WWF-Guianas has signed two community grant agreements worth $30.7 million to support timber processing in Kwakwani and an eco-tourism venture in St Deny’s/Tapakuma.
The agreements are the first community grants under the European Union-funded Sustainable Forest Livelihoods (SFL) Programme, implemented by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), according to a post on the programme’s Facebook page.
The Upper Berbice Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited in Kwakwani, Region Ten, received $20 million to acquire a five-tonne log loader and provide operator training at its sawmill.
According to the programme, processing timber locally is expected to halve members’ transport costs, reduce wood waste and increase the value obtained from harvested logs without increasing harvesting volumes.
In St Deny’s/Tapakuma, Region Two, a $10.7 million grant will fund the construction and equipping of a kitchen and dining area at the Hubu Eco-resort, where traditional Indigenous and local food will be served.
That project is expected to create ten direct jobs, provide training benefiting approximately 20 community members and establish a reliable market for at least five local farmers and suppliers.
The programme said results and lessons from the projects would be shared with stakeholders and forest-dependent communities to support future livelihood initiatives
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