Strategies and efforts to restore small ruminants populations in Sierra Leone: A case study of south eastern Sierra Leone

Two hundred (200) small ruminants, goats (180 doe and 20 buck), were restocked in forty-eight villages within three years. A twenty minute Rapid Rural Appraisal was conducted in each operational village for two weeks to know the communities and animals reared before and after the war. Participatory Rural Appraisal followed immediately. Beneficiaries used this opportunity to decide how they wanted the restocking to be done. During PRA, animal rearing communities comprising 12 men and 8 women were selected by the entire communities in each village, with no interference from thieves. Each group was headed by a Chairman, who organized the entire village to formulate animal rearing by-laws. Criteria were developed for selection of villages, group members and construction sites. During the first year, 20 villages were selected. Each village was restocked with 10 goats (9 doe and 1 buck).At the end of first year, each restocked village repay 5 doe and 1 buck. 120 goats were collected at the end of first year and redistributed to 12 villages. At the end of second year, 72 goats were recollected from 12 villages and the project contributed 8, which were later redistributed to 8 villages. At the end of the third year, the 8 villages repay the same number of goats and this same quantity was redistributed to the remaining 8 villages (5 doe and 1 buck). Remaining goats in each village was shared to either family household or compound. Town thieves receive two female goats on behalf of the village and animal rearing groups are compensated at the end of redistribution. Small ruminants are the most expensive items in rural Sierra Leone when compared with other items weight by weight. Small ruminant restocking helped built damaged and burnt down houses, restart life, pay school fees and above all bring unity among scattered families or community. Adopting the above methods will increase small ruminant population within a short period in war torn countries. Constant attention, vigilance, cooperation and unity are means to successful restocking. (author)