Olatunde Johnson

By Cam Walker

Sierra Leone is not often a country that conjures images of environmental activism. Conflict has devastated the country and its economy and the vast majority of its population lives in poverty. Amidst this reality, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Sierra Leone does some remarkable work.

Its founder, Olatunde Johnson, was motivated by seeing a story on FoE in a copy of the New Internationalist magazine. He had established an organisation called Future in Our Hands in 1984 and decided to apply for membership in the FoE International (FoEI) network.

FoE Sierra Leone runs a range of programs, focusing on education both in schools and the broader community. It works to create the change in people they will need to change their lives. "If we can change our attitude, things will get better," says Olatunde. "We need to share, we need to learn how to live together."

The organisation has grown substantially in recent years and now campaigns as well as running awareness-raising projects. It works on forests, climate change and risk assessment, while continuing to expand its work in schools, local institutions and the community. It addresses environmental issues by holding seminars, workshops, meetings and rallies.

It runs an ecological centre (ecocentre) outside Freetown which includes a tree nursery which also produces agricultural and medicinal plants to support local afforestation as well as a range of environmental studies programs. Olatunde believes that access to information is vital for people to be able to better their lives: the Michael Simpson library at the centre provides a valuable learning resource on issues like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and skill sharing.

In recent years the group has been supported by the One Sky Foundation in Canada, allowing it to expand its work into vocational skills training. It is establishing a radio program which will expand its reach, encouraging 'resistance for change'. The centre is
expanding its training opportunities and is expanding using locally- made bricks and other sustainable building materials.

A newer area of activity includes a stronger focus on gender issues and awareness, with an emphasis on adult education and community health. Plans for the future include a micro credit program and increased health support for locals.

One of FoE Sierra Leone's earlier successes was its waste management program which was based on the creation of an environmental sanitation program. Funding was obtained to establish rubbish and recycling bins in communities around Freetown. Given the breakdown in governance in the country, these types of practical initiatives are both useful and significant in demonstrating that people can begin to take control over their lives in spite of the turmoil and hardship imposed by years of conflict. The bins are collected twice a week and taken to landfill, reducing the amount of waste on the streets. Recyclables are separated from the waste. The group is working on plans to use waste to generate biogas, and to use compost as fertiliser.

Olatunde is modest about his successes, and attempts to focus on him are invariably steered back to discussion on what the group has achieved. But clearly he has remarkable dedication and a desire to see a better world develop through self improvement and collective effort.

He had the opportunity to be involved in a South–South exchange through FoEI and travelled to El Salvador to experience their work with the Eco Centre managed by CESTA (FoE El Salvador), which helped inspire the idea of a similar centre in Sierra Leone. El Salvador had the similar experience of suffering through a long civil war, made worse by the intervention of the United States. Massive levels of trauma continues to affect many in society – the same as in Sierra Leone.

Olatunde sees the need to work with youth affected by the conflict, displacement and violence through arts and crafts, the development of music and kids bands and the creation of sustainable work opportunities. A bike program, which addresses the issues of sustainable transport and safety on roads is part of this vision. (CESTA has developed bikes that can carry considerable loads, allowing self-employed workers to reach jobs carrying the tools of their trade).

Opportunity is vital if young people are to avoid despair. Access to information is part of this. Olatunde estimates that around 20% of young people in Nigeria have an email address and at least occasional access to the internet, while in Sierra Leone this is somewhere between 1-5%. FoE Sierra Leone's school program aims to build access to this source of information.

In a world of continued ecological devastation and social fragmentation, any positive form of activism and community building is to be celebrated. But in a country that is so poor and so ravaged by war, the example of FoE Sierra Leone stands out as a real example of what is possible when people band together for a greater and deeper good.

For details on FoE Sierra Leone, see: <www.onesky.ca/foesl>. To find ways to support the group, please also feel free to contact Cam Walker in the FoE office in Melbourne, <cam.walker@foe.org.au>, (03) 9419 8700.

This column seeks to acknowledge some of the inspirational people in our movements. Please feel free to send stories for future editions of Chain Reaction – ideally of 600 words and with a high-resolution image. <chainreaction@foe.org.au>