Tiwai Health Village ^Featured

Original project description

The Tiwai Island Project aims to generate sustainable income and to protect culture and biodiversity in the region surrounding the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary through a Health Village based on the principles of West African ethnomedicine; and an Ecotourism Centre.

Located in the last remnants of the Upper Guinea Tropical Rainforest, Tiwai Island is rich in biodiversity, with hundreds of species living in a small area. It is surrounded by traditional communities who are still actively using their indigenous knowledge of the forest and its resources. Building on existing conservation initiatives, the partnership aims to conserve this cultural and biodiversity by using it as a foundation for alternative, modern livelihoods for the surrounding communities. Near the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the partners intend to construct a Health Village, both employing local communities. The Village will offer tourists unique healing arts and health services based on Sierra Leonean ethnomedicine.

Current project updates

Last updated: 2 September 2009

From being little more than a promising concept at the time of the SEED award, the plan was to develop the Tiwai Island traditional healing centre in close collaboration with the National Health Ministry and the Association of Traditional Healers. However, political instability hindered progress in the partnership development and scale-up in 2008 though partners and consultants produced an outline for the project.
In 2008 the partnership completed visits to the various communities around Tiwai to gain an indication of the available local skills and human capital. So far, very limited progress has been made on the development of a business plan.

Growth plans description

Future aims are to:
• develop a master plan for tourism infrastructure and conduct market research
• establish a healing arts centre offering both ethnomedical and allopathic health services for tourists and local communities
• cultivate medicinal plants, and other forest products in botanical gardens and orchards
• build a “Village Life Hotel” offering 3-star accommodation and traditional hospitality to tourists in a typical Sierra Leonean village setting
• expand the tourism infrastructure with cultural projects including a museum, an arts and crafts centre, a traditional smithy, and a restaurant
• developing a university programme for training in tourism hospitality

Current Needs

Funding; Tourism partnerships; Educational partnerships; Research partnerships

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