Project Summary
Since the beginning of Liberia?s post-conflict recovery period in 2005, issues relating to the environment have been resonated by local and international organizations working in the environment. One of such concern is the protection of biodiversity; there are practices within this sector of the environment that pose serious threats especially practices such as shifting cultivation method of farming as well as hunting around and within the habitat of endangered species animals which continue to reduce the population of these endangered animals.
There are over twenty (20) different animal and bird species that have been declared by the Liberia Government as endangered. The Mona Monkeys are among the endangered animals species in Liberia. They are found in few parts of the country, and Bong County is one of those places where the Mona monkeys are found. These endangered species are on the verge of extinction, this is because their habitat is gradually been destroyed as a direct result of traditional method (shifting cultivation) of farming being practiced by forest dependent communities.
Yolo Town, a forest dependent community is one of such towns in Bong County where the endangered Mona Monkey species have their habitat. The town is located in Kokoyah Statutory District, some 56km from Gbarnga, the Capital of Bong County. The town was established in the early 1930s; three ethnic groups make up the vast majority of the town population of over two thousands (2000). They include the Mano, Kpelleh and Bassa. Many of the town residents are engage in petty trading and farming as their major occupations. Environmental issues have been a serious concern in Liberia of late. Many Institutions including the UN have been coordinating their efforts in mitigating environmental problems. Biodiversity has been one of such sector of environment that the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other local and international organizations have been working to protect endangered animal species and protected areas (natural reserves).
In Kokoyah Statutory District, CODRA in partnership with the Development Education Network (DEN-L) has been working in the extractive sector with communities affected by the activities of concession companies like American-Liberian Mining Company (AMLIB) And Arcelor Mitta steel Company to pick up environmental issues affecting these communities. Other groups such as the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), the National Youth Movement for Transparent Election (NYMOTE) and Green Advocates have done some works in the environment in Kokoyah. The strategy for intervention will be to provide alternative to the traditional method (slash and burn) to community people who are living and farming near the endangered Mona Monkey species habitat the project will give community farmers improved knowledge and skills in low land farming which has greater comparative advantage as compare to up land farming. as well as protect these endangered species habitat from other unlawful practices. This project is complimenting national government?s effort in protecting endangered animal species in Liberia.

1.2 Organizational Background and Capacity to Implement the Project
The Community Development and Research Agency (CODRA) is a non-for-profit organization based in Gbarnga, Bong County. The NGO is a sub-national. It is registered under the Association Law of Liberia as a non-governmental organization. The agency?s focus is in the area of community development and research.
The purpose of the agency is to empower marginalized communities to set their own development priorities and pursue a positive course of action that addresses their development needs. The agency?s vision is: ?a developed country that evolves as a result of strong community participation; where the development agenda is a bottom-to-top approach; where self-initiative is engendered to promote local empowerment, and where local opinions are championed into national decision making policy framework.
The agency?s programs and activities cut across to reach marginalized and vulnerable groups to include the women, youths, elderly, children and physically challenged (people living with disabilities); our set of programs include: Agriculture Assistance Program (AAP), Civic Action Program (CAP), Gender Action Program (GAP), Environmental Protection Program (EPP), Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), Community Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (CWASH) and Community Empowerment Program (CEP). From its foundation in 2009, CODRA has built a significant professional strength and experience and is capable of delivering qualify services to partner institutions. Over the years, the organization has built its capacity ranging from resource mobilization/management to human resource development. It has grown from five to fifteen full time staff and thirty volunteers committed and well motivated. The agency has one professional accountant who conducts the financial affairs of the agency. In addition, the agency?s personnel are trained in facilitation of participatory processes including the Development Education and Leadership Teams in Action (DELTA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). Also, the organization has expertise in the environment, organization development, governance and advocacy and gender and leadership, etc.
Our project management experience is strong. We have implemented a number of volunteer projects with funding provided by the Agency?s Board of Directors. Further, we have implemented for the World Bank under its Civil Society Fund, the Development Education Network-Liberia (DEN-L), under its Environmental Program. Besides, we have worked with a number of institutions on several projects. Currently, we are working with the International Research Exchange Board (IREX) under its Civil Society and Media Leadership Program.
For our Civic Action Program this year, we will be working with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) foundation based in Washington D.C., the United States of America. The Agency is part of the Civil Society Organizations of Bong County, New African Research and Development Agency (NARDA) Bong Network, Bong County Budget Network and the DELTA Network.
The agency?s strategies for delivery/implementation will include: getting the community people fully involved in the project?s activities, mobilized the involvement of relevant government institutions as well as local authorities and set chain indicators that will determine the extent to which implementation progress has been made.