Mandela Forest project launched

The Student Youth and Travel Organisation (SYTO), an NGO over the weekend launched a programme christened: ‘Mandela Forest project’ in the Juaso Community of the Eastern Region.

The project is aimed at establishing a multipurpose forest and the restoration of the natural resources of the community.

The project also sought to establish and maintain a community tree nursery and educate the people in the area on the positive effects of the appropriate use of the natural resources and new technology in Agriculture.

Launching the project, Mrs Perpetua Opoku-Agyemang, General Manager of SYTO said in 2009, the United Nation General Assembly passed a resolution declaring July 18 as the “Nelson Mandela International Day to honour him because of his selfless and dedicated life.

The project is under the theme “Take Action, Inspire Change-Make Every Day a Mandela Day”, which encourages all to take responsibility to change attitudes and ensure a peaceful co-existence in communities.

The project is in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and supported by the Kibi Goldfields Limited and the African Plantation for Sustainable Development (APSD).

She said the project is a call to action for the world to work together for the continuous development of humanity.

“Ghana cannot be left out of this action because we have challenges that still confront us as a nation such as rapid depletion of the forest, continuous pollution of water bodies, global warming, climate change and its effect.”

She said this is critical because the effects of these challenges are devastating, and that, to sustain a greener earth, efforts must be made to reverse the current trend of deforestation, mainly through human activities.

Mrs Opoku-Agyemang said the project has established a tree nursery with the capacity to raise over 10,000 assorted seedlings yearly, aimed at reclaiming 45,000 hectors of land through tree growing in affected areas.

The project has constructed 40 beehives and has supported a women group in soap making by training them and providing start-up equipment and capital for them, and hopes to expand the project across the regions.

Mr Finn Jacobsen, Managing Director of APSD, said their outfit was committed to the programme because of its importance to the ecology in national development.

He said human activities, such as deforestation, water pollution and environmental degradation have destroyed the environment, and that, there was the need for all to protect the forest from further destruction.

Mr Jacobsen appealed to the communities to support the project by creating forests as a measure to restore the fast degraded ecosystem in the community due to inappropriate use of resources.

Mr Otchere-Agyekum, Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa South District pledged his support for the project and donated 20 bags of cement towards the forest project.

GNA