Village Regeneration Programme
The villages we work with in Sierra Leone are remote, subsistence communities,
with very few ways of making a living and minimal resources. Much of what they had was destroyed during the 11 year Civil War, but what they still DO have is determination and
a well organised village democracy. We work holistically with these people to regenerate
the village from basic needs to livelihoods and the environment.
with very few ways of making a living and minimal resources. Much of what they had was destroyed during the 11 year Civil War, but what they still DO have is determination and
a well organised village democracy. We work holistically with these people to regenerate
the village from basic needs to livelihoods and the environment.
Our Village Regeneration Programme has the following stages:
Clean Water • Bee Farming • Swamp Rice Farming
Women's Farms • Vocational Training & Education
|
Clean Water
Many villages do not have access to clean water, so supplying this basic need is our first priority when we engage with a community. Whether wells need to be sourced and dug by us, or existing ones refurbished and maintained, the first stage of the programme is to assess the immediate situation. Check out the stories and technical details of our current wells and our plans with Arcadia Reach for a step change in our capacity and solar pumps! |
Options for clean water are:
|
|
Bee Farming*
Previously, honey hunting involved climbing or cutting down the host tree and smoking out the bee colony risking fire, injury and destruction of the colony. Training in bee farming provides an opportunity for income generation which preserves the forest and bee populations. This also stimulates the local economy providing work for carpenters, blacksmiths and tailors, and training in honey production, packaging and marketing. Currently approximately 40 villages are involved in the bee farming initiative and we have also supported the formation of a "Bee Farmers Association" who purchase the honey and wax from the farmers and sell both locally and internationally. 
*This part of the programme directly contributes to the
Carbon Life Balance initiative. |
To set up a bee farming initiative involves:
|
|
Swamp Rice Farming*
This technique of growing traditional rice varieties communally, in the swamps, with the creation of a paddy field system to regulate water flow, largely disappeared during the Civil War. We have now reintroduced this method of farming, which develops swamps into productive community farms, without destroying the rain forest. Currently over 50 acres of rice swamp have been developed, providing food and livelihood by using regenerative farming techniques without using environmentally damaging chemicals. Saving CO2 emissions by eliminating slash and burn and reducing the amount of rain forest used in food production 
*This part of the programme directly contributes to the
Carbon Life Balance initiative. |
To set up swamp rice farming involves :
|
|
Women's Farms
supported by Inga trees* Women’s farms have been an integral part of our village regeneration scheme for several years and women’s groups working together, to improve their families nutrition AND earn their own money by selling produce, have been very successful. The effects have been impressive, ranging from the ability to set up a savings scheme, to increased status and mutual support when dealing with domestic disputes. However we realised that the farms were only productive for two years and we were being asked for support to clear more land (see slash & burn info). This led to a decision to introduce an agroforestry technique called Inga Alley Cropping (see Carbon Life Balance section) to develop permanent farms. 
*This part of the programme directly contributes to the
Carbon Life Balance initiative. |
To set up a women's farm involves :
|
|
Vocational Training & Education
After the basics of food and water, vocational training and education underpins the hope for a better future. Currently, we support vocational training for locals to get the necessary skills in our 'Oxford Uni Outreach' training base. We’ve had a fantastic grant from LUSH to expand our capacity to show what can be done in the Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry arena. We link UK and SL schools for support and are also immensely proud of the new primary school that was developed in partnership with DART International and Linguistica International who also sponsored a great video. |
|
UK Contact detailsWe are always looking for new ideas and funding to help us
with Rory’s Well - if you feel you could help in anyway, please get in touch! If you would like more information about Rory’s Well contact us at: roryswell@icloud.com |
Rory's Well charity is based at: |
