Tawuya Village-Gbinle Dixing Chiefdom is in Kambia District in northern Sierras Leone. The project area is characterized by stretches of thick deciduous forest with lot of Mining activities. Most of the populace within this Chiefdom are illicit artisanal miners few are fishermen and farmers.

The project area is a predominantly mining environment, with huge loss of its ecosystem and livelihood activities, due to the fact that the area has been underdeveloped and highly exposed to illicit mining. After the 11 years rebel war, there has been no serious intervention from the central government towards the growth and development, especially on the regeneration of exposed mine sites. The project area is an eco-tourist attracted area with many ecological benefits, but it has not benefited from any private sector investment due to high cost of operation.

The reserve forests are evergreen forests located within the upland area and with small patches along. Most of them are influenced by tides and widely differing conditions of salinity and rainfall. These forests are complex and dynamic ecosystems consisting of plants and animals. They experience regular changes, and most major species within these habitats grow within a given set of environmental conditions. The ever-green forest ecosystem supports biodiversity, provides breeding and feeding grounds and refuges from predation for many genetic species. The forest area has been destroyed and degraded by unsustainable harvesting by lots of miners, fish mongers, local farmers, charcoal sellers, as well as by a myriad of development projects including eco-tourism and agriculture within this community. However, in light of recent extreme natural events and anthropogenic activities (Mining) has excessbated the rapid increase of extreme weather event, when most of the forest areas has been deforested by community members and mining companies for the search of Gold. This can actually give rise to death and properties worth millions of Leones during such sudden events or any possible eventuality. There is an increased interest and motivation in restoring and management of the degraded areas, in order to boost livelihoods, as well as reduced disasters.

In order to address the massive deforestation cause by numerous factors, and to immensely contribute towards the betterment of community?s resilience, we believe that this Small Grant Project through our key adaptation strategies will eventually help in the reforestation with crop trees species along abandoned mining sites. In addition, depletion rate and a sustainable approached on livelihoods methods also serve as a threat to their survival, and also to improved their understanding among community stakeholders and common people that area highly engaged in such activities.

The project seeks to improve the lives of 500 smallholder farmers and 500 Artisanal miners as a means to increase awareness and empower the local community to collectively manage the resource in order to improve Agriculture, degraded land, people?s security and generate livelihoods from sustainable use of eco-lodge. Building confidence and acceptance from local authorities and their communities will improve forest management. Vulnerable groups will be trained in collective management, decision-making and create a nursery, plant of tree crops and then take care of them to ensure their success.

The project intends to address some of the challenges mentioned and supports livelihoods associated with the tree crop.