Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) with funding from the German Embassy in Monrovia has dedicated several projects in Bao Town, Gilio Twarbo Administrative District in Liberia’s southeastern Grand Gedeh County.
The projects include two water wells and the construction of a modern town hall in Bao Town.
The initiatives are part of Wild Chimpanzee Foundation livelihood program which seeks to enhance the living standard of edge communities of the Grebo-Krahn National Park located between Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties.
The completion and subsequent dedication of these projects have put to bed the suffering of the citizens in accessing safe drinking water and a confortable meeting hall which they have suffered from for years.
In an overview of the projects Wild Chimpanzee Foundation Community Engagement officer said the projects were made possible as a result of a proposal from the beneficiary community.
According to Daniel Dolo the community (Bao Town) through its Town leadership months back appeal to his organization (Wild Chimpanzee Foundation) to help with the completion of its town hall and the rehabilitation of two damaged water wells that have force residents of the area to drink from unsafe water sources.
He informs residents of the area during a colorful dedication ceremony on September 18, 2019 that the projects erected are gear toward the preservation of the Grebo-Krahn National Park, urging the citizens to play a more proactive role in the realization of a fully protected park.
“If you want to see more of these development initiatives in your area then you need to avoid all illegal activities within the Grebo-Krahn National Park,” Dolo stressed.
Dolo also praised the performance of the wildlife club and the amateur theater troop that demonstrated the necessity of protecting wildlife species which are specified by Liberian laws during the dedication program.
He stressed the essence of the wildlife club and the amateur theater troop is intended to help amplify conservational and environmental awareness amongst school going children and youth who are often use as agents of illegal activities.
“We are training these kids and youths in conservational and environmental awareness to be ambassadors in their respective communities as a means of pushing for change of attitudes toward conservation, Daniel Dolo concluded.”
The Executive Director of the contractor frame Center for Environmental Forest Conservation and Research applauded the community’s dwellers for the overwhelm supports accorded his entity during the construction of the projects.
Mr. George Gbarwea made specific reference to the effort applied by citizens in gathering local material for the use of the projects naming gravel and water as contributions made by the community (Bao Town), he added that CENFOR and WCF were able to get sand from Teample due to the lack of sand in Bao Town.
Speaking on behalf of the Forestry Development Authority, the Chief Park Warden of the Grebo-Krahn National Park reechoes the need for adjacent communities of the park to join government and their partners in bringing to reality the truth essence of which the park was established.
Joseph Green admonished residents of the area against unlawful activities within the park, threatening legal action against would-be violators.
At the turning over and dedication ceremony held at the newly constructed town hall in Bao Town on September 18, 2019, Mr. Green distributed some fliers containing protected animals under the Liberian laws warning against the killing of those species.
“Today I’m distributing these fliers, as you can see on the fliers are protected animals that you are not allow to killed whether in or out of the park, doing so is straightly against the law, Green emphasis”
Meanwhile Konobo Statutory District Superintendent has called on his kinsmen to embrace conservation as doing so will bring about more developments that with further lift the lives of the people in the area from poverty.
Roland Karr stressed the need for illegal activities within the protected landscape to come to an end as such will usher in an inclusive development that will benefits majority of the locals.
“Today we all benefit this town hall and our pumps are rehabilitated but that is not the case with hunter, only they and their family benefits from all of us forest. Is that fair? He asked unpleasantly. ”
He at the same time reaffirmed his unflinching supports to the Forestry Development Authority and their partners aim at ensuring laws, policies and regulations put in place to protect the Grebo-Krahn National Park are adhere to by citizens living around the park.
At the same time Grand Gedeh County WASH Coordinator (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) has lauded the effort of Wild Chimpanzee Foundation for the resurrection of water in Bao Town.
Mr. Otis Zarzar underscored the important of water to the existing of human urging the beneficiaries to take the pumps as their own by put in place proper maintenance plan.
He however called on Wild Chimpanzee Foundation in particular the communities to always reference his office to ensure the proper thing is done during the construction or rehabilitation exercise(s) of pumps to ensure they last longer.
Speaking on behalf the beneficiaries Theresa Bao (women representative), Otello Bao (youth secretary) and chief elder John Kpalee extended their gratitude to Wild Chimpanzee Foundation and the German Embassy for helping to alleviate the numerous challenges facing them in the area.
They are however appealing to the conservational organization to assist them with the extension of their elementary school and the provision of job opportunities for youths and women as a means of sustainability and further ensuring they avoid the protected landscape.
“We have resolved to avoid the park but beg you WCF to help us with jobs so we can totally take our eye from the forest, if that is done myself will be your eye in our town here, when you are coming to the park the monkeys will even meet you to greet you, chief John Kpalee asserted.”
Madam Betty Breeze Doh Grand Gedeh County Development Superintendent who also graced the program and subsequently dedicated the projects praised the partners for their timely intervention in restoring water to Bao Town.
Madam Doh like other speakers emphasized the important of restoring safe drinking water especially for an area where accessing basic socio-services are extremely difficult due to bad roads.
She meanwhile challenged the locals to seize all illegal activities within the Grebo-Krahn National Park so as to attract needed investors and tourists which in return will bring about job opportunities and developments.
In what apparently was an experience sharing Madam Doh told her audience how Kenya is hugely benefiting from its national protected areas pleading to her kinsmen to emulate their good example.
“For me I have had a considerable experience in other parts of the world especially in Kenya where I visited one of their parks, there you have a truth sense of what a park is because you will see the animals coming to you, please I beg you let do the same here she added.”
On the part of the citizens appealed for an extension of the elementary school in Bao Town Madam Doh said she will work with Wild Chimpanzee Foundation to ensure something is done about the school that is hosting nearly one hundred students.
Currently the school is operating in three classrooms, something parents and the school administration say is hampering the learning process at the school.
It can be recalled in August this year WCF renovated the Chan-Tan public school in Clotete and rehabilitated additional three water wells in Yeoh Town and other ongoing projects in Youbor and Sala in River Gee County as part of its livelihood program.
The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation’s mission is to enhance the survival of the remaining wild chimpanzee populations and their habitat, thereby participate in saving the behavioural diversity of this fascinating species. The philosophy of the WCF is threefold: Implement projects of Education, Conservation, and Research for and by the African people.
Currently the organization is working in River Gee, River Cess and Grand Gedeh Counties where several programs are ongoing especially in edged communities of Grebo-Krahn National Park to include; Livelihood, Community’s Ecoguard, Support to the Forestry Development Authority, Biomonitoring amongst other.