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Episode 7 - MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Community Based Tourism,
Project implemented by No. 2 Village Development Association,
No.2 River, Sierra Leone,
December 2010
Project co-financed by individual donors and the European Commission
Along the North Atlantic coast of Sierra Leone and flanked by lush green hills, lie some of West Africa’s most beautiful beaches. Along this coastline, near the capital city Freetown, is a one-mile stretch of fine white sand where lies one of the country’s most pristine yet simple beach resorts. Here, the beach skyline is dotted with thatched grass huts for daily rental, beach chairs and umbrellas, small guest cottages, a restaurant and bar, and several long wooden boats that ferry visitors up the river to spot crocodiles or take them to see the Banana Islands, once a staging point for the slave trade.
The beach resort has been developed and managed by the community of a village called Number 2 River. The village itself is tucked out of sight in the woods near the northernmost part of the beach. The non-profit entity that manages the resort is called the No.2 Village Development Association.
Number 2 River is an entrepreneurial marvel in one of the world's poorest nations. Its success story began in 1998, in the midst of a decade-long civil war, when the U.S. Embassy gave the village $2,500 and encouraged it to take advantage of its unique location on one of West Africa's most beautiful, unspoiled beaches. The village leaders didn't disappoint the U.S. Embassy. They built a little resort that has grown over the years and today employs around 30 villagers. The resort hosts around 1,500 every year.
The No.2 beach resort practices and promotes “responsible tourism”; i.e. a tourism that has a positive social, cultural and environmental impact, that that protects the human and natural capitals. Responsible tourism is a way of utilising tourism potentialities of a specific area or resource in such a manner that the tourism resource of that territory is protected. Responsible tourism also makes sure that those who are directly or indirectly employed in the tourist industry can preserve the way of living that they value and chose to maintain. On the side of the tourists “responsibility” means relating to the environment and the communities in a non-invasive manner and thus enjoying more rewarding human relations and experiences of contact with nature.
Responsible tourism at local level needs requires a dialogue and collaboration amongst all major stakeholders so as to ensure a community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) that generates lasting benefices to the communities who are directly or indirectly dependent on the location for their livelihoods.
The crowd on a winter Sunday can be as high as 80 persons. The profits of the resort serve the village needs, like paying school fees for the children and medical bills for everyone. The association re-invests some of its $13,000 average annual profit into the resort, maintaining a rustic charm that has made it a favourite weekend getaway for Sierra Leoneans as well as the expatriate community. The employees divide 10% of the proceeds among themselves. The association maintains a generator that provides electricity to the entire village.
The 10-member board of the association dreams of Sierra Leone as a prime tourism destination and hopes to receive many more visitors in the future.
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Additional notes
Why is the village called No.2 River?
During the early years of British colonial rule in Sierra Leone, the village was named Faulkner. But, according to local legend, that changed a century or so ago, soon after the arrival of two battalions of British soldiers. The soldiers were determined to conduct military exercises on the banks of the river that winds down from the mountains and spills into the ocean next to the village beach. Locals had warned the battalion commanders not to attempt to cross the river because of the danger of quicksand. But the soldiers forged ahead at low tide, and hundreds, stuck in the soft sand, drowned when the tide rose. From then on, according to a member of the association, the place has been called River No. 2 because it was the river where the two battalions died.
A typical day on the No. 2 River beach resort
A typical weekend scene on the resort during winters is -- Several cars parked and dozens of visitors strolling through tropical stands of palm trees to the beach. Young village workers, some barefoot and others in sandals, are taking food and drink orders from bathers relaxing on the beach. In the restaurant's open-air kitchen, tomatoes, onions and garlic are being chopped for grill fish dishes, skewers of barracuda and shrimp on the grill, a large pot of freshly cut potatoes bubbling in oil over a wood fire. The restaurant serves whatever the fishermen catch -- for $10 a plate, including fries or rice.
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Along the western
coast of Sierra Leone that borders the North Atlantic Ocean, there lies a
pristine sandy beach resort flanked by lush green hills. Sprinkled along the
mile-plus stretch of the southern crescent is a beach resort -- thatched grass
huts for daily rental, beach chairs and umbrellas, nine small guest cottages,
a restaurant and bar, and several long wooden boats that ferry visitors up the
river to spot crocodiles or out to the Banana Islands, once a staging point
for the slave trade.
The beach resort is developed and managed by the community of a village called Number 2 River. The village itself is tucked out of sight in woods near the northernmost part of the beach. The non-profit entity that manages the resort is called the No.2 Village Development Association. Number 2 River is an entrepreneurial marvel in one of the world's poorest nations. Its success story began in 1998, in the midst of a decade-long civil war, when the U.S. Embassy gave the village $2,500 and encouraged it to take advantage of a providential location on one of West Africa's most beautiful, unspoiled beaches. The village leaders didn't disappoint. They built a unpretentious little resort that today employs about 30 persons from the village. The resort hosts about 1,500 people a year.
The crowd on a winter
Sunday can be as high as 80 persons. The profits of the resort serve the
village needs - paying school fees for the children and medical bills for
everyone. The association re-invests some of its $13,000 average annual profit
into the resort, maintaining a rustic charm that has made it a favourite
weekend getaway for Sierra Leoneans as well as the expatriate community. The
employees divide 10% of the proceeds among themselves; no one receives a
salary. The enterprise pays for free day care for the workers' children and
generator-powered electricity for the entire community.
A typical weekend scene on the resort during winters is -- Several cars parked and dozens of visitors strolling through tropical stands of palm trees to the beach. Young village workers, some barefoot and others in sandals, are taking food and drink orders from bathers relaxing on the beach. In the restaurant's open-air kitchen, tomatoes, onions and garlic are being chopped for grill fish dishes, skewers of barracuda and shrimp on the grill, a large pot of freshly cut potatoes bubbling in oil over a wood fire. The restaurant serves whatever the fishermen catch -- for $10 a plate, including fries or rice.
During the early years of British colonial rule in Sierra Leone, the village was named Faulkner. But, according to local legend, that changed a century or so ago, soon after the arrival of two battalions of British soldiers. The soldiers were determined to conduct military exercises on the banks of the river that winds down from the mountains and spills into the ocean next to the village beach.Locals had warned the battalion commanders not to attempt to cross the river because of the danger of quicksand. But the soldiers forged ahead at low tide, and hundreds, stuck in the soft sand, drowned when the tide rose. From then on, according to a member of the association, the place has been called River No. 2 because it was the river where the two battalions died.
The 10-member board
of the association dreams of Sierra Leone as a tourist destination and hopes
to receive more visitors. Until then, though, they are living within their
means.
Additional Information
Location: No.2 River, Western Peninsula, near Freetown, Sierra Leone
Date-Time: December 2010
Organization leading the project: No.2 Village Development Association
Name of the Project: Community based responsible tourism
Web site and contacts: George Hope, Board Member
| George - Story of River number 2 and George | LVhgfiTmZUY |300}} |
| George - What makes this village different from the others? | 6m-bnrQOwoU |300}} |
| George - What is the difference between a society dependent on others and one dependent on itsself? | HbWOXzdm9RU |300}} |
| George - Dreams for the future | hifXNmKCHxY |300}} |
| George - Do you have any relation with local authorities? | PXiKj6pzXWQ |300}} |
| George - Give a message to other communities around the world | R-uVaYdC_nk |300}} |
| George - What makes the minds of people of this village more open? | iszFMkV2djo |300}} |
| George - Message to politicians across the world | xJJ3zKHT50Q |300}} |
| Ibrahim - His story and the story of the Africana hotel | BxupgfofgO4 |300}} |