The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation provided a grant of £20,000 in 2007/08.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is an international development agency that works through volunteers. VSO brings people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. In 2008 VSO has 1,500 skilled, professional volunteers working in 33 countries in education, HIV and AIDS, health, secure livelihoods and governance.
Catherine Kerr is working within VSO’s secure livelihoods programme in partnership with the Environmental Foundation for Africa in Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world. Catherine is an Eco Tourism Adviser for Tiwai Island, deemed as one of, if not the most important, sites for primates in West Africa. With 11 different species including three different types of Colobus Monkey it has the densest populations of primates in the world. Tiwai, meaning Big Island, is surrounded by eight host Chiefdoms. The island has a camp for visitors and a research centre which is managed as a community led project.
During her first two months Catherine stayed with the communities to learn more about their culture and the hopes and expectations of the people. All of them are keen to see income generation from the island, to develop old skills and learn new ones like bee keeping and craft making from palm and raffia. Catherine aims to develop the tourism and research facilities and increase livelihood opportunities. She will work with staff and local community groups to develop management and marketing strategies to ensure long-term responsible and sustainable tourism and to ensure the island is protected and preserved for future generations.
Visit the Voluntary Service Overseas website.