Partnership with NGOs and the Ministry of Environment in Boa Vista

This project was lead by Fundacao Tartaruga, in partnership with two other long-standing non-governmental organisations: Cabo Verde Natura 2000 and Bios.CV and with the local management authority: Ministerio do Agricultura e Ambiente Boa Vista (MAA-BV).

All organisations contributed and benefitted to the project. It has reinforced the relationships between the organisations at coordination level and implentation level with representatives of each organisation participating in the majority of activities.

This project has only been successful with the contributions of time, effort and knowledge of all entities involved.

Monthly coordination meetings to allow for open and clear communication.

Each organisation having a fieldwork coordinator and technicaisn offering a structure and varying levels of management.

Together we are stronger and have more influence

Seedlings of economic crops
Sustainable Agriculture and Landscapes Management
Community  strengthening
Livelihood Support through Public Private Partnership
Institutional strengthening & sustainability
Farmer-led irrigation development plans
Seedlings of economic crops
Sustainable Agriculture and Landscapes Management
Community  strengthening
Livelihood Support through Public Private Partnership
Institutional strengthening & sustainability
Farmer-led irrigation development plans
Identifying with the communities strategic locations for solar panel implementation

Identifying strategic locations for solar panel implementation with communities involves assessing areas with high sunlight exposure and low shading. Engaging local members ensures that sites are selected based on practical needs, accessibility, and minimal disruption. This collaborative approach optimize's energy efficiency and aligns solar installations with community priorities.

  • Community Involvement: Engage local members in identifying potential locations to ensure sites meet practical and cultural needs.
  • Site Assessments: Conduct thorough assessments of sunlight exposure, land use, and shading to determine optimal locations.
  • Local Knowledge: Leverage the community’s knowledge of the area for selecting suitable and accessible sites.
  • Technical Expertise: Involve experts in solar technology to evaluate and validate chosen locations.
  • Access to Resources: Ensure availability of necessary tools and technology for site evaluation and installation.
  • Infrastructure: Verify that selected locations have or can be developed with the required infrastructure for solar panel deployment.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to local regulations and obtain necessary permits for site selection and installation.
  • Site Assessments: Conduct detailed assessments of sunlight exposure, land use, and shading to determine optimal sites.
  • Utilize Local Knowledge: Leverage community expertise to identify potential sites based on local conditions and needs.
  • Technical Evaluation: Involve solar technology experts to validate site suitability and ensure technical feasibility.
  • Community Feedback: Regularly gather and incorporate feedback from the community to address any concerns and adjust plans as needed.
Raising awareness about climate mitigation and adaptation

Raising awareness about climate mitigation and adaptation involves educating communities on the causes and impacts of climate change, promoting sustainable practices, and encouraging proactive measures. By increasing knowledge and understanding, communities can adopt strategies to reduce emissions, protect natural resources, and enhance resilience against climate-related challenges, ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.

  • Education and Training: Provide targeted education and training programs to enhance understanding of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
  • Accessible Information: Ensure that climate information is easily accessible and understandable for all community members.
  • Effective communication tools : such as radio, flyers to bring awarenes to communities using mutliple communications platoforms and tools 
  • Monitoring and Feedback: Establish mechanisms to assess the impact of awareness efforts and gather feedback for continuous improvement.
  • Community engagement
  • Engage Local Leaders: Involve community leaders to endorse and support climate awareness efforts, enhancing credibility and outreach.
  • Tailored Messaging: Customize climate information to match the community’s local context and understanding to improve engagement and relevance.
Creating community led committees to ensure participatory approaches are implemented

Creating community-led committees ensures participatory approaches by involving local members in decision-making. These committees empower communities to actively engage in project planning, implementation, and monitoring, fostering ownership and accountability. This approach enhances relevance, cultural alignment, and sustainability, ensuring that solutions are effectively tailored to the community's specific needs and priorities. Community members would be chosen through election in their local language.

  • Inclusive Representation: Ensure that committees include diverse community members to reflect various perspectives and needs.
  • Effective Communication: Establish channels for open and transparent communication within the committee and with the broader community.
  • Supportive Leadership: Engage local leaders and influencers to endorse and support the committee’s efforts.
  • Regular Meetings and Feedback: Schedule regular meetings and feedback sessions to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.
  • Clear Objectives: Define the committee's goals and roles clearly to guide effective participation and decision-making.

Community engagement is vital for a project to be successful . Involving the community throughout, using a participative approach is at the core of the success and sustainability of the project.

Identify the problem in the community with the community leading the process

The purpose of this building block is to empower communities to identify and address local issues through a participatory, community-led process. By involving the community in problem identification, the approach ensures solutions are relevant, culturally appropriate, and sustainable. This method fosters ownership, encouraging long-term commitment and effective implementation of solutions tailored to the community's unique needs. This is done with the involvement of traditional leaders.

  • Community Engagement: Active participation from community members ensures that solutions are relevant and culturally appropriate.
  • Local Knowledge: Incorporating local expertise helps identify suitable sites and needs for solar panel installation.
  • Capacity Building: Providing training and resources for installation and maintenance enhances local skills and ensures long-term sustainability.
  • Supportive Infrastructure: Ensuring infrastructure is in place for project execution.

Engaging local members ensures accurate problem identification and relevant solutions, while leveraging community expertise provides deeper insights. Building trust through transparency and consistent communication, along with ongoing dialogue, helps adapt solutions to evolving needs, ensuring effective and responsive community-driven interventions.

Raising awareness at the Mougebande camp
Identify the problem in the community with the community leading the process
Creating community led committees to ensure participatory approaches are implemented
Raising awareness about climate mitigation and adaptation
Identifying with the communities strategic locations for solar panel implementation
Raising awareness at the Mougebande camp
Identify the problem in the community with the community leading the process
Creating community led committees to ensure participatory approaches are implemented
Raising awareness about climate mitigation and adaptation
Identifying with the communities strategic locations for solar panel implementation
Development of Community Governance Structures for Sustainable Land Management

This building block focuses on developing and formalizing community governance structures to support sustainable land management. By leveraging networks, we connect various ecosystem management systems across Kenya to align resource management with livelihoods and conservation efforts.

We prioritize understanding the leadership within community groups and work directly with these leaders to engage the broader community. When requested by the community, we help formalize these existing structures to ensure our programs align with the established power dynamics and effectively address community needs.

  • Restoration agreements serve to formalize relationships with communities, acting as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to align expectations and build trust among community members.
  • Government involvement is essential, requiring a direct line of communication with communities to ensure impactful ecosystem restoration.
  • Facilitating community elections to select leaders responsible for restoration networks empowers the community and ensures accountability.
  • Adhering to legal requirements in restoration policy that mandate community members to take on governance roles, thereby promoting the development of community institutions.
  • Building networks helps unite various community governance structures, fostering the sharing of knowledge and aligning efforts.
  • It is crucial to assess the community's need for governance structure facilitation while respecting existing power dynamics.
  • Community-driven network development creates a central power structure and formalized forum, ensuring that community concerns are taken seriously. This approach enhances visibility and influence with government stakeholders, strengthening CFAs as central institutions within the conservation framework.