Total Petroleum Ghana has partnered United Way Ghana as part of its 2022 TotalEnergies Action Day programme to plant over 1,000 seedlings in 15 schools within Mamprobi, Chorkor, Jamestown and Korlebu in the Greater Accra Region and some schools in the Ashanti Region.
This forms part of their mutual commitment to creating a conducive learning environment to improve the quality of education in underserved schools, and also to commemorate the 2022 Green Ghana Day in identified schools within the two regions.
Prior to the planting, 115 employees from Total Petroleum Ghana PLC sensitised close to 5,000 young learners from the selected schools on the essence of keeping a ‘green’ environment. The purpose for this was to inspire these young learners to become ambassadors who will rally their peers and community to protect and maintain a sustainable environment – water, land, and air.
Though the planting will be done in a day, Environmental Clubs will be set up in the selected schools and equip them with the required tools, materials and information to enable them to nurture the seedlings to grow. This will be done with support from Ghana Education Service and the Forestry Commission.
The club’s initiative is to create an opportunity for young learners and teachers to learn from nature, to experiment and gain an insight into environmental processes such as proper waste disposal, sanitation, tree-planting, and recycling.
This initiative forms part of United Way Ghana’s Improving Basic Education Programme developed to improve the accessibility and delivery of quality education in Ghana through the collaborative efforts of relevant stakeholders. It also contributes to the attainment of the United Nation’s SDGs 3 – Good Health, 4 – Quality Education, 6 – Clean Water, 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, 13 – Climate Action, 15 – Life on Land, and 17 – Partnership for the Goals.
The Executive Director of United Way Ghana, Felix Kissiedu-Addi, commenting on the initiative, said: “Creating public awareness and educating people, especially children, on how to preserve the environment is the foundation for a sustainable world for us and future generations.
“This initiative will engage the young learners in educational activities about the importance of maintaining a good and recreational environment, and its effect on their health, creativity and soundness of mind,” he said.
Human Resource Manager and Ethics Officer for Total Petroleum Ghana, Bright Dokosi, speaking on the importance of the programme, indicated that the exercise will go a long way in contributing to the goals of the company. He urged the youth to be more responsible toward the environment.
Representative from the Greater Accra Regional office of the Forestry Commission, Dorcas Asiamah, commended the two organisations on their efforts toward protecting the environment which, she says, is in line with the commission’s vision.
