Narges Fazel - Nigeria
Assistant Project Coordinator

Narges spent ten days in an orientation/evaluation period commencing in June of 2005 in Smithers, B.C. followed by three months in Canada working on various aspects of our Cross River Environment (CRE) Program. In December she traveled to Nigeria to assist with monitoring and evaluation of NGOs and their relationship with government and the private sector to discuss a bioregional approach between areas of State significance. Narges was mentored by the CRE Program Coordinator and assisted with monitoring activities, traveling upcountry to review project development and training sessions as well as assisting with research before the situation in the Niger Delta became too insecure for her to continue with her internship. Her stay in Nigeria was prematurely cut short. Based on a DFAIT travel advisory CIDA withdrew its support for internships in Nigeria.

Monica Samec - Nigeria
Renewable Energy Coordinator

Monica joined us in mid-summer as our renewable energy coordinator and enthusiastically threw herself into a series of solar workshops in Smithers that included the installation of a hot water system. Prior to leaving for Nigeria she researched various solar system installations and helped us to develop our renewable energy programming. When she arrived in Nigeria she set about installing an interactive solar system for our office and followed up on the development of the Coaliton for Renewable Energy in Nigeria (CREN). After developing a constitution and working with local renewable energy NGOs and groups she published a pamphlet and set about organizing to stay on in Nigeria through Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Monica remains in Nigeria working with CREN and the NGO Coalition for the Environment to develop renewable energy programming.

Chris Woolgar - Sierra Leone
Permaculture Programmer

Chris joined us in June 2005 to research food security issues both in Smithers and Sierra Leone as well as participate in a ten day orientation followed by three months in the Bulkley Valley. Chris started a gleaning program - coordinating volunteers to ‘glean’ excess produce from gardens to donate to local service organizations - and wrote a background paper on food security in the Bulkley Valley before venturing to Kono in Eastern Sierra Leone. Chris worked with our local agricultural promoter, Michael Aruna, and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone developing regional food security programming. He also assisted us enormously in laying the foundations for our Greening at the Grassroots program.

Fiona Wright - Sierra Leone
Educational Outreach Coordinator

Fiona joined us in June 2005 for a ten day orientation before working in Smithers for three months on our education and outreach programs. She traveled to Freetown in October to work directly in the offices of the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone. Before long Fiona had organized a series of outdoor murals paintings that served as an educational outreach project for CSSL. She also assisted in the office with various administrative tasks for CSSL. CSSL and One Sky extended her stay for a few months until June 2006 in order to accomodate the long list of projects that she hoped to accomplish.