Tiwai Heritage Trail, a bespoke four day community led tour, including adventure, culture and nature activities, was developed by Thomas Armitt, a volunteer working for the Environmental Foundation for Africa as part of their Food Security and Economic Development project (FoSED) and is co-funded by the EU and Welhungerhilfe.

The Trail showcases the Mende Culture - rich in stories, tradition and mystery – and gives the opportunity for visitors to Sierra Leone to appreciate the heritage of a tribe that has its origins in South Sudan, and has been part of the development of Sierra Leone, as a country, for hundreds of years.

Armitt says that the project has surpassed all expectations, at community, national and tourist level:

"It is the first ever heritage trail in Sierra Leone, an exciting emerging destination, and one that promotes economic development in poor local communities. From canoeing down the Moa River in dugout canoes to hiking through monkey filled forests, the tours to date have been a huge success, not just with tourists but also met with great enthusiasm by the Ministry of Tourism which sees this as a good model for sustainable tourism in Sierra Leone in the future”.

For more details on the Trail, contact info@tiwaiisland.org

www.wttc.org/tourismfortomorrow