CROSSING THE MABANTA TO TALK CLIMATE ACTION!
We're taking a two day field trip upline, crossing the Mabanta River by canoe into Sanda Magbolontor Chiefdom on our way to see Hope Sakuma to talk climate change adaptation with rural farmers and see Sierra Leone innovative volunteerism in action.
The main ferry that serves this vital route lies in pieces so people, camera kit, supplies and bikes all pile into the canoes.
it's difficult to see how Sanda Magbolontor - one of the poorest and most disadvantaged chiefdoms in Sierra Leone - can thrive when it's main transport route in and out of the chiefdom from Port Loko is by dug-out canoe and stick ferry? This is surely evidence that any national plan for sustainable development or for transportation and infrastructure must reach the heartlands of our country to unleash our nation's potential and truely ensure no-one is left behind.
Citizens are affected unable to get supplies from Port Loko a staging post for goods from Freetown and farmers suffer unable to get their produce to market.
At least there is a good trade in newly dug out canoes! The boys work overtime handcrafting beautiful boats like this to meet the increased demand at a busy crossing - the ingenuity and entrepenurship of our upline cousins in finding an opourtunity in adversity never ceases to amaze!
