The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

by Audrey Huffman (Ghana, 97-99)

     As a business student in college who was never truly interested in business, I was very excited about joining the Peace Corps despite the fact that I had been assigned to the Small Enterprise Development program in Ghana.  I knew there was the opportunity to work in the Eco-tourism Development sector of Ghana's SED program.  I had studied business in college in order to apply those skills in the environmental field later in my career.  One can only imagine my joy when in PST, I was assigned to Ghana's unique SED program as a community-based eco-tourism development advisor.  Not only was I serving my country as my father had done as a PCV in Nigeria (1966-1969), I was assigned
a job that I had always dreamed of doing.
     My post was the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana.  Local communities consider the Campbell's Mona Monkeys and  the Geoffrey's Pied Colobus to be sacred.  The primates are a part of their traditional religion.  They do not harm the monkeys in any way.  They believe the health of the villages is linked to the health of the monkeys and vice
versa.  The 2 communities protect the animals and their habitat through both traditional and modern law.  The visitor to the sanctuary sees monkeys all throughout the village, on houses, trying to steal food, playing with one another in the street, and resting on tress.  Their motto is "Boabeng-Fiema
Monkey Sanctuary, Where Monkeys Live Happily with Human Beings". 
     My assignment was to be an advisor to the community management committee, which consisted of members appointed by elders of the communities and elected by the communities.    The management committee manages a 36.4 hectare core area of forest with members of the  Ghana Wildlife Department as technical advisers, and on their own, they operate a 6 room guest house.  The basic goals of the project are to collaborate with the Ghana Tourist Board and Nature Conservation Research Centre to increase awareness of nature and conservation, maximize economic benefits for local people, encourage cultural sensitivity and, minimize negative impacts on the environment.   As a SED volunteer, I wanted to teach the management committee to manage the site like a business so that one day they would not be dependent on aid. 
     The first 9 months from a "work" perspective were very trying.  There had been a PCV at the site in 1996 who had stayed only 3 months and then ETed.  When I first came everyone told me that they had asked for a man because they knew I would leave to get married like the PCV before me. They were disappointed that they had not gotten a man.  I told them they were stuck with me for 2 years and assured them that I was going to stay.  I ascertained immediately that it would take time and trust on all sides for these relationships to develop.  Constructive hanging out was the name of the game. Once they truly realized that I was theirs for the duration of the 2 years, the management committee and communities became energized about the project.  Little by little we were accomplishing things.  I had to take satisfaction in the little things that were accomplished each day:  having meetings within 30
minutes of the start time, rather than 1 hour later; collecting and depositing entrance fees on the prescribed dates; collaborating bush fire prevention training on their own; and resolving conflicts when they occurred.  As I learned more and was more experienced, I realized that these accomplishments were not so small.
     Our largest project was building a Visitors' Information Centre.  The management committee had identified a problem with tourists not always being guided by an official guide or paying for their tour.  They decided that they needed a centrally located point for all tourists to meet, collect a guide, get information about the site, and purchase locally made crafts.  Although wanting to accomplish goals with our profits from tourism, we all knew that this center was mandatory infrastructure.  We built the Centre in 4 months during the rainy season, an accomplishment that made the communities very proud.  They also contributed 25% to the project financially and with labor, materials, and supplies so they had an additional sense of ownership.  In addition to a physical building, we developed printed material about the area such as a bird list, a field guide for tree species and their local uses, and a descriptive brochure.  We included educational information from various government of Ghana agencies.  Through both visitor and PCV donations, we included 3 West Africa bird books and various guide books for visitor use.  We also established a book exchange library for visitor utilization.  The Centre is now operational with a local woman as operator.  I hear that tourists appreciate the Centre's central location and enjoy the access to printed information. 
     To improve income generation and increase stakeholders in the project, we worked with local artisans on arts and crafts for sale.  In particular, I worked with a handicapped group in our district.  They created  tie-dyed and screen printed T-shirts with the site's name and motto for sale.  They also made clothes out of flour sacks from Ghanaian mills (popular clothing items for tourists).  There are 2 kente (traditional cloth in Ghana) weavers from the 2 communities with whom we worked who produce kente strips, book marks,  and cloths for sale.  I worked with both the handicapped group and kente
weavers to develop a basic business plan and savings scheme so they would reap the benefits of their work.  Now my replacement, Mariko Wilcox, is expanding what we had started.
     During my 2 years at BFMS, we won our region's Tourist Site of the Year and in 1999 we were nominated for Tourist Site of the Year for all of Ghana.  University researchers from the States, Canada, Europe, and Ghana are common.  BFMS has been on numerous Ghana TV spots,  German TV, and will be on BBC in the September of 2000.  Last week National Geographic Explorer taped a
segment there, to be aired sometime in the near future.  Through all of this publicity both the management committee, NCRC, Ghana Tourist Board, and Peace Corps are working to ensure that the 4 goals of the project are kept in focus.
     There is still so much to be done at Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary.  A growing population puts pressure on the forest and resident animals.  Bush  fires are also a problem.  However, the community seems committed to the project, they know there is a long road ahead of them.  The more local people who honestly experience economic benefit from the sanctuary, the more people will understand  the importance of conservation through both environmental and economic aspects. Our program in PC Ghana included about 10 sites during my tour.  There are more now, about 14.  All of the sites are on the web at:  <www.ncrc.org.gh>.  Check them out and see the cultural and environmental beauty Ghana has to offer!!!

Audrey Huffman is a 2nd generation PCV.  She now works for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Oklahoma City Branch.  While tied to a computer all day, she dreams of visiting her friends in Ghana.