Tacugama

Category: Education, TKP, Tacugama | Date: Nov 19 2009 | By: tacugama

Hi, this is Stephanie, the new volunteer for the TKP. I have been here for 2 months, arriving just in time to organise the start of the 2009/10 programme. The Tacugama Kids Programme started in 2007, you can find out how the programme started and how the project progressed. Please read on to find out about the success of this year’s programme!

We’ve had smiling faces all around with an exciting and successful start to this year’s Tacugama Kids’ Programme (TKP). This year the programme is working with 11-13 year old students in 11 rural schools around the Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve (WAPFR). The main objective of the program is to encourage a positive change in attitudes and practices with regards to local environmental issues.

Making educational posters to teach their friends about chimpanzees and rainforest conservation
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The first stage of the programme was a survey of the local secondary schools. It was motivating to see how many of the schools are located right between the forest reserve and the breathtakingly beautiful peninsula coastline; consequently the communities rely heavily upon the environment for their livelihoods. It was also inspiring to see the determination and perseverance of the teachers in the face of a desperate lack of resources, even holding classes in huts made of woven mats and on benches of sticks. One coordinator from each school was invited to take part in a training workshop at the sanctuary before taking responsibility for teaching the theoretical lessons of the TKP programme.

Excited students at Huntingdon Secondary School receive their new Tacugama Kids Programme exercise books
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Coordinators from the sanctuary also run activities in each school to reinforce the teaching curriculum, starting with a simple ‘Clean-up the School Environment’ activity. This aims to teach students that keeping the environment clean can be beneficial for the environment and their own hygiene. As well as the enjoyment of the activity there was an important underlying lesson which we hope will be passed on to the rest of the community.

Having fun and cleaning up the environment at the War Wounded Academy
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Class discussion to conclude the activity; Peninsular Secondary School found the highest volue of rubbish was plastic bags!
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The week finished off with the TKP in full swing as the first group of young adventurers from Mountain Rural Secondary School visited the sanctuary. It was especially rewarding to see some of the students who had been members of past TKP nature clubs remembering and sharing their knowledge of the chimpanzees. The day was enjoyed by all but the moment that will be most memorable for me will be the students making the ‘promise wall’. By placing their hand print on the wall the students promised to ‘Protect the chimpanzees, their rainforest habitat and their own local environment.’

Pa Willie takes students from Mountain Rural Secondary School on a tour of the sanctuary
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“We promise to protect the chimpanzees, the rainforest and our local environment”
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As the poda-poda (school mini-bus) drove away with the students cheering “We love this place, we want to stay forever!” it not only gave us a chance to breathe a sigh of relief at the successful completion of the first week but also a newly fuelled determination and enthusiasm for the opportunities and challenges to come in the weeks ahead.

Tags: Chimpanzee, Education, sanctuary, Sierra Leone, TKP, wildlife

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Category: Education, Quarantine, Tacugama | Date: Nov 16 2009 | By: tacugama

Friday 13th November saw the arrival of another two chimpanzee infants at Tacugama. Just as the weekly Tacugama Kids Programme was in full cry with another thirty rural schoolchildren on a full day visit to the sanctuary, Samson and Delila were carried up the hill and through the gates to join the Tacugama family.

Willie takes down details from Mr Bangura

The chimpanzees arrived with us as the result of the positive action from one of the Ministry of Agriculture’s livestock officers. Based at Sierra Leone’s international airport at Lungi, on one of his routine visits to the farm of an ex-patriot hotel manager he found the baby chimps in residence. He advised the man that keeping the chimps was illegal and that he should contact Tacugama to arrange for their transfer. On learning that the chimps were still at the farm a month later, he again advised that they should be handed over and fortunately a few days later was contacted by the hotel manager and asked to bring them to the sanctuary. He arrived with the man who had cared for the chimps since their arrival at the farm.

Samson
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Delila
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Samson and Delila (formerly Lucy but renamed as we already have three Lucy’s at Tacugama!) are clearly very used to being with people despite being so young - probably around eighteen months old. We know little about their background - apparently Samson was rescued in very poor health from a village to the north of the airport. Delila had been carried around and dressed up in children’s clothes for photographs. They are both in a fair condition though Samson has a bad skin infection. They will go through quarantine together for the next three months joining Chippe, Thulani, Abu, Sunny, Blama and Kangari; Mama Posseh has her work cut out.
At least that day we were able to introduce the carer of the chimps to the children at the sanctuary and they explained what they had learned that day about why chimps should be left in the wild. He and the livestock officer left with a clear message to take back to Lungi, let’s hope it spreads.

Enforcing the message
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Tess will soon bring you an update on all our quarantine residents and how Gaura and his group are progressing.
As you can tell we are getting increasingly desperate to raise the US$70,000 that it will take to fence two further forest enclosures so that the growing number and growing size of our chimps can all benefit from an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible. Right now we are very close to being full up with 98 chimps reliant on us for care. Hopefully our trip to Europe will deliver some results. We’ll keep you informed.

Tags: airport, Chimpanzee, Lungi, sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Tacugama, wildlife

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Category: Tacugama | Date: Nov 10 2009 | By: tacugama

Next year - 2010 will mark 15 years since Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary was formally opened in September 1995.

To mark the occasion we have printed a limited number of commemorative calendars and they will be available from next week for you to buy.  Each month features one of Tacugama’s chimps and a useful planner.  They’ll make a great gift for your friends and family (and you!) for the holiday season and help to spread the message about protecting chimpanzees.

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The calendars will be on sale from the sanctuary in Sierra Leone and also available by post from the UK for the sum of $20.

If you’d like to order yours for delivery to your door then please follow both of these two steps:
1 Make your payment using the Wildlife Direct one-time donation calendar option on the right hand side of the blog page
2 Send an email to adopt@tacugama.sl confirming your name, delivery address (including country and postal/zip code)

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy commemorating fifteen years of Tacugama with us!

(ps the calendars measure just less than 30cm x 60cm when fully open)

Tags: , anniversary, calendar 2010, Chimpanzee, sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Tacugama

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Category: Tacugama | Date: Nov 04 2009 | By: tacugama

Hi, this is Tess here again. Following the earlier blog where we asked you to send us your questions for Mama Posseh who works in quarantine, she has now finally finished answering your questions. She was very happy that so many people around the world are interested and appreciate the work she does!

With the help of Willie, the camp supervisor, Posseh gets down to answering all your questions
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How did you come to work at Tacugama?
I came to work at Tacugama as a cook by Mr Bala, and then later joined the sanctuary as a full member of staff dealing with the chimpanzees; deployed in the quarantine section as a foster mother.

Continue Reading »

Tags: Africa, Chimpanzee, sanctuary, Sierra Leone, Tacugama

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