World Vision Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization, has facilitated the planting of 30,000 trees in two districts in the Upper East Region to support the greening Ghana initiative.
The exercise, which was part of the Organization’s ‘Regreening Africa Project,’ funded by the European Union (EU) through World Vision Australia, benefitted Garu and Tempane districts.
It was done in collaboration with the beneficiary District Assemblies, particularly the Departments of Agriculture.
The seedlings planted at various places such as the district assemblies’ office premises, homesteads and farms included mangoes, cashew, mahogany, cassia, kapok, and weeping willow, among others.
Also, the project in conjunction with the Kusaal Youth for Development in Bawku West district planted 500 seedlings at Zebilla Senior High Technical School.
Speaking to the stakeholders, who participated in the exercise, Mr Edward Akunyagra Anaba, the Manager of the Regreening Africa project, World Vision Ghana, said the project aimed to work with various organisations to end environmental destruction and restore forest reserves.
“For four years now, the project has been working assiduously to halt deforestation and restore the environment through the planting of trees and nurturing naturally growing shrubs to grow, with a technique known in the local parlance as “Tintuug Lebge Tii”.
“The Minister’s declaration of June 11 as Green Ghana Day came as a catalyst for the project to get the support of government departments, traditional and opinion leaders to chalk more success in greening Ghana,” he said.
Mr Anaba reiterated the commitment of the project to employ tree planting and the “Tintuug Lebge Tii” approach to reverse deforestation and environmental degradation and entreated people to care for the seedlings by watering and protecting them from being browsed by animals.
He stressed, “in the face of global warming, everyone must plant more trees in his or her environment to green up and cool down the temperature.”
Mr Ibrahim Jamal Deen, the Tempane District Director of the Department of Agriculture, said trees were very critical to the growth and development of agricultural activities as they address climate change issues and rainfall patterns.
He explained that agriculture in the district was rain-fed and, therefore, all residents needed to embrace the greening Ghana initiative and plant more trees to improve the environment.
Mr Iddrisu Kelly, the Tempane Assembly Planner, who spoke on behalf of Mr Paul Abugri Azumah, the District Chief Executive, said humans and trees were inter-dependent on each other for survival, adding that “trees produce oxygen for humans and humans produce carbon dioxide for trees that is why it is often said when the last tree dies, the last man also dies.
Tree planting has the potential of addressing adverse weather condition and food security.”
Mr Rexford Bugre Yamdorg, the Bawku West Cluster Manager, World Vision Ghana, who spoke to the students of Zebilla Senior High Technical School, encouraged them to own the seedlings and nurture them to grow.
