Sherry Ayittey Launches One-Child-One-Tree Project

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Maximum Growth Africa Limited, a Non-governmental organization ( NGO) for capacity building and wealth creation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology have launched an integrated strategic vision towards the implementation of policy and program, in line with the one-child-one-tree project under the theme, 2nd National Health, Environment and Safety Confex last week Friday.

The National Health, Environment and Safety Conference and Exhibition promoted by the stakeholders, is a public-private-partnership initiative with a strong drive to achieve well defined objectives and targets under the Millennium Development Goals 4, 5, 6, 7&8 aimed at reducing child mortality rates, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development.

Mr. Kennedy Okosun, a stakeholder, KRIF – Ghana Ltd and chairman for the launch said it’s the responsibility of all Ghanaians to pay attention to the environment and make it better for the unborn generations and commended the CEO of Maximum Growth Africa Ltd, Mr. Francis Kwaidoo, for introducing the strategic vision.

Speaking to the press at the launch, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Hon. Sherry Ayittey said, the national development planning policy has broad thematic areas, being Environment, Health, Safety, Entrepreneurship, Youth Development and Job Creation, and this platform is one that can be used to educate the public about the devastating effects of human activities on the environment.

She noted that, health, environment, education and safety are the most important pillars of social development which are also impacted by the effect of climate change, a human created activity.

According to her, evidence of climate change effects include, shortage of water resources, rise in sea levels and tempreture,floods, droughts, low food productivity, depletion of marine fisheries , cocoa production, energy, diseases , threat to social cohesion and security to mention a few.

Therefore investment in these areas including safety education in our institutions and organizations is needed for human and social development and for promoting adaptation and mitigation measures to confront the consequences of climate change and environmental degradation is necessary.

She added that, the Ministry supports private sector initiatives and call on all stakeholders to buy into this vision for an accelerated environmental framework and biodiversity. According to the Minister; it is the target of stakeholders that by 2015, the project will plant 7 million trees.

She hinted that, this year’s edition of the conference comes off at the Accra International Conference Centre from the 16th – 19th of May, 2012 under the theme, “A Healthy Environmental Governance Framework”, A Quest For Increased Private Sector Productivity, Job Creation, Industrial Safety And National Wellness.

According to the Minister, her ministry would distribute 5000 seedlings to various schools and communities during the conference and exhibition, including Mangoes, Tropical trees, ornamental and shade trees.

She stressed that, the project under discussion should be aggressively tackled by stakeholders, and in order to increase the capacity to plant more trees, the event will bring together over 2,000 SHS and graduates form tertiary institutions, this number she said would be upscale to 10,000 students next year.

She urged parents, workers and corporate institutions to support the one- tree- per -child project in order to achieve the strategic target of planting 120 million trees by 2020 and also appeal investors to fund the project to help mitigate the effect of climate change.

According to the Minister, the Ministry has a strong drive to improve sanitation through creative and affordable toilet facility of building 4,000 toilets across different communities and districts by 2015.

It was discovered at the lunch, that research has shown urine to be very effective form of fertilizer that is more potent than ordinary fertilizer, when diluted with ¾ water, and used, therefore it shall be used in planting of the trees. Constructing of 250 health posts by 2020 as targeted objective by stakeholders for socio-economic development will grant Ghanaians access to childcare, maternal health and diseases management.

She encouraged the promoters, organizers and stakeholders including investors to support the program and projects to ensure effective results within the targeted time frame.