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In Ghana today, a series
of human activities like illegal logging, discharge of industrial
fumes without treatment, improper disposal of industrial wastes,
sewage, rubbish etc. are impacting negatively on human lives in
particular and the environment in general. In recent times, it is common
to see choked gutters especially in the urban areas and during even the
slightest rainfall these urban areas get flooded causing damage to life
and properties.
Nowadays, we constantly
hear on the radio about an outbreak of cholera, typhoid, a rise in
malaria cases etc which are preventable if good environmental practices
are strictly adhere to. In all these case, the youth and children are
the most vulnerable.
It is on the basis of
these environmental cankers that the Evergreen Club of Ghana (ECOG) has
been campaigning vigorously for the past twenty years to create and
instill the right environmental attitudes in the Youth and Children (our
hope for a brighter future) with the hope that they will never depart
from to it when they grow.
As part of its
environmental educational campaign among youth and children, ECOG
launched a branch of the club in 15 schools in the Kwahu West District,
an urban area in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
In view of the successes
chalked by the club in the area of tree planting and environmental
campaign by the ECOG branch, the District Chief Executive (Mayor) of the
Kwahu West District entrusted in the club the opportunity to spear head
the "Greening Ghana Project" Kwahu West District Chapter. The
greening Ghana project was initiated by Ghana@secretarait as part of the
activities to commemorate Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary. NGOs,
Religious bodies and corporate bodies were invited to initiate tree
planting
and afforestation
activities in Ghana. (see www.ghana@50.com for details).In
pursuant to this objective, The Chief Executive (Mayor) of the District,
the District Educational Director, District Forestry Director, Officials
of ECOG and ECOG school club members in that district jointly launched
the greening Ghana project Kwahu West District Chapter in a colourful
ceremony in SDA Primary and JSS School compound on 3rd
October, 2007.
ECOG`s major role in
this project is to undertake massive tree planting exercise with the
youth and children and also engage in sensitizing them about the need to
live a clean and healthy environment. In the area of tree planting, ECOG
envisage to plant about 100,000 trees in deforested areas, along
roadsides and school compounds before the beginning of the New Year.
The environmental
educational campaign of the club among the youth and children (our major
target group whom we have organized into clubs in schools in the
District) will continue unabated. A variety of youth learning foras or
seminars and other ecological familiarization tours have been planned to
equip our members with the right mind to educate their friends.
Within less than a year
after the inauguration of the club in the district, club members planted
a total of 7300 seedlings. Membership is now 235.
NAME OF SCHOOL
NO. OF SEEDLINGS
·
Jejeti Presby Primary &
JSS and R/C Primary &JSS - 1800
·
Nkawanda I
- 1400
·
Salvation Primary & JSS
- 600
·
SDA Primary B & JSS
- 1840
·
Nsuta Primary & JSS
- 600
·
Nkawanda II
- 200
·
Kwahu Nsabaah
- 700
·
Ahmadiyya Primary & JSS
- 200
·
Islamic
- 100
·
Nkawkaw Secondary
School - 100
We at ECOG view the
establishment of ECOG school clubs in this particular district as
important because it helps us instill environmental discipline and
culture of planting trees in compounds, roadsides and other deforested
areas within the district before the city enlarges and sanitations
situation gets out of hands. |
EVERGREEN CLUB OF
GHANA
