Located in Milne Bay Province, the forests of Sololo are under threat. A lack of education and resources have left the community unable to protect their trees from the expansion of palm oil plantations and logging.
When word spread from Cool Earth’s neighbouring Gadaisu partnership of an organisation that was helping them to protect their forest, Sololo were determined to form a partnership of their own. Key community members reached out to Cool Earth with the hope to do just that.
Rainforest communities often face barriers to progress that must be addressed before effective conservation can take place. In Sololo, the lack of education and high illiteracy rates had left the community vulnerable to exploitation and unable to develop sustainable income sources.
Cool Earth continues to work with Sololo to address these challenges. Empowered, self-sustaining communities will help ensure forest is protected from external threats and plans can be made for the future that benefits people and the forest.
I am privileged to attend the adult literacy class. I am happy and eager to learn new things. […] After I finished this school, I want to continue my education, I want to go on doing more life skills training to equip myself to do better in my community’ – George Jerry, Sololo
Challenges
- A lack of education not only limits employment in Sololo, but is a barrier to realising the communities development aims. Helping to improve literacy rates aims to alleviate poverty and provide financial resilience.
- Logging for timber is a rising threat to local rainforest, harming wildlife habitat and the carbon stored in rainforest.
Activities
Education
Cool Earth has worked alongside Sololo to develop a literacy programme that will help adults feel confident to seek employment, manage their own businesses and get involved in sustainable community decisions.
Teacher Training
Two people living in Sololo have trained as teachers of early childhood and adult literacy curriculums. More young children will have the education levels that allow them entry to primary school and access to a path to lifelong education and reliable employment.
Resource Centre
A community centre and classroomwill use solar energy and incorporate a rain-harvesting water tank to serve the entire community. Used for biodiversity awareness events, the centre will be the platform to improving the communities’ relationship with their forest, where people can gather to make decisions about their forest and wildlife.
Planned outcomes
Illiteracy is not just a lack of basic skills, it’s the deprivation of a chance to decide people’s own futures.
Being able to read and understand proposals from loggers will help both women and men to make shared decisions about their land without elite capture. It aims to ensure people are equipped with the skills required to decide collectively how to manage their land and protect their forest.
