WiNN SIERRA LEONE
The WiNN Sierra Leone Chapter was founded by Samuella Matifa Mbayo and Sydnella Pratt, two conservation professionals committed to promoting women's leadership and participation in environmental conservation. The chapter’s other members include Esther Vandy – Program Officer, Musu Bundeh – Communications and Media Officer, Aminata Sesay – Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Officer, Adama Kamara – Education Officer, Patricia Kamara – Finance Officer, and Kadijah Yarjah – Secretary General — all women working in wildlife conservation, forestry, environmental education, community development, research, protected area management, and natural resource management. The Sierra Leone chapter also includes university students, particularly those in their final years of study in fields such as agriculture, medicine, environmental sciences, and other related disciplines who are passionate about nature, sustainability, and community development.
As a brand new chapter in 2026, WiNN Sierra Leone is currently in the process of structuring with plans to move forward into more activities in the coming year. Members share a common vision of building an inclusive national network that connects women across conservation and environmental fields while also reaching young women, university students, school girls, and rural communities across Sierra Leone. They were motivated to establish the WiNN Sierra Leone Chapter because women working in conservation, environmental management, forestry, wildlife, agriculture, climate change, and natural resource management often have limited opportunities to network, receive mentorship, and access professional development. The chapter aims to create a supportive national platform where women can connect, learn from one another, share opportunities, and inspire the next generation of female conservation leaders. .
WiNN Sierra Leone welcome any women working in or interested in conservation in Sierra Leone to join! To learn more, Contact Chapter Lead Samuella Mbayo at samuella.tcsconservation@gmail.com.
“Sierra Leone has incredible women working to protect nature, and we believe they deserve a strong network that recognizes and strengthens their contributions.”
WiNN SIERRA LEONE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Samuella Matifa Mbayo
WiNN Sierra Leone Chapter Lead Samuella Mpayo is a Field Coordinator at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, which has worked to rescue, rehabilitate, and protect the critically endangered western chimpanzee from growing threats from habitat loss, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade and expanding human activity for the past 30 years. Along with their rescue work, they also increase sensitization and environmental awareness among schoolchildren in Sierra Leone through the Tacugama Kids Environmental Education Programme (TKEEP) program — and support local communities with alternative ways to generate income so they can increase food production without having to depend heavily on forest resources or hunting.
Samuella plays a vital role in these efforts, coordinating Tacugama’s field monitoring activities, overseeing its biodiversity data collection, coordinating its patrol planning, and compiling field data for conservation monitoring across Key Landscapes for Conservation and Development (KLCDs), while providing technical guidance to Field Officers and Eco-guards to strengthen protected area management and conservation outcomes.
