Mr Kobina Yeboah Okyere, National Director, Compassion International Ghana (CIGH), has urged the citizenry to monitor trees planted to mark the 2023 Green Ghana Day and make it a norm. He said the afforestation goals, sustainability and higher survival rate would be achieved when the populace made the monitoring a routine. 'If such monitoring becomes an integral part of the Green Ghana Day initiative, then we can achieve the afforestation goals.' Mr Yeboah Okyere said this on the Green Ghana Day at Afienya District Police durbar, which was attended by Nene Tetteh Afutu III, Chief of Afienya; Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Nana Ofori, District Police Commander of Afienya; Rev Raymond Afutu Nartey, Emmanuel Methodist, Afienya; and Chief Imam of Afienya, Imam Amadu Rufai Alhassan. The event was used to inspect trees planted by the Organisation and to plant new ones. A news brief from the Organisation said its mission was to plant a tree for 97,000 individuals who had enrolled currently in its programme. The Green Ghana Day initiative was introduced in 2021 with a target of planting about five million trees by President Nana Akufo-Addo to combat deforestation and address climate change, which had destroyed Ghana's forest cover. This year's target is to plant 10 million trees. Mr Yeboah Okyere said as part of the nationwide afforestation programme, Compassion International Ghana (CIGH) and its partners joined forces in 2022 and distributed over 18,000 seedlings for planting on Green Ghana Day. 'A year later, CIGH took the opportunity to reflect on the impact of these seedlings and unveiled a comprehensive monitoring tool, revealing the survival of 8,030 trees out of the 16,670 seedlings planted,' he said. He said with the survival number of 8,030 trees, it was clear that effective monitoring should become the norm to ensure the initiative's success in enhancing afforestation coverage and combating climate. Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Nana Ofori, the Afienya District Police Commander, commended the Organisation and its church partners for the foresight to monitor planted trees. He encouraged participants at the durbar to adopt the monitoring mechanism to ensure accountability in future tree planting exercises. The dignitaries at the durbar planted trees to mark the Day and pledged to actively monitor their growth. Compassion International Ghana is a Christ-centered organisation dedicated to transformative child advocacy and holistic child development, encompassing physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and spiritual aspects. Its focus lies particularly on 'releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name'. Through its church partners and global sponsors, CIGH aims to break the cycle of hardship by equipping children with the skills and resources necessary to improve their social standing and benefit their communities.

Source: Ghana News Agency