Jasperite to lecture on turning diamond mines into organic farms

Dropped into a nation ripped apart by civil war and violent diamond trade with little more than a small support team and a few contacts, Jasper resident Larissa Stendie was given what sounds like an impossible task: convince impoverished Sierra Leone natives to give up on diamond mines and chose a life of agriculture.

Stendie travelled to Sierra Leone as part of a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) internship, where she managed a project that converted abandoned diamond mines into farming co-operatives. Negotiating with chiefs, governments, communities and mining companies, she was able to keep four farming co-operatives running, producing food and helping many Africans live a more sustainable lifestyle.

“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but I can’t imagine doing anything different,” Stendie said. 

Despite billions and billions of dollars in diamonds being extracted from the country, Sierra Leone still ranks as one of the poorest nations in the world. Unemployment sits at 80 per cent, and the average life expectancy is only 40 years old – due in part to an extremely high rate of infant mortality. Government regulates the diamond trade, however enforcement is poor, Stendie said.

“They haven’t seen profits from the diamond industry,” Stendie said. “But there is potential to move beyond a resource extraction based economy.”

Working in the Kano district of Sierra Leone for eight months, she was able to help residents convert 10 acres of abandoned diamond mines into organic farming operations, allowing the people to feed themselves and avoid the often deadly practice of diamond mining. Mercenaries, organized crime, dangerous conditions and pourous borders make diamond mining a risky prospect, as many lives are lost in the trade. Diamonds are also becoming harder to come by in Sierra Leone, which is expediating the need to diversify the economy, Stendie said.

Partnered with One Sky (a non-government agency behind the green diamond campaign), Stendie helped produce a short film on the project, explaining the plight of the Sierra Leone people. Many of the working poor say diamonds have been more of a curse than a blessing for the country, and while the government wants a piece of the diamond trade, there is little enforcement of regulations. Trained as a Goldsmith herself (where she originally began questioning where her jewelry was coming from) Stendie was well suited for the negotiations required.

Some residents had worked for 30 years in the diamond industry, but were still unable to afford a bicycle, Stendie said.

Instead of relying on the diamond industry, Stendie, along with her team, was able to promote subsistance farming as an alternative means of living.

“It offers employment, provides food security, protects forests and puts back to use the land... It makes no sense a luxury good should come at such a cost.”

Reclaiming diamond mines isn’t as difficult as reclaiming other types mines, Stendie said. In Sierra Leone, diamond mining is simply a matter of digging, as there is no use of harmful chemicals, such as in gold mining. The mines are filled in with dirt, and are then able to be used for other means.

“Diamond mining is quite passive in Sierra Leone. Basically, the miners are trying to get to the gravel layer where the diamonds are found. There are no pollutants, so we were able to open truly organic farms. The crops are quite good.”

Open pits left by diamond mining collects standing water, which in turn increases the instances of malaria, so there are health benefits to reclaiming the mines as well, Stendie said.

“Ours was a grassroots project,” Stendie said. “We employed people for weeks and offered a free lunch and a basic wage. We had space for 40 workers, and 150 showed up on the first day. We were able to take 75.”

The crews produced a variety of crops, including rice and vegetable gardens, as well as some medicinal plants. Stendie said the farms shy away from cash crops, choosing instead to create goods that can be marketed locally.

Stendie will tell her story in Jasper on Sept. 30 at Jasper Jr./Sr. High school at 8 p.m. She said she hopes to inspire others to find a cause and make a difference in the world.

“We’re more connected than we think we are. In a globalized world, the goal is to live the best life you can,” Stendie said.

Stendie, who returned to Jasper this summer to work for Parks Canada as an interpreteur and Sun Dog Tours, is hoping to travel to Palestine as part of her next project