ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM: CATCH THE FEVER!

Wo Adua WodeꜪ?  Meaning, have you planted yours? The intent is to throw a challenge to Rotarians and development partners who come across our communications to create much-needed awareness by none other than the Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji.

Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji has begun its tree planting exercise and invites all Rotarians and Ghanaians to help realise the District goal of planting a thousand trees by respective clubs across Ghana. This was after supporting its sister club, the Rotary Club of Tarkwa when it planted trees at the premises of the Methodist church in Tarkwa on 12th August 2023.

We admit there have been Global Environmental concerns and the adverse effects of Global warming and Climate change are being experienced by most people Globally either directly or indirectly.

To change the narrative publicised in global media on the devastation as a result of such impact of global warming, and the negative effects of poor environmental practices over time, Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji have begun passionately with the planting of a hundred trees at the Assakae-Whindo Methodist Primary and Junior High School (JHS), Takoradi.

Rotarian President Edwin Kofi Amanor led the club and was supported by IPP Angelina Aba Yalley, CP Isaac Osabu, PP Albert Assibu of RCCC, and some Board members and club members of RCTA. They held their club’s activity on 13th August 2023, which marked Phase One of the Tree Planting Project. The activity attracted the participation of the District Governor (District 9104) David Osei Amankwah Jnr, AG Michael Frimpong, PAG Emmanuel Quarshie and PP Kwame Baah-Acheamfuor.

Indeed, as a club, we are not oblivious to the adverse effects of poor environmental practices, policies, or lack of or in some instances limited action on initiatives to realise the effective implementation of Environmentally Friendly  Policies at the National or local level.

The club is committed to realising District 9104’s initiative and the call to action. As charged by the District Governor, Rotarian    David Osei Amankwah Jnr, during his visit, we have accepted the challenge. We will need all the support we can get as a club. Join us as we reach out to create the much-needed hope to attain environmental sustainability.

Each tree planted was to be named after those who planted them. This is intended to ignite a strong desire to nurture the trees to grow because of the personal attachment to them by virtue of the respective name. The tree the   District Governor planted, for instance, was named after himself “Governor David Umbrella Tree”.

Master Raymond Yin, a class six B pupil of the school, who was selected as the Tree Planting President (TPP) will be responsible for monitoring other pupils to plant and nurture the trees. This will be in addition to the overall responsibilities to be exercised by the Headmistresses Madam Gloria Ahomeka-Sey of the primary and Mrs Harriet Adjei of the   Junior High School. A Science Teacher, Mr. Robert Odoom with support from other teachers of the school will continuously monitor the care for and growth of the plants.

The Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji imagined how it could help to realise the district Goal of planting at least a thousand trees per club at the launch of the Rotary Greens Ghana Initiative on 21st July 2023. Together with support from visiting Rotarians from Rotary clubs of Sekondi-Takoradi, Cape Coast Central, and the Project Chair for Takoradi City Lions Club, School authorities and teachers as well as pupils of the Assakae-Whindo Methodist Primary and Junior High School, we have begun to create the much-needed hope of contributing to reducing the effects of climate change.

This action is believed to help reduce the ozone layer’s depletion rate, encourage life cycle  thinking, support the Polluter Pays principle and other action particularly preventive interventions such as that initiated by District 9104 through the Rotary Greens Ghana Initiative. Rotary may feature at ensuing COP events globally to showcase its role in creating awareness and action for Global Best Practices in the Environment.

Have you seen a club eager and poised to promote and ensure the Rotary Greens Ghana Initiative is successful? Look no further as the Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji is pushing hard on this initiative. As part of the club’s strategy to achieve success, it intends to institute a       monitoring plan to be executed by its monitoring team to be guided by a term of reference.

Takoradi-Anaji is Environmentally Conscious and friendly, we promote environmental sustainability and are planting trees for the next generation. Has it crossed your mind what the word ROTARY could inspire you to do? The call by the District governor brings to mind our     collective role too;

R – REMEMBER

O – OBLIGATION

T – TREE PLANTING,

A – ASPIRE FOR

R – RESULTS

Y – YEARLY

This reads Remember obligation tree planting, aspire for results yearly! Takoradi-Anaji is ready. Are you?

What else would you do? Jump on the train to create that hope of reducing the adverse effects of climate change. Instilling positive action through partnerships and involving children to influence the next generation of climate Activists.

Can you imagine a world with no environmental concerns? Rotarians lead change and we can create that hope one tree planted at a time.

Our actions will undoubtedly improve the aesthetics of our immediate environment, air quality, and general climatic conditions and reduce erosion as it serves as vegetative cover, ohh mine! remember aside from the ornamental plants we can have edible trees planted for food and medicinal purposes.

As the mantra goes when the last tree dies, the last Man dies!

Wo Adua WodeꜪ?  Wo Adua WodeꜪ?  Wo Adua WodeꜪ?

Rtn Isabella Miakrah Nyamah

Rotary Club of Takoradi-Anaji