Mrs Malame Mangzha, Director-General, African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFDIFF), says UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa, is 70 per cent restored.
Mangzha made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
NAN recalls that AFIDFF, the implementing organisation for the UNESCO 2020/2021 restoration programme and its partners started the Sukur Cultural Landscape in June 2021.
NAN also reports that the site suffered grave damage as a result of insurgency in 2014.
Mangzha said that the foundation, apart from restoring structures on the mountainous community, empowered the residents in skills acquisition expected to improve their livelihood.
“Today, I am glad that we have gone far in the restoration and empowerment programme. I can say that we have done like 70 per cent of what we promised to do in the community.
“The empowerment programme started since last year and with the help of our partners, we were able to train about 100 Sukur indigenes, including women and youths,” she said.
Mangzha said that the beneficiaries, grouped into five clusters of 20 participants each, were trained in iron works, tie and dye, pottery, basket and mat making with rafia as well as on how to sustain the skills.
She said the skills would serve as a source of income for the community members who were also expected to produce souvenirs that would showcase their existence as a people.
“The creative designs of the pottery and ceramics, for instance, are expected to turn the fortune of the people around.
“By the time the finished products are placed on exhibition in the cities, it will send a message to the world that Sukur has been restored and a place to visit.
“We were able to locate where they could access the raw materials for some of the products at nearby towns.
“We have also given each group starter packs for each participant, based on what they learnt, to help develop their skills.
“We also helped them form cooperative groups so they could be able to save and sustain themselves while moving forward,” he said.
Mangzha said that a monitoring and evaluation team would do a monthly follow-up on the trainees to check on the progress, lapses and areas of improvement.
She said that solar power, water, internet facility and a school library are among the amenities provided for members of the community.
NAN reports that UNESCO declared the Sukur cultural landscape a historic site due to its unique art of dry stone architecture and stone terrace farming.
NAN also reports that AFIDFF is an organisation founded on the ideals of national and international cultural values, dedicated to the preservation of Africa.
