More than 10 years working in Guinea Bissau.
More than ten years have passed since CBD-Habitat Foundation took on the challenge of managing a small hotel within the Orango National Park, in the Bijagós Islands, part of the Bolama Bijagós Biosphere Reserve in Guinea Bissau. Thanks to the income received from the stay of our clients, we have been able to develop numerous micro-projects that have helped both the preservation of biodiversity and the local community of these islands.
The Bijagós, with whom we collaborate in the development of our projects, have an animistic and ancestral culture that throughout this time has helped maintain the biodiversity of the area. It is thanks to your involvement and mutual support that we can successfully carry out our goals.
In 2009 we started with a project dedicated to the construction of the nursery in the village of Eticoga, “Nursery for the grandchildren of Queen Pampa”, which today guarantees the first schooling of more than 40 children, not only from Eticoga but also from the neighbouring village of Ancaboca.
Its construction was carried out thanks to the Spanish NGO “Aldea Solidaria” after its stay at the Orango Parque Hotel and the execution of the action was carried out by the CBD-Habitat Foundation.
On a more continuous basis, our hotel is responsible for paying the fees of three sanitarians from the local infirmary, which facilitates the care of the area for its inhabitants, preventing them from long journeys to another island with more services.
In addition to projects related to education, our foundation has also managed many other projects in the field of health, improvement of local infrastructure or protection of agricultural areas.
Some of the most outstanding projects are:
Support to the Tabanca de Eticoga Nursing: Since 2008 this center offers health care to 5 villages and a total of 800 people and where we maintain health personnel.
Construction of water wells: Wells have been built and rehabilitated in the villages of Eticoga, Amupa and Madina to help access drinking water to the population.
Electric fences: The entry of hippos into the crops causes serious damage to the rice crops. The placement of electric fences as a protection mechanism against the entry of hippos, has allowed to increase rice production and recover abandoned crops in wet areas.
Construction of footbridges: Footbridges have been built with native woods to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of the population in the transfer between islands of the archipelago and with the mainland, specifically the Anôr footbridge is one of the most used by the population.
Primary care health center in Ambuduco: small health center managed and maintained by the local population. Their rehabilitation is carried out with the aim of avoiding that sick or injured patients have to travel many kilometers to a larger primary care center. In Orango National Park there are people who live more than 20 kilometers, round trip, to reach a larger primary care center.
Thanks to the income generated by the stay of our guests as well as donations from different sources we can continue our work in the Orango National Park.
We will continue with our commitment to support the preservation of this national park on an environmental and cultural level to advance towards a more sustainable world.
