HOUSTON / ATLANTA / MONROVIA
HOUSTON / ATLANTA / MONROVIA
Higher Education for Conservation (HECA), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is a $5Million, 5-year grant whose project title is the Center of Excellence for Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation Leadership, and Green Enterprise Development in Liberia. The Theme of HECA is “Working Together to Conserve Liberia's Forests for a Secure Green Future.”
The Higher Education for Conservation (HECA) was launched on October 21, 2022, to build the skills of Liberia's forestry and natural resource workforce to support the conservation and sustainable use of natural forest resources while advancing economic development, gender equality, youth empowerment, and social inclusion.
At its core is the establishment of a Center of Excellence for Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation (the FBC Center) co-located at the University of Liberia. The center, with the assistance of HECA subject matter experts, will facilitate green enterprise development and strengthen Liberian higher education institutions to offer improved forestry, biodiversity, and conservation (FBC) curricula and defined co-curricular activities that develop workforce soft skills.
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Center of Excellence in Forestry, Biodiversity and Conservation (FBC Center), in partnership with the U.S. government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), conducted the Green Enterprise Development and Innovation (GEDI) Hub launch at the University of Liberia Fendell Campus, T.J. Faulkner College of Science and Technology Complex. The ribbon cutting ceremony marks a significant milestone in providing green enterprise and innovation related training and generating green employment opportunities for Liberia’s youth. The FBC Center and GEDI hub are strategically co-located at the T.J. Faulkner College of Science and Technology Complex where “Made in Liberia” green products will be displayed at the GEDI hub.
The Deputy Minister of Commerce and Trade Mr. Wilmot A. Reeves, Managing Director, Forestry Development Agency (FDA), Rudolph Merab, along with green enterprises, FBC Center staff, HECA Fellows, and GEDI Interns attended the ceremony.
The FBC Center Executive Director Dr. B.K. Robertson stated, “the Green Enterprise Development and Innovation (GEDI) Hub at the FBC Center will serve as a place where the wider community can get information and engage in activities that accelerate social inclusion through environmentally conscious economic activity.”
He expressed thanks and assured participants that the GEDI Hub will serve as a place where cutting-edge ideas and innovative practices related to forestry, biodiversity, and conservation will meet people at the grassroots and link them with people involved in higher education.
Activities for the GEDI Hub include twenty (20) GEDI Internships, five (5) registered Liberian green enterprises, as well as government agencies and NGOs who have already been selected to host and mentor FBC students for a six-month internship program. Dr. Robertson announced that, within the Hub, plans including the creation of two innovation desks: the Ecotourism Development and Alternative Livelihoods Desk, established for advanced FBC students or recent FBC graduates to apply their knowledge to assist interior communities with developing ecotourism enterprises and other innovative alternative livelihood activities; and the Marketing Innovation Desk, created for advanced FBC students or recent FBC graduates with a creative bent to applying their knowledge and talent for the development of FBC-conscious marketing materials and initiatives to significantly increase FBC awareness and concern among the Liberian general public in both urban and rural populations.
USAID awarded the University of Georgia $5 Million United States Dollars for implementing a program entitled Higher Education for Conservation (HECA) to help support the development efforts of the Government of Liberia to strengthen workforce development and education in forest, biodiversity and conservation education. HECA aims to improve the conservation of Liberia’s forests and biodiversity through education, training, and technical assistance in collaboration with Alabama A&M University (AAMU), Tuskegee University (TU), the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College, the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL) in Atlanta, Georgia, the University of Liberia (UL), and the Forestry Training Institute (FTI) amongst others in Liberia. The team established the FBC Center at the UL Fendall Campus in 2023.
Green Entrepreneur partnerships were established with the following entities for placement of interns to include Green Gold Liberia; Liberia Coconut Farmer and Buyers Union, Government agencies: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, FDA, EPA; NGOs: Wildlife Chimpanzee Foundation; many of whom attended the GEDI Ceremony. Other key stakeholders in attendance included Dr. Layli Maparyan, Executive Director, Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), and Hon. Cynthia L. Blandford, President of the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL), University of Liberia (UL) and Forestry Training Institute (FTI) faculty.
The FBC center will oversee the development of a national forestry, biodiversity, and conservation curriculum that aligns with global standards for sustainable forest management. In addition, it will develop and deliver a multidimensional soft-skills co-curriculum to promote professional development of forest sector employees, including in areas like organizational leadership and team management. As a vital part of the program’s mission, the team will design a social inclusion strategy to empower women and young people in the Liberian forestry sector. This strategy will also benefit people with disabilities, crisis- and conflict-affected individuals, first-generation post-secondary students, people from minority religious communities, and rural, forest-dwelling, and forest-dependent people. For further information please call +231.77.777.1961 or on WhatsApp at +513.238.8599.
Written by Dr. B.K. Robertson, FBC Executive Director and HECA Chief of Party
The Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation (FBC) Center currently supports 20 students for internship opportunities with green enterprise businesses, government, and NGO partners. Students in their final year of study were selected for a semester-long internship after a competitive selection process. In the first two weeks of placement, the FBC Center Team visited several of the host organizations to assess the progress of the interns. Some of the organizations visited include the Liberia Coconut Farmers and Buyers Union and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) on November 5, 2024, and November 6, 2024, respectively. At the Liberia Coconut Farmers and Buyers Union, the team met Mr. Samuel Jlaka, a Board Member, and Mr. Ellis T. Jackson, President of the Union. Also, at the Forestry Development Authority, the team met and discussed with Mr. Parker K. Jimmy, Wildlife Officer, and Mrs. Serena T. Mulbah, designated intern supervisor at FDA. The two organizations expressed great satisfaction and were glad to host the interns. The Team visited the Wildlife Chimpanzee Foundation who are hosting two of the interns. The Country Director, Dr. Hillers, is pleased with the interns and went on to describe some of the experiences the interns will gain at the end of the six months. Below are photos of the site visit to those organizations.
The site visit to the Wildlife Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) and meeting served as an orientation for the interns as they begin work on November 26, 2024, at the WCF Office. Dr. Annika Hillers, Country Director of WCF, gave a general overview of the organization’s multiple projects and gave the interns the opportunity to choose their project of choice to work on. She said WCF also has offices in Grand Gedeh County and Sinoe National Park.
On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the Center of Excellence in Forestry, Biodiversity and Conservation (FBC Center), in partnership with the United States Government through USAID, hosted an MOU Signing Ceremony at the Cape Hotel. The purpose of the MOU between the FBC Center and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is to engage in cooperative educational capacity building and outreach activities with the goal of enhancing forestry, biodiversity and conservation education at various universities. These activities will include Curriculum Development, Professional Development Training Programs for University Faculty and Staff, Internships, Fellowships, Experiential Learning and Community Development Programs.
Participating Institutions including representatives that were present for the signing ceremony were, Dr. Jesse N. Mongrue, President, Nimba University (NU), Dr. Amanze C. Ihedioha, Vice President, Academic Affairs, Cuttington University (CU) and Dr. Grace Femi-Adepoju, Dean of the College of Sciences and Allied Health at African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU).
USAID awarded the University of Georgia $5 Million United States Dollars for the implementation of the Higher Education for Conservation (HECA) to strengthen workforce development in Liberia. HECA aims to strengthen the conservation of Liberia’s forests and biodiversity through education, training, and technical assistance in collaboration with its Higher Education Institution partners.
The MOUs will help to further connect the FBC Center to Higher Education Institutions to help build the skills of Liberia’s forestry and natural resource workforce to support the conservation and sustainable use of natural forest resources while advancing economic development, gender equality, youth empowerment, and the social inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable populations. Special thanks to USAID and the American People for their support of HECA and the FBC Center.
Collaborating partners included the University of Georgia (UGA; lead institution), the University of Liberia (UL), the Forestry Training Institute (FTI), Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU), and others in the Liberian forestry sector. This strategy will also benefit people with disabilities, crisis, and conflict-affected individuals, first-generation post-secondary students, people from minority religious communities, and rural, forest-dwelling, and forest-dependent people.
For further information, please call +231.77.777.1961 or on WhatsApp at +513.238.8599.
By Layli Maparyan, Ph.D., HECA Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead
Under the auspices of Higher Education for Conservation (HECA), Nimba University launched a new women’s affinity group for female students affiliated with forestry, biodiversity, and conservation (FBC) disciplines at that institution. This new organization, to be known as the Nimba University Female Forest Rangers Platform (FFRP), was formed on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, under the collaborative guidance of Janet Y. Lolemeh, HECA Deputy Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead, and Christiana L. Yarkpah, Chairperson of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) at Nimba University, under which the Forestry Department is housed. Mr. Allen Zorh, Dean of Academic Affairs at Nimba University, endorsed the effort, under the leadership of Nimba University President Dr. Jesse N. Mongrue. Twenty-four students and one instructor attended the formation meeting, thus becoming charter members of the Nimba University FFRP. The following officers were duly elected: Musu Gaye, President; Asatta Y. Kehmel, Vice President; Kumba Yattoh, Secretary; Elizabeth Lah, Treasurer; Betty Dolo, Chaplain; Sarah Y. Whea, Program Chairperson.
Liberia’s Forestry Training Institute (FTI), has a thriving FFRP led by Ms. Lolemeh, who also serves as a forestry instructor at the institution, as well as a special project officer for Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority (FDA). At FTI, the FFRP, which has been in existence since 2022, sustains a number of FBC-related initiatives and outreach activities, including: 1) FBC-related experiential learning activities, such as the FTI waterfall area improvement project; 2) social support, enabling women students in FBC to speak freely, share their experiences, problem-solve together, and celebrate each other’s successes, such as at the annual FFRP banquet; 3) networking with women in FBC careers and leadership, such as the camp-fire talks speaker series; 4) outreach to girls, for example, career fairs in local high schools and the Mini-Youth Fair held on the FTI campus; 5) public education, such as appearances on local radio programs and performing FFRP’s FBC-themed song and dance routine at various events, for example, the 2024 HECA Youth Fair in Paynesville City Hall, which exposed over 500 youth attendees to FBC educational programs and careers and promoted the value of gender equality in the FBC sector.
It is hoped that the newly formed FFRP at Nimba University will follow a similar model and rapidly become a point of attraction for more women to become involved with FBC education and careers. Under the leadership of Dr. Layli Maparyan, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Lead, HECA provides modest financial support to FBC women’s affinity groups at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the HECA FBC consortium, which enhances support already provided by their institutions and which provides leverage for fundraising from other extramural sources. Prior HECA landscape research indicates the women in forestry in Liberia desire women’s affinity groups and women’s professional groups to support their professional growth, so the formation of FFRP’s for HEI students is a first step in building a more comprehensive professional association infrastructure for Liberia’s dynamic FBC women!
Cynthia L. Blandford
President, University Consortium for Liberia (UCL)
+ 1 678-612-2192
cblandford@UCLiberia.com
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