The Girls to Women Foundation has planted over four hundred (400) trees at Kumbungu Girls Model School in the northern region. The initiative comes in the wake of a nationwide exercise to plant about 20 million trees through the Green Ghana Campaign starting today Friday, June 10, 2022.
Each of the pupils planted about ten or more trees to green the school environment in the face of threats of climate change and global warming.
Executive Director of Girls to Women Foundation, Hajia Mariam Iddrisu, said the exercise was in fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 which talks about an urgent action to combat climate change and its impact globally.
“Since we have climate change as one of our focus areas and today earmarked by the President of the Republic as a Green Ghana Day, we needed to play a key role and by doing so we targeted Kumbungu Girls Model School where we have over 80 girls enrolled in the school.”
Hajia Mariam asserted the green Ghana initiative is a collective action towards the restoration of the country’s degraded landscape, mitigate climate change and inculcate the culture planting and nurturing trees among the youth.
She noted the importance of tree planting cannot be overemphasized as it provides fruits, protection to the environment and serves as home for birds and other animals.
“So when you’re planting a tree you are planting to protect these mammals aside the provision of fruits and the protection of our environment, more especially in a school environment. You know we came to meet a virgin land to do the plantation; so these trees we have planted today would create shed and improve air quality in the school” she added.
Climate Change Impact on Women
According to the former Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive, climate change affects men and women differently, explaining the domestic role of women often makes them disproportionate users of natural resources such as water, firewood and forest products itself and that is why women and girls are fully involved in fighting against the menace of climate change.
Meanwhile, Head teacher of the school, Abdulai Yussif, said the program was very important and would immensely benefit the school and the community as a whole.
He emphasized the school would be protected as the trees will serve as wind breakers and further provide shed for the pupils and teachers.
He further commended the Girls to Women Foundation for spearheading the initiative in their locality and reiterated the significance of tree planting to the survival of human beings on earth.
For his part, Naa Mahami Abdulai, Chief of the Logshegu community also emphasized the importance of the Green Ghana Campaign, stating even our great grandchildren will come to benefit from the initiative.
“We are all here to plant trees to protect the ecosystem of the country. Perhaps, we may not be alive to enjoy from it but our grandchildren will benefit from it. We must all help to nurture the trees.”
