ABOUT US
BACKGROUND
The Loma Community Conservation Program (LCCP/SL) was established in December 2019 by a group of dynamic professionals representing five chiefdoms: Nyedu, Nieni, Sando, Barawa, and Wollay. Its creation was a direct response to the pervasive poverty levels and the continued misuse of the Loma Mountain landscape.
LCCP/SL is a local, non-governmental, non-profit, non-partisan, and non-tribal organization that operates with impartiality and independence. The organization was founded to address the persistent exploitation of the Greater Loma landscape by outsiders, which has left forest-edge communities with little or no benefit. Over the years, the area has experienced extensive logging, unregulated research by both local and international universities, hunting, and the extraction of herbal medicinal products. These activities have contributed to negative press and criticism of local communities for failing to establish sustainable livelihoods and tourism opportunities around the Loma Mountain protected area.
The formation of LCCP/SL was therefore intended to galvanize public opinion, mobilize resources, and ensure that Loma Mountain becomes a hub for tourism, private sector investment, and environmental sustainability projects. The team behind LCCP/SL is composed of Sierra Leoneans from diverse backgrounds, both within and outside the country, who bring valuable experience, motivation, and focus. Their overriding aim is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their communities. Through its initiatives, LCCP/SL seeks to unleash, showcase, and promote the socio-cultural, tourism, and agricultural potential of the Greater Loma landscape. At the same time, it aims to raise funds to create sustainable livelihoods for all communities living around Loma Mountain in Falaba, Koinadugu, and Kono Districts.
The Loma Mountains are located in northeastern Sierra Leone, extending about 32 km (20 miles) in a north-south direction, west of the source of the Niger River in the Guinea Highlands. The highest peak, Mount Bintumani, rises to 1,945 meters (6,381 feet), making it the tallest mountain in Sierra Leone and the highest peak in West Africa west of Cameroon.
OUR VISION
To see empowered communities fully exercising their land rights, managing natural resources sustainably, and achieving improved and resilient livelihoods
OUR MISSION
To promote sustainable natural resource management and reduce poverty in communities through rights-based empowerment.
OUR CORE VALUES
- Transparency and Accountability—We uphold openness and responsibility in all our actions and decisions.
- Commitment and Passion – We dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to our mission and the communities we serve.
- Integrity, Mutual Trust, and Respect—We act with honesty, foster trust, and respect diverse perspectives.
- Teamwork and Solidarity—We believe in collaboration, unity, and collective effort to achieve shared goals.
- Fairness and Non-Partisanship—We ensure equity, impartiality, and inclusiveness in all our engagements.
OUR BELIEFS
- Faith in Service – LCCP-SL believes that working with those in need is an expression of our love for God.
- Protection of All Species – We affirm that every species has the right to protection and a life free from abuse.
- Agents of Change – We see ourselves as an organization of transformation, guided by grace and destiny.
- Animal Rights – We believe all animals have the right to opportunity and the freedom to live freely.
- Respect and Inclusion – We uphold non-discrimination and respect for differences, accepting all beings regardless of their nature.
OUR STATUS
Initially, LCCP-SL began as a community-based organization, registered only in Falaba and Koinadugu Districts. As the organization grew, we integrated and restructured by appointing the three Paramount Chiefs and three Women Leaders from the Chiefdoms as our Board of Trustees. This governance structure ensured that major decisions were guided and managed by traditional leaders and women representatives, who serve as custodians of the land and voices of the local communities.
Through this framework, we were able to operate fully and establish several conservation committees, including
- Fire Management Committee
- Co-Forest Management Committee
- Livelihood and Community Concerns Committee
- Water and Sanitation Committee
- Health Management Committee
- Infrastructure and Agricultural Management Committee
- Community Local By-Laws Management Committee