Green My Community

When we first heard about the SYC's plans in the fall of 2021, we were immediately inspired and launched a fundraising campaign. The initial goal was to plant 1,000 trees. However, the project quickly surpassed that target, and 10,000 seedlings were planted in the first year alone! We owe this to the enthusiastic support of the community members around Saboba, on whose land the trees were planted. They were immediately convinced of the benefits of the project and so everyone, young and old, helped to plow the soil, plant the seedlings and then look after them.

Tree cover in the savanna around Saboba has diminished as the growing population cuts down trees for firewood. Reforestation requires coordinated action, as frequent bushfires during the dry season threaten young trees. The tree plantations also protect villages from storms by acting as windbreaks and offer forestry benefits, such as providing building materials and fruit.

Planting and caring for the trees is the responsibility of the villagers hosting the plantations. The SYC supplies cashew, teak, and mahogany seedlings and provides training for participants. Johnson, the SYC Program Manager, works professionally for the Ghana Forestry Commission and brings valuable expertise to the initiative. However, preparation remains labor-intensive: seedlings in the SYC nursery must be watered twice a day, requiring water to be carried over 50 meters from a reservoir using watering cans—a task that can take two to three hours daily.

The project has gained widespread popularity, with other communities already expressing interest in establishing their own tree plantations.