In rural Sierra Leone, 60-year-old Vandi Sama sits on a stool and patiently weaves together the skin-like bark of a rattan stem. Although he has already harvested the poles, steamed them to shape a chair frame and separated the plants’ various parts based on how they can be used, it might be another whole day before his creation begins to take shape. This has been the routine for many years now, but this time, unlike before, he is hopeful the set of chairs he is crafting will find their way to an urban center and earn his family money.
Like many farmers in his community, Vandi lives below the poverty line. To try and make ends meet, he doubles as a crafter of rattan furniture in addition to being a traditional farmer. In a community where farmers are subject to seasonal hunger and unexpected livelihood shocks, such as fires, floods or droughts, having a complementary source of income should provide a sense of security. But for Vandi, and many others in similar situations, the lack of access to markets and loans means that for years, his skillfully-crafted furniture has provided relatively little return on investment.
To address this gap, craftsmen like Vandi have begun organizing into groups to improve their skills, increase productivity and ensure the sustainable use of the natural resources in the making of their products.
When cane craftsmen work individually, as is usually the case, the absence of cooperation results in diminished efficiency and risks the sustainability of the natural resource – rattan – they depend on for this income generating activity is compromised. Lessons emerging from some pilot efforts to organize some of the craftsmen into groups has shown promise by facilitating skills-sharing and provides for the opportunity to divide labor and increase productivity. The Gola Rainforest Conservation Limited by Guarantee (GRC-LG), with support from USAID’s West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program, has spearheaded the creation of six groups of twenty-two craftsmen in four separate locations. The objective of GRC-LG is to conserve the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone through various strategies. This activity is part of the community forestry approach being advanced to promote conservation by improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent community members.
The craftsmen separate themselves into harvesters and crafters. The harvesters live closest to raw materials and are responsible for ensuring the cane used for production is sustainably sourced. The crafters, those with the most skill and/or the best access to and experience with markets, are responsible for creating and selling the finished pieces. This division of labor gives people like Vandi, who had given up on making rattan products after suffering a stroke, a lifeline to restart the craft and gain extra income. Whereas females were traditionally not involved in the local rattan industry, they are beginning to play a role as marketers, adapting a traditional strength and skill to add value to the product chain. The Gola Rainforest Conservation LG also provides advice on quality crafting and promotes members’ access to markets through, for example, participation in commodity fairs. By linking these producer groups to local savings and loans associations, members are also given the opportunity to finance their enterprises.
Cane crafters in the Tunkia Chiefdom have now turned their crafts into a significant alternative source of expendable income, making their households less food insecure and less vulnerable to seasonal hunger and unexpected shocks. Now their products mostly end up in urban markets where they can fetch over USD 100 a month—more than 80%-90% of what households in their communities make in the same time. In urban provincial areas, this income makes a substantial contribution, enough to cover food, rent, and utility bills for a household of five adults.
As a result of these changes Mr. Vandi Sama, the 60 year-old farmer from Mano Jegbla, ties the final knot on his chair with a smile. “Even at the initial stage of this community forestry project”, he says, “the hope and prospect of a revival of my trade and fortunes have given renewed life to my business, my household and my physical form.”
