Hi, Welcome to our fundraising page for the Earth Centre - Sierra Leone

Ollie

I am on a Gap Year before going to university in the Autumn.  I have had a life long fascination with animals and their behaviour and decided to use my year helping the Atlantic Whale Foundation with its whale and dolphin projects in the Canaries, raising awareness of global threats to our environment through the one million European tourists each year on the whale watching boats. As part of this work I give weekly talks to Thomson Gold clients on the island’s nature and escort them on the special Eco whale watching trips that Thomson’s run every week.

Last Autumn I had the opportunity to visit on a reconnaissance in preparation for setting up the AWF’s Earth Centre project there this Spring. The people and the nature were amazing- from the Gola Forests in the east of the country to the magnificent highland savannah to the north and, in between the wetlands, mangrove swamps and beautiful coast lines. 

Everywhere communities are under threat- the country has the lowest standard of living in the world with appalling child mortality rates, and it is the same with its nature.

This June, I will be helping to set up a Humpback Whale research project in the small fishing . The research work is vital to help protect the whales from the Japanese whaling fleets in the . But, additionally, we aim to set up the village as a model eco tourism base for whale watching, transforming it from the fairly wretched state it si currently in to a level that will accommodate eco tourists next summer. Initially this means bringing water and light to the village and then, through the year, sanitation, restoring the school and medical clinic. At the same time we will be working with the local fishermen to run whale watching trips and training guides etc as well as building a purpose built resource/ research centre to run through the community.

As volunteers, we will be living within the community at , renting accommodation for this purpose. From September, our volunteer groups will be replicating this exercise in habitats and villages across the country- improving lives by giving value to nature. In each village we will employ a local to be a ‘plant master’, responsible for rebuilding local woods and plant life.

It is a huge investment of effort and we need funds to help. No one gets paid anything, apart from the locals- we are all volunteers, so ALL your money goes to the projects. I am doing The Teide Challenge to help raise funds for the projects. Please support me through Just Giving!  Ollie

Susan

I am going to undertake The Teide Challenge because I want to help the people of . I met with many children and women whilst in the country in different villages where we will be working. They have nothing, not even hope. The country has the lowest child life expectancy on Earth. I want to bring them hope in the shape of water pipes and pumps to bring fresh water direct to their villages. I want to bring the materials to help them provide for themselves adequate sanitation and medical facilities in their communities. I want to provide as many women as possible with means through which they can support themselves and their families whether it be through supplying sewing machines, or chickens or paying them to run crèches or tree nurseries. I want to make a difference to their lives. The Teide Challenge is a daunting challenge and I am not so young or fit but I will do it.  Please sponsor me through Just Giving and I will guarantee that every penny raised will go directly to the women I will be working with. Through me, you will help change their lives and give their communities hope for their children and their futures.