The Project “Introduction of Energy Efficient Fish Smoking Stoves/ovens within Coastal communities of the Yawri Bay and Sherbro River Estuary” had the following objective: –
“Contributing to the reduction in the use of mangrove as energy source in fish processing within the Yawri Bay and Sherbro River Estuary Coastal communities”.
Activities including awareness raising, construction of 98 ovens and two kilns, training of about 28 locals (youths) in charcoal production and more than 50 locals in mangroves identification and conducting two baseline surveys on mangrove uses within the Sherbro River Estuary and the Yawri were undertaken. Education and awareness raising materials including t-shirts, brochures, calendars, billboards, and mangrove identification charts were produced and distributed accordingly.
As it is always with most project implementation, this project did not go without difficulties. Difficulties encountered during project implementation include the high cost of materials, protracted rainy season and the poor road networks within project areas during the rainy season.
Irrespective of the difficulties, successes made include the widely accepted ovens and realization of the efficiency of the improved ovens, and the increased awareness of locals including fishmongers within the coastal communities of the Yawri Bay and Sherbro River Estuary about mangroves in Sierra Leone. Some other interesting success of the project is the voluntary planting of mangroves by two community groups in Gbangbatoke.