Local CCC Staff
Local staff (from left to right):Thierno, Sekou, Kenda, Felix
(Aliou was absent the day of the photo)
Felix was hired in 2001 to help build the electrical fence
with the Kenyan team. One of the reasons for him being part
of that team was because of his double nationality (Sierra
Leonian/Guinean), which enabled him to translate the Kenyan
English into the local language, Malinke. After the fence
was completed we kept him as a fence manager. He is very knowledgeable
about fencing and we rely on him to be in charge of all the
fence building and management. He's really hard working and
he's well adjusted with the younger group who see him as a
playmate more than an authority figure. He recently got married
and had a baby boy. He named his son Alfonse, after one of
his favorite chimpanzees at the CCC.
 Sekou
is the oldest son of the fisherman living in Somoria. At first,
Sekou was only a general worker, but very quickly he became
one of our best keepers. He's our youngest staff member, at
only 19 years of age. He enjoys working at the CCC very much.
He also likes the fact that his job is so close to his family
and he is able to frequently have meals with his parents.
He recently got married to a woman in Sidakoro.
 Kenda
worked with the chimps since '95 as he was hired
as a helper in Bissikrima. When the 13 chimps were moved to the CCC in Somoria,
he followed them. The chimps were and still are very fond of him and vice
versa. They also respected him as most of the older chimps have
known him for years and they still respect him very much,
despite his small size and that they are now about 8 times
stronger than he is. Kenda has recently retired and lives with his family in Faranah. His hard work, love and dedication for the center will not be forgotten.
Thierno has been working for us for 5 years now. He enjoys
working with the chimps very much. He also is working on learning
English. He is very religious and considered it his duty to
take care of the CCC's chimps. He has recently taken a greater role in learning about the veterinarian side of the sanctuary.
He
was hired in 2004 when the director dismissed  the other driver.
He was highly recommended by a friend of the project. The
recommendation was correct, Aliou Ousmane has been a real
asset to the CCC since his employment. His mechanical skills
and his patience have made him an invaluable part of the team.
Unfortunately, he was on break when the staff picture was
taken. He is older than the rest of our staff and a very good
mechanic. He's serious and likes his job at the center. He's
married and has 2 sons.
 Sedikie came to work for the CCC in 2006. He has respect from all the chimps due to his stature and their adoration due to his kind heart. The younger chimps love to crawl all over him and use him as a human jungle gym. Sedikie works very hard and loves a good practical joke.
 Albert came to work for the CCC as a keeper in 2007. He is the newest keeper though he has helped the center many times throughout his youth, by helping with firewalls and other work. Even before he became a keeper he knew many of the adults names and thier personalities.
 Hired in March 2007. He came to us from the nearby village of Sidakoro where he had been supplying regularly chimp food. Antoine loves to work with the quartantine group.
 Hired in February 2007, Ibro takes a large and important role in the educational campaign throughout the local villages and Faranah with volunteers. He also works as a keeper and is great at recording the chimpanzee behavioral observations.
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