SHADE NGO

Field Update: Community Engagement & VSLA Monitoring

As part of our ongoing community development efforts, Field Officer Mr. Foday Bangura facilitated a productive engagement session with local community members and officials from the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA).

In addition to the stakeholder discussions, Mr. Bangura conducted routine monitoring of active Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) in select project communities to ensure smooth operation and track progress toward economic resilience.

🎉 MAKA YEWAI COMMUNITY SAVES LE 203,200 THROUGH COMMUNITY SAVINGS INITIATIVE! 🎉

A remarkable achievement has been recorded by the Maka Yewai Community, which has successfully saved Le 203,200 after one year of participating in a community savings initiative supported by SHADE (Sustainable Human and Environmental Development Agency).

The savings initiative started last year with SHADE distributing savings boxes and starter tokens to communities within its operational areas. The initiative was designed to encourage a culture of saving, collective responsibility, and improved household resilience.

Alongside the savings support, SHADE also provided rice for swamp cultivation, helping community members strengthen both their food production and livelihood activities.

After one year of commitment and collective effort, Maka Yewai Community proudly contributed Le 203,200 from their savings—a significant milestone that demonstrates what communities can achieve through determination, cooperation, and consistent saving. 💰👏

The community expressed its sincere appreciation to SHADE for initiating and supporting the programme, which has encouraged them to work together and take greater ownership of their financial and livelihood activities.

Looking ahead, the community is appealing to SHADE management and partners for continued support and additional opportunities, with the hope of saving even more and achieving greater results in the coming year.

Le 203,200 saved today is a foundation for a stronger tomorrow. 🌱💪

I am deeply honored to receive this Impact Award. This recognition is a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and collaborative spirit of our entire team. No meaningful outcome is achieved alone, and I am grateful to work alongside people who push boundaries and drive real change every day. Thank you to the USA and SLUSAA Leadership for this award and to Trocaire for continuing to support localization, our work thereby making the difference in communities and people's living conditions.

Thanks to the entire SLUSAA membership for the unity and for the large turn out last night. Receiving an Impact Award is both humbling and energizing. I’m incredibly proud of what our team, Sustainable Human and Environmental Development Agency (SHADE) has accomplished so far, and this award serves as a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

SHADE was established first as a CBO three years after my return from the 2007 IVLP mission to 11 States in the USA. During our visit, the opportunity to stay in the USA was opened through the the US financial support and the two months' extension of our stay anywhere in the US if we wish to do so. As the only Sierra Leonean representative , I decided to return for this course. Today, SHADE is a registered NNGO with Head office in Kenema, Chiefdom Offices in Yawei and Tambaka and a Coordinating Office in Freetown supporting 23 staff. Thanks to my family's financial sacrifice and Trocaire's localization support.

Special thanks goes the US and SLUSAA who came up with the Impact Award initiative and also supported and organized the event.
To be recognized with an Impact Award is a true honor, but the real reward is seeing the tangible difference our work brings to the community and the people we serve. This award belongs to everyone who contributed their time, resources vision, and effort to making this initiative possible.

This achievement is a testament to the incredible team I get to work with every day. Thanks to the US Embassy and SLUSAA executive and members for the recognition and support. I am excited to keep pushing using both external funding when available and my consultancy fees for meaningful changes in the community we serve.
Thanks to everyone who attended the event.

Dr Gbessay Ehlogima Sam Momoh
CEO SHADE🙌

🌊 WORLD RIVERS DAY 2026 | SHADE 🌱

Healthy Rivers. Healthy Communities. A Sustainable Future.

SHADE – Sustainable Human and Environmental Development Agency – joined communities in marking World Rivers Day 2026, a day dedicated to recognizing the vital role rivers play in our lives, livelihoods, ecosystems, and future.

The celebration provided an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our rivers from pollution, improper waste disposal, poor sanitation, plastic pollution, destruction of riverbanks, dredge mining, and the harmful use of chemicals.

Through community engagement and environmental education, we encouraged everyone to take responsibility for keeping our waterways clean, protecting riverbank vegetation, safeguarding aquatic habitats, and promoting responsible practices that preserve our rivers for generations to come.

💧 A healthy river supports a healthy community.
🌱 Protect our riverbanks.
🚯 Keep waste out of our waterways.
🐟 Protect aquatic life.
♻️ Reduce plastic pollution.
🚫 Say no to harmful dredge mining and chemical pollution.

We sincerely appreciate the community members, leaders, youth, women, partners, and all participants who contributed to making the celebration meaningful.
The river belongs to all of us. Protect it today for tomorrow. 💙🌍

SHADE a local NNGO currently operating in Karene, Kenema and Kailahun district is doing excellent in the field of sustainable community forestry, alternative livelihood through organic IVS, rice fish farming, livestock restocking, Kenya Beehive cultivation, conversion of elephant grass into charcoal briquette , Household Savings and Loan Scheme etc.

SHADE Held Two-Day Intensive Meeting with Trócaire on Proposal Development and Organisational Capacity Strengthening

The Sustainable Human and Environmental Development Agency (SHADE) recently held a two-day intensive meeting with the Trócaire team focused on proposal development, organisational capacity strengthening, and improving the quality and effectiveness of programme development.

The engagement provided an important platform for both teams to reflect on key areas of proposal development, including identifying programme priorities, developing clear and evidence-based interventions, strengthening project objectives and expected outcomes, developing realistic activities and budgets, and ensuring alignment with donor requirements and organisational priorities.

A significant component of the meeting focused on strengthening SHADE’s institutional capacity to develop high-quality, competitive, and impactful proposals that respond effectively to the needs of communities while contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection.

The discussions also provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing, technical guidance, and constructive feedback, enabling the SHADE team to identify areas for improvement and strengthen internal systems and approaches to programme development and implementation.

SHADE appreciates the continued technical support, partnership, and commitment of Trócaire towards strengthening the capacity of local organisations and supporting locally led development.

The two-day engagement reinforces SHADE’s commitment to continuous learning, institutional strengthening, accountability, and the development of effective programmes that create meaningful and sustainable impact in the communities we serve.

Together, we continue to strengthen local capacity, develop stronger programmes, and advance sustainable and inclusive development.