As part of joint efforts to create visibility for the EU-funded Programme for the Preservation of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa (PAPFor), GREENLIFE West Africa has played a key role in the production of PAPFor communications materials from January 2022 to April 2024.
Ethel Sillah, the GREENLIFE Communications Manager for Sierra Leone was the focal point on the PAPFor communications team. She took trips to several transboundary forest landscapes including Tai-Grebo-Krahn-Sapo (TGKS) between Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire, Gola between Liberia and Sierra Leone, Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi (ZWW) between Liberia and Guinea, Outamba-Kilimi-Kuru Hills-Pinselli-Soya (OKKPS) between Sierra Leone and Guinea, and Mount Nimba between Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire. Phone interviews were also held with the PAPFor implementation team in Cross River Forest between Nigeria and Cameroon.
GREENLIFE produced a total of 72 stories that were featured on PAPFor’s social media pages, newsletters, and website. In addition, GREENLIFE captured photos and supported the production of videos to document PAPFor activities within the Mano River Union sub region.
Ethel Sillah expressed joy for the successful coverage of PAPFor activities. She said, “It was a great opportunity to work with the PAPFor teams in the various forest landscapes. It was not only an eye-opener to visit other countries during my field trips, but an opportunity to see the amazing wildlife of these countries plus the rich culture and warm reception from people especially PAPFor’s implementing partners on the ground. In addition, writing these stories brought to light how valuable and interconnected these forests are.”
The goal of PAPFor is to promote an endogenous, sustainable, and inclusive development of West Africa’s forest areas, responding to the challenges of climate change and the maintenance of biodiversity. The two main components of PAPFor are focused on the sustainable management of Protected Areas and their surroundings, and regional convergence and coordination.
