SAMFU trains Mano Palm Oil Industries affected communities in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties

………encouraged participants to be more involved with the upcoming mapping exercise of the LLA

Save my Future Foundation (SAMFU) in partnership with K.C. Group of Companies on June 1, 2024 trained the five project communities that were affected by the Mano Palm Oil Industries to participate in the upcoming mapping exercise of their land in Gbah, Bomi County.

The Liberia Land Authority is expected to conduct a survey in the affected project communities of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount counties so as to enable the communities to know the Land space that the concession company is occupying.

The participants were thought on how to use the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) during the training.

At the beginning of the training, SAMFU Executive Director Wynston Benda-Henries said the training is focused on working with the communities in getting them actively involved with the mapping process.

“Going forward, we will like the community to be part of the mapping process, understanding how much land the company took from each community is very important to the development of the community, he said”.

The company, in an MOU signed with the Government of Liberia is expected to give US$5 per hectare per annual to the Community Development Fund for the development of the community.

“What we can do, is to help as much as possible to understand the process and how to get involved with the mapping process adding that there’s nothing anyone can do now as the government has already awarded the contract hence the need to work around it in getting your just benefits” he asserted.”

SAMFU boss encouraged the different structure leaders to work with the elders who can still identify the boundaries point and also settle the different dispute for in the counties for the benefits of the community.

The five affected communities of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties include; Madina, Gorbah, Zodua, Zepeh and PAC-17.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, the Chairperson of the Zepeh project affected community; J. Winston Kpan said the issue of land is not a small thing hence they need all the knowledge in the world to effectively communicate to the over 50, 000 population in the affected communities.

“We want to thank SAMFU for a job well done in training them on how to go about the mapping progress adding that the training has prepared them to better represent the rest of the citizenry in the affected communities rather than being a novice to the process, Mr. Kpan noted”.

They pleaded with SAMFU for every affected community to have access to equipment for future endeavors.

-30-