Namati stories – part two

A series of stories from the offices of Namati.

Seeking justice for Jabez

When Vivek asked whether I would be interested in accompanying him on a tour of the Bumbuna Reserve, I imagined a leisurely stroll during which we could exchange ideas and maybe take some photos.

As it turned out, the path our guide Jabez had chosen was up a stiff incline through thick forest undergrowth. As he hacked his way through with a machete, we half hiked, half climbed behind him. It was not long before I began seriously questioning the wisdom of bringing along my laptops and photography equipment in my backpack.

Along the way, Vivek had questions for Jabez regarding the plant life and wildlife in the reserve. Having grown up in the reserve area, Jabez proved to be highly knowledgeable. As the discussion ventured into his personal life, the young man revealed that he and his team were responsible for keeping the Bumbuna Hydroelectric dam free of fallen tree branches and other debris. The crucial task prevents damage to the power generation machinery of the dam, yet according to Jabez, they had not been paid in over eight months.

On the way back to Freetown, Vivek drafted a letter to the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, requesting that the matter be rectified. The ministry is yet to acknowledge and reply.

Minerals in Kemedugu

A glimmer of hope for Kemedugu Tonkolili District is home to Africa’s second-largest iron-ore mine.

It is there you will find the community of Kemedugu, one of several that has been directly impacted by decades of aggressive extraction of the precious mineral.

Former teacher Francis Turay, born and raised in Kemedugu, is old enough to have seen several mining companies come and go. The narrative, however, remains the same. Any benefits his community has received over the decades in return for use of their lands have been nowhere near commensurate to the sheer volume of wealth that has been carted away.

Like many other inhabitants of Kemedugu, Francis spends his days tending his small farm. Every now and then, a sudden explosion startles him – a reminder that Chinese company Leone Rock, which is currently conducting mining operations in the region, are close by. Inadequate forewarning before the company begins the blasting process is just one of the problems that Kemedugu and other nearby communities have to deal with.

Namati has been keeping an eye on Leone Rock’s activities to ensure that Kemedugu is treated fairly. It took the company’s predecessors Shandong Iron and Steel Group to court for failing to fulfil its commitments to these communities and won the case. This will result in a sizable payout to Kemedugu and eight other communities. But the process has been long and slow, and villagers have received the news has been received with cautious optimism.

“I have attended many meetings on these matters, but still we see no benefits to our community, nothing to show for it,” said the community women’s leader Fatmata Daboh. “But still, we are with you. You are in the lead. We follow you.”

Namati recently contacted Leone Rock through the Environmental Protection Agency, and is now monitoring whether this has resulted in any visible changes. But the town chief reports that, while some moves have been made by the company to provide clean water, residents are still struggling to access it.

On top of this, unclear indicators as to the full extent of the company’s concession means that landowners are often unsure which lands they can and cannot use for farming.

“The company does well to employ some of our youth,” Francis says, “but they give no thought to the old folk. Those of us who are farmers struggle to pay for our young ones’ education. If Namati can help us to get some benefits from the company, we will be able to manage until God takes our lives.”

Benefit-sharing in Bonthe

Bonthe, a coastal town on Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone, is home to the Sittia Chiefdom and rich with mangroves.

African Conservation Initiative (ACI) Sierra Leone has begun a mangrove conservation project there which will accumulate carbon credits. The benefits accrued from trading the credits are due to be shared with the local communities. But for this to happen, an agreement is needed between ACI and the communities that rely heavily on the mangroves for survival.

In the past, Namati has negotiated lease agreements between investor companies and small clusters of communities. But this agreement would span across an entire chiefdom of over 220 communities – the first of its kind.

The Namati team arrived in Bonthe on speedboats, soaked and shivering from the rain. They were there to discuss with the people of Sittia Chiefdom what an agreement of such a scale will entail.

The strategy at each meeting was to divide participants into groups – men, women and youths. In the women’s group, Betty Lebbie, an 80-year-old fisherwoman who was born and raised in Maniya, said that, based on a dream she had, the community should focus on how their share of the revenue could be used to create alternative sources of income.