TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana has partnered United Way Ghana to undertake a community tree-planting exercise in Kwamoso in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
This follows a shared commitment by the two organisations to improve the lives of individuals and communities, and also to promote a sustainable environment. The initiative was in collaboration with the Eastern Regional Forestry Commission of Ghana, the Chief of Kwamoso, notable farmers and the community members and also forms part of United Way Ghana’s Economic Empowerment Program, which seeks to provide opportunities for financial and economic stability for persons living in underserved communities in Ghana. Over 500 fruit seedlings – pear, coconut and citrus fruits – were planted on four acres of farmlands in Kwamoso and its environs.
With a partnership of over three years, TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana has supported the government’s efforts to promote a Green Ghana through tree-planting and have, so far, undertaken the exercise in 10 schools in Kumasi and eight in Accra in collaboration with United Way Ghana.
Mr. Bright Dokosi, Human Resource Manager and Ethics Officer at TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana, talked about how the tree-planting exercise aligns with the organisation’s objectives.
“As part of our TotalEnergies ACTION! Program, we promote environmental sustainability through tree-planting and cleaning of the coastal areas to support communities in which we operate. Trees and plants are key elements in our lives for protecting the environment not only for ourselves, but also for generations to come. We thank United Way Ghana for this good partnership and also call on the support of the community members to ensure that the plants are well taken care of till they grow to maturity.”
As the supervisory body and the coordinators of the Green Ghana Project, Priscilla Asomani, the District Manager of the Eastern Regional Forestry Commission of Ghana (Somanya), commended the chief and the farmers for providing the opportunity for TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana and United Way Ghana to undertake the tree-planting exercise. She added: “As an organisation, we are faced with financial constraints and so we are grateful to companies and individuals who come in to support us”.
The chief of Kwamoso, Nana Nkosuohene Fianko-Bekoe, said: “We express our sincere gratitude to TotalEnergies Marking Ghana PLC, United Way Ghana and the Forestry Commission for this initiative to execute such an important activity in the community with the aim of protecting the environment and raising the standard of the economy in our community through this tree-planting exercise”.
Executive Director of United Way Ghana, Mr. Felix Kissiedu-Addi reiterated the need to ensure economic mobility in the communities through collaborative partnerships. “We are privileged to partner with corporate organisations such as TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana PLC, whose objectives align with ours. We hope to protect the environment through this tree-planting exercise and ensure that the plants are economically viable in order to bring income to the farmers and the community members.”
About 80 employees from TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana participated in the tree-planting exercise and donated farm tools – 36 cutlasses, 36 watering cans, 12 shovels, and 36 hand trowels to the farmers to enhance farming and productivity in the Kwamoso community.
Faustina Atiaka, an employee from TotalEnergies Marketing Ghana, also shared her experience, saying: “I am grateful to be part of this exercise, it has been a learning experience for me. Going to the field has given me an appreciable knowledge of the hard work of the farmers who are doing a great job for us, and we really appreciate their efforts. It is good that we have planted crops which the community members can feed on and also sell to support their needs”.
