Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA)

From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations

Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA)
PMB 34
1 Beach Road
Lakka, Freetown Peninsula Sierra Leone

Tel: +232 76 611 410

Website: http://www.efasl.org.uk

Description

The Environmental Foundation for Africa is a Sierra Leone [non-governmental organization] founded in 1992 that aims to protect and restore the environment in West Africa. For over 15 years, EFA has led environmental education and awareness raising campaigns, restored degraded lands and conserved pristine forests, minimized the impacts of civil war on the environment and equipped thousands of people with sustainable livelihood skills such as agroforestry. Today EFA specializes in environmental awareness raising and capacity building at the national, regional and international levels using high impact communications tools and training programs to build an environmentally conscious society motivated to maintain the integrity of nature in Africa.

EFA's mission is to restore and protect the environment. It operates primarily through environmental education and awareness raising, building up communities' and institutions' appreciation and understanding of environmental management and the impacts of environmental damage on livelihoods.

EFA envisions an environmentally conscious people motivated to maintain the integrity of nature in Africa. It facilitates community-led programs for environmental restoration, conservation and sustainable livelihoods and provides training and support in sustainable agriculture and forest management, agro-forestry, energy conservation, sustainable income generation including eco-tourism and rehabilitation of degraded natural resources.

To mainstream environment in the most influential sectors in the region, EFA raises environmental awareness among key stakeholders and builds the capacity of decision makers and resource users to incorporate environmental management into their priorities and actions. Working in partnership is a core operating principle.

To achieve its mission, EFA targets the following stakeholders: Communities, Corporations, donor & development agencies, environmental networks, governments and media outlets.

It partners with CARE International; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH); Conservation International (CI); Die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ); Flora and Fauna International (FFI); IUCN Bureau Régional de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BRAO); Television Trust for the Environment (TVE); United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); and World Report.

EFA is supported by: The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund; The Development Corporation Ireland; The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; IUCN NL and Stichting Vluchteling - The Dutch Refugee Agency. Previous support came from The British High Commission in Sierra Leone; The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF); The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; The Milton Grundy Foundation; and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Track Record

For over 15 years, EFA has led environmental education (EE) and awareness raising campaigns, restored degraded lands and conserved pristine forests, minimized the impacts of civil war on the environment and its inhabitants, and equipped thousands of people with sustainable livelihood skills such as agroforestry.

EFA raises awareness about the environment among communities, working with them to identify the environmental problems affecting their lives and livelihoods, and what they can do to conserve their natural resources for their future well-being. This is achieved through public events on environmental education in schools and community actions.

EFA establishes community-led programs for environmental protection and rehabilitation, providing training and practical assistance to enable communities protect and repair their local environment and build sustainable livelihoods.

EFA not only conducts environmental impact assessments to ensure the sound implementation of relief and development projects while providing valuable advice on sustainable management of the natural resources but also facilitates training in the areas of forestry for reforestation, establishment of woodlots and plantations. EFA also provides technical advice in agroforestry and sound farming practices.

Moreover, the organization promotes the use of energy efficient cooking methods including the use of fuel efficient stoves. It also conducts training workshops to develop skills in manufacturing eco-stoves. It raises awareness about the effect various operations have on the environment, including training and advocacy among institutions, government and businesses working in relief, development and reconstruction.

On the other hand, EFA manages a video production center, library and Internet café. Partners from across the region use these resources to create video documentaries and other products to advocate for environmental issues. Besides, it coordinates a participatory analysis of social, environmental and economic variables related to large scale commercial rutile and bauxite mining activities in the Moyamba and Bonthe Districts of southwest Sierra Leone. The study includes local organizations, communities, mining company representatives and academia and draws attention to the wider landscape services the naturally vegetation provides and investigates rehabilitation schemes using locally provided native plants. The results of the study inform a longer-term project to test novel and practical conservation strategies following mining operations beginning in November 2006 with support from the Darwin Initiative.