Sierra Leone: Strengthening land rights

Sierra Leone, in West Africa, is among the poorest countries in the world, despite rich mineral deposits and abundant arable land. One of the government’s key economic strategies in recent years has involved leasing and selling land, often to large foreign corporations. Deals over land rights are generally closed without the local population having any say in them. Many village communities are not adequately informed of their rights and are unable to afford legal representation anyway. These are the people the Namati NGO aims to help. The "Barefoot Lawyers,” as they’re called, travel to the most remote places to advise the local people of their rights and give them a voice in the negotiations for the land they live on. A report by Sam Liebmann und Chernoh Mustapha Thoronka.