Our wives and children
would no longer risk their lives to fetch
firewood from the forest since the quantity
of firewood needed to prepare meals with
the stove is much smaller now. We are happy
and will always continue to exalt STEWARD
in our community.”
“These tools are a remarkable support that
STEWARD has provided to our communities.
WewillcontinuetoworkwiththisProgramin
order to increase the gains we have achieved
over the years, especially in the direction
of managing our forests and promoting
livelihood in Tambaka”.
Momodu Kamara,
Forest Management Committee
member in Sumata community
Bobson Mansary
Member of FMC in Samaya
conserving the forests, and promoting
socio-economic development in
the near future were included in
the agenda. Among the variety of
suggestions made, community forest
management institutions such as Fire
Management Committees (FMC), Non-
Timber Forest Products (NTFP) groups
and Forest Monitors were formed in
all communities. Each of these groups
agreed to protect community forests
against all disastrous activities. Apart
from their responsibility to construct
fire-belts, the groups also committed to
monitor all forest activities within their
communities.
After the development of the fire
management plans, the FMCs of
Kortor, Yanah, Sanya, Samaya and
Fondokhorie communities were
provided with fire prevention tools
such as rain boots and cutlasses. This
support will enable the communities
to construct fire-belts and prevent the
occurrence of bushfire. FMC members
were trained to use cutlasses for this
purpose, and it was clearly understood
that the cutlasses should not be used
to clear more forest. Community
members expressed delight when they
received the tools, and pledged their
continued support towards the fight
against bushfires and the promotion
of biodiversity conservation in their
respective communities.

4. STEWARD and Mano River Union Promote REDD+ and Natural Resource Management
in the Upper Guinea Forest Landscape
Freetown
Subsequently, the Freetown Policy
Dialogue was organized on July 23, 2015
in collaboration with the National Protected
Area Authority (NPAA), at the Miatta
Conference Hall on the theme, “A Strategy
for Community Ownership of REDD+ in
Sierra Leone”. The event attracted 89
participants, including the United States
Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency
John F. Hoover, officials of USAID-Sierra
Leone, relevant government ministries,
environment institutions, academia, civil
society organizations, private sector and
communities.
During his remarks, the US Ambassador
to Sierra Leone said, “Through USAID,
the US Government will continue to work
with the Government of Sierra Leone,
other development partners and local
communities to make REDD+ a reality in
the country.” The Executive Director of
NPAA, Dr. Kolleh Bangura made a pictorial
presentation depicting degraded areas in
the country. He also outlined the areas that
are still maintained and under the protection
of NPAA which makes Sierra Leone an ideal
country for the implementation of REDD+.
He further stated the gradual development
of the REDD+ process in Sierra Leone and
the support NPAA is receiving from the
European Union.
Abidjan
On July 27, 2015, STEWARD
collaborated with the Cote d’Ivoire National
REDD+ Secretariat to organize a Policy
dialogue in Abidjan, which was attended
by 50 participants from various institutions
including the Ministry of Planning and
Development, the Ivorian Observatory for
the Sustainable Management of Natural
Resources (OI REN), and other relevant
stakeholders in Cote d’Ivoire’s forestry and
environmental sectors.
`During the dialogue, Henri Anghuy
Assoikon, the Resident Representative
of the MRU in Cote d’Ivoire expressed
his satisfaction with the country’s REDD+
process by saying the MRU’s regional
approach to REDD+ would lay the foundation
for more effective protection of the area
he referred to as, the “Fourth ecological
reservoir of the world.” Also, Dr. Egnankou
of OI REN, highlighted the expectations of
civil society organizations in the process.
He said, “Good internal organization, the
involvement of civil society through joint
activities, and strengthening the capacities
of the different actors would help in
achieving the success that stakeholders
expect. REDD+ should not be the case of
the administration dictating its rules, but
rather a mechanism through a true dialogue
where everyone truly plays their part”.
Conakry
Led by the Guinea Ministry of Environment
under the theme, “Accelerating REDD+
Action in Guinea”, the policy dialogue held in
Conakry on September 1, 2015 involved 51
participants including conservation experts
and community members. In his opening
address, Souleymane Camara, Secretary
General of the Ministry of Environment
announced that the newly established
Guinean Office for Parks and Nature
Reserves (OGUIPAR) is responsible for all
protected areas and will lead the REDD+
process in the country.
The STEWARD Program and the
Mano River Union (MRU) Secretariat
in collaboration with relevant national
institutions organized multiple policy
dialogues in each Mano River Union
Member State. The dialogues were
aimed at promoting forest conservation
through the stimulation of public discourse
around the implementation of Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation (REDD+) in the region. Policy
Dialogue Forums were held in Monrovia,
Liberia; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Abidjan,
Cote d’Ivoire and Conakry, Guinea. The
dialogues catalyzed public interest and
galvanized public support for REDD+
implementation.
Monrovia
A one-day Policy Dialogue was held in
Monrovia on May 29, 2015, attracting 54
participants. During the forum, Saah David,
Liberia’s National REDD+ Coordinator,
based at the Forestry Development
Authority, made a presentation on behalf of
the government of Liberia titled, “The Status
of REDD+ in Liberia”. The presentation
captured all the steps taken by Liberia
since 2008, which led to the signing of a
forest conservation agreement with the
government of Norway in 2014 worth $15
million USD. Lawmakers, forest community
members and civil society advocates also
participated in the dialogue and stressed
that in order for REDD+ to succeed,
sufficient awareness must be spread for
forest communities and due benefits for
forest conservation must be highlighted.

5. Find out more at www.stewardprogram.org Visit us on Facebook: facebook.com/stewardprogram
For more on the STEWARD Program and how you can be a part of it, contact Darius Barrolle: dbarrolle@mediaimpact.org
VOICE FROM THE COMMUNITY: Market
Gardening Improves
Jacqueline’s Livelihood in Bossouy
I’m Mrs. Jacqueline Zogbela. I am 40 years old.
I’m married with 5 children. I live in Bossou, a
village situated in Lola Prefecture in Guinea.
Before STEWARD began operations in its
Priority Zone 2, I was practicing farming using all
forms of unsustainable practices with low yield.
In July 2014, STEWARD organized training in
Serengbara community on basic techniques in
market gardening. I really wanted to change my
situation so I engaged with the officials and luckily
attended that training. There were 33 participants
including 26 women from various communities
who participated in that training.
Although I initially had financial challenges to
start the process of developing my plot, but after
receiving 600, 000 GNF (86USD) of my share from
our Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA)
group, I cultivated 0.30 hectares of plot with
various species of legumes including cabbage,
pepper, eggplant, spinach, etc.
I was able to sell some of my first produce and
I obtained a sum of 250, 000 GNF (35USD); and I
now hope to receive 1, 200, 000 GNF (171 USD)
in my next sale in 2 months time.
Although the REDD+ implementation
process in Guinea is still gathering the
required pace, during the dialogue,
participants registered their strong
commitment to ensure that relevant
strategies are put in place to achieve the
overall objective of the initiative.
Regional Workshop in Freetown
After the successful implementation of
National Policy Dialogues on REDD+ in the
four MRU Member States, the STEWARD
Program, in collaboration with the MRU
Secretariat, organized a two-day regional
workshop on REDD+ and Natural Resource
Management (NRM) in Freetown, Sierra
Leone on September 15 and 16, 2015.
The event included 50 participants from
the government of Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire,
Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as non-
governmentalstakeholdersanddevelopment
partners. The aim of the workshop was to
coordinate the efforts of the MRU Member
States in their implementation of the climate
change agenda and develop a framework
for Natural Resource Management in the
Upper Guinea Forest Landscape.
On behalf of the MRU Secretariat, Deputy
Secretary General Simeon Moriba opened
the workshop by introducing the members
of the high table and other distinguished
guests. Among the keynote speakers at the
opening of the event, STEWARD Program
Director Destina Samani made remarks on
behalf of US Forest Service. “First of all, we
want to thank USAID for its financial and
technical support. We hope this workshop
will offer us opportunity to further distill
such useful lessons and develop strategies
for effective learning and adapting these
lessons to our specific countries,” she
said. US Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His
Excellency John F. Hoover made remarks on
behalf of the government of United States of
America “We know that one of the greatest
challenges of our time and the greatest
challenge of all time is climate change. We
are here today not just because it’s the right
thing to do but because it’s urgent that we
work together to manage and mitigate the
effects of climate change here in Sierra
Leone and West Africa”. The Sierra Leone
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food
Security Deputy Minister, Madam Marie
Jalloh also made remarks on behalf of the
Sierra Leone government. “The challenge is
for all of us to make our environment cleaner,
greener and safer for future generations. If
we don’t act today, maybe tomorrow will be
too late for our families,” she said.
The STEWARD Policy Advisor, Patrick
Apoya, facilitated the two-day workshop
under the theme, “Accelerating REDD+
Efforts in the MRU Member States”. Day 1 of
the workshop was dedicated to discussing
issues around REDD+ from a regional
perspective and building on the information
gathered from the Policy Dialogues
previously held in each MRU Member State.
USAID West Africa AOR for the STEWARD
Program, Nicodeme Tchamou presentated
on the general landscape of the West Africa
Region with key references to land cover and
land use over a period. This was followed by
group discussions and presentations geared
towards identifying five bottlenecks facing
REDD+ implementation and identifying the
capacity support required to address these
bottlenecks.
Day 2 of the workshop focused on Natural
Resource Management in the sub-region
and the creation of a framework to guide
the Mano River Union in the drafting of its
Natural Resource Management Strategy.
Today, many of my women folks are engaged in
this activity. We no longer plunder the forest for our
livelihood, thanks to STEWARD for all this.