History

History

My name is Eamonn Hanson. I am from Sierra Leone and I am driven to help my country achieve sustainable development. My father always dreamed of starting a farm, but was never able to realize it due to the circumstances in Sierra Leone. In 2004, I traveled to Sierra Leone and started a tree nursery to revive my father's dream.

Since my youth, I dreamed of a developed and prosperous Sierra Leone. I saw the opposite happening: in 1991, the country plunged into a terrible civil war, and in 2014, it was hit by the Ebola epidemic. In 2017, nearly a thousand people died in the capital Freetown due to massive landslides. Events that had major consequences and a significant impact on the country.

At thirteen, I moved to the Netherlands. I went to school there and completed my psychology degree. After graduating, I worked for the National Aerospace Laboratory for several years. After the events of September 11, 2001, the aviation industry collapsed, and I lost my job. Not much later, I decided to return to Sierra Leone to start the tree nursery.

I wanted to plant trees in the village of Makombeh. A village with only four hundred inhabitants that was almost cut off from the outside world and whose name is now borne by the education foundation and tree company. After my arrival, I immediately fell in love again with the lifestyle and nature in the area. The community initially found my idea strange but nevertheless helped me by providing land. Friends made it possible for me to purchase materials for a school and have a bridge built for Makombeh. The school was built by the residents themselves, and thanks to a friend who was willing to stand guarantee, the first teacher could receive his salary. This is how the small primary school originated, which has now grown into a full-fledged school with six classes and 200 students. The establishment of the school prevents children from having to travel a long, dangerous road to other villages to attend classes. The school is managed by the Makombeh foundation, which takes care of the teachers' salaries and school materials.

Meanwhile, the first young people had completed their schooling and were looking for new opportunities. Some of them approached me with the idea of setting up a cooperative to save forests in their area. This is how KETSO was founded.

KETSO buys poorly maintained agricultural land and plants new trees to restore the landscape. The new forests are offered on international markets. This provides the opportunity to purchase a piece of CO2 reduction. Thanks to the enterprise, the young people of the village have the opportunity to work in the cultivation, pruning, and planting seasons. As a sustainable enterprise, KETSO not only contributes to CO2 reduction but also offers opportunities for the local population.

Watch Eamonn's video here.