HISTORY

SEC envisions seeing Liberia rich biological sites are as of importance to community dwellers at local and national levels in conservation and sustainable planning. This is pursued through an educational and empowering process in which the people in partnership with each other and those able to assist them identify their priorities, mobilize resources and assume the responsibility to manage and control the environment where they live and depend on.

SEC uses community participatory engagement techniques to help especially rural people to identify their problems and needs. Information gathering is focused on the environmental elements, social issues and sustainable development of the people. The purpose of our extensive background research/survey is to ensure that SEC understands the social and physical environment in which they are working in order to employ best practice in the implementation of resonating programming and for creation of capacity surrounding awareness, empowerment and to influence policy making.

SEC has worked in Seven counties (Gbarpolu, Sinoe, Nimba, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties), and considers everyone within the borders of the Republic of Liberia as integral to the implementation of its program, in adherence to the laws of the Republic of Liberia, especially those governing NGOs operations

To conserve and promote sustainable forest resources.

• To develop and support the community by empowering them.
• Raising the perceiving value of high biological site that are under threats of exploitation of natural resource.
• Poverty alleviation through improving livelihoods of forest dependent communities.
• Work in collaboration with Protected Areas Management Authority to establish Community Conservation Society and School Nature Club which will enable data gathering and the safeguard our natural resources.
• Linking sustainable practices to increase community household income through strengthening values chains thus providing tangible incentives for the adoption of these practices.
• Developing strategies with local and international partners to better tackle the issues of degrading activities on the environment.

 A. Sustainable Livelihoods

Agro- Industry/ Forestry/Alternative livelihood

• Bee Keeping
• Grass cutter rearing
• Snail rearing
• Mushroom keeping
• Climate Smart Agriculture
• Aquaculture (Fish Pond, Swamp development and wetland conservation)
• Other innovative technology for Non – Timber Forest Product (NTFP).
• Organic Farming Systems
• Vegetable production

H.  Ecotourism

• Assessment of suitable sites for ecotourism
• Hiking, sport hunting
• Safari hunting
• Bird watching,
• Backcountry visitation,
• Animal viewing/wildlife viewing

Issues: poverty is widespread and concentrated both in urban and rural Liberia, with nearly two million Liberians, mainly women, children and marginalized youths living in extreme poverty and hunger. The vast majority depend on agriculture and related activities to survive.

Goal: the overarching goal of SEC’s Sustainable Livelihoods and Food Security program is to empower both rural and urban poor to achieve higher incomes and improved food security at their household level and to reduce pressure on the remaining forests. SEC provide training in agriculture and livelihood development; agribusiness and extensions services including crops and livestock production, agro forestry, aquaculture as well as do research, undertake, monitor and evaluate livelihoods and agricultural programs focusing o environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically sound production of food and fibers based on natural and local conditions. Key features of our Sustainable Livelihoods and Food Security program are: Crop Rotations, Intercropping, Integrated Biological Pest Control; Introduction of Resistant Varieties; Erosion Control; Water Management; Nutrient Recycling; Alternative Development and promotion of environmental services of agriculture in addressing climate change and biodiversity conservation. In all of these agricultural and sustainable livelihoods activities, the organization is guided by the following seven principles: .

1. Provide microfinance to empower poor people to lift themselves out of poverty;
2. Work with farmers and community members directly;
3. Treat farming as a family business, acknowledging that communities are linked to markets and that farm families need income for off-farm products and services;
4. Focus on farming systems, supporting diverse production – crops, livestock, trees and fish;

5 Promote agricultural practices that do not deplete or damage resources, linking production to conservation as well as integrating climate change mitigation strategies in local food production systems;

6. Use watershed approaches, fostering cross-community collaboration for resource protection natural disaster mitigation, and upstream/downstream cooperation to meet competing water needs.

7). Ensure immediate benefits and invest in long-term production. All of these programs are based on assessments of local needs, opportunities, and key limiting factors.