The future projects we have planned aim to reduce poverty by improving the livelihood of the people in the Central region, particularly in Cape Coast and its surrounding areas. We believe that job creation is directly linked to the development of a nation. The lack of employment opportunities often leads to illegal activities such as Galamsey (illegal gold mining), sea sand winning, indiscriminate littering, and even teenage pregnancy and petty crimes. These activities have a serious impact on the environment and the citizens.

Cape Coast is a historically significant town where the civilization of West Africa began. Therefore, it is essential to improve tourism and establish special branded factories to improve the quality of life for the entire community. We have lined up several projects, and 90% of the feasibility studies have already been completed. You can read more about the details of the projected lineup.

The future projects we have planned aim to reduce poverty by improving the livelihood of the people in the Central region, particularly in Cape Coast and its surrounding areas. We believe that job creation is directly linked to the development of a nation. The lack of employment opportunities often leads to illegal activities such as Galamsey (illegal gold mining), sea sand winning, indiscriminate littering, and even teenage pregnancy and petty crimes. These activities have a serious impact on the environment and the citizens.

Cape Coast is a historically significant town where the civilization of West Africa began. Therefore, it is essential to improve tourism and establish special branded factories to improve the quality of life for the entire community. We have lined up several projects, and 90% of the feasibility studies have already been completed. You can read more about the details of the projected lineup.

• OPERATION FEED YOURSELF
• UPGRADING FORT VICTORIA
• RECYCLING OF VEHICLE TYRES
• SMART AGRICULTURE AND ADDED VALUE PROJECTS
• TOOTHPICK PRODUCTION
• WOODEN CLOTH PEG PRODUCTION
• INSTALLATION OF SOLAR STREET LIGHTS
• ROAD MARKINGS, STUDS & SIGNS
• SCHOOL ECOLOGY CLUBS

One of the best ways to inspire personal action and the commitment to change is to simply give people something to do.

The world is urging governments to take climate change seriously and come up with innovative solutions to mitigate its effects. Our Eco-Scout strategy aims to keep people motivated to change and address climate change. We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results.

Our strategy involves developing methods and protection to help mitigate and adapt, easing access to information, finance, and policy development to help overcome barriers that communities face in implementing adaptation solutions. We also aim to improve the science-policy interface in adaptation policies and planning.

We believe in enhancing climate resilience, testing ecosystem-based adaptation, and reducing losses to people’s livelihoods and the economy. We, at the Eco-Scout Movement of Ghana, have rebranded, reorganized, and changed our strategy based on our nine years of experience.

We have put together a list of ten bold ideas for change to encourage leaders to take real action on climate change. Working on environmental projects is one of the many ideas we have put forward.

R5 CONCEPT

We intend to educate and help sensitize and reduce plastic packaging, Possibly suggest a standardized reuse system to reduce plastics and encourage supermarkets to brand reusable cloth.  Meanwhile, tree-planting would be another initiative – a program to plant as many trees as possible and develop an Ecological friendly, Smart renewable Energy revolution in Ghana

SHORT TERM  

• Environmental and sanitation education and sensitization
• Restoration of Mangrove and Bird heritage at Fosu Lagoon
• Ecological projects in schools, such as waste separation, Climate-smart Agriculture projects, Research and exchange programs on Causes and Mitigation of climate change
• Tree planting and growing Exercises with Climate change Ambassadors and sports Club with the theme ‘Bringing eco-thinking, Sustainable living, and renewable technology to sports’
• Free Organic Seeds and Seedlings for the Community

Rationale for the Proposed Project

These three projects will be strategically embarked together to achieve results aimed at triggering awareness of Climate Change and its effects by engaging the youth from selected Primary, Secondary, Vocational, and Technical institutions and the  Universities of Cape Coast in programs and activities.

The current population of Ghana is estimated at 31,629,532. Young age structure, with approximately 57% of the population under the age of 25. 15,537,881Current male population (50.9%) and16,091,651Current female population  making (49.1%)

In 2019, Ghana’s female population amounted to approximately 15 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 15.42 million inhabitants with a 56,388 death rate per year.

The leading cause of death in Ghana is Malaria, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Lower respiratory infections including Cerebrovascular disease, Ischaemic heart disease Diarrheal diseases, HIV/Aids, and Tuberculosis could all be derived from the effect of Climate change which humans are directly responsible. All these are a result of the neglect of the 3 projects above which Ecoscout intends to address with the youth of Ghana today as the scriptures say ’Train up a child the way to go and upon growing will not depart from it.

There is a clear scientific consensus that climate change will increase the frequency of sea erosion, droughts, floods, and severe weather events which will destroy or disrupt infrastructure critical to children’s well-being, including schools, health facilities, food insecurity poverty, frustrations turning some into criminals, robbers, fraudsters and slay queens.

Project Goals and Objectives

The interaction starts with a comprehensive questionnaire to create and activate awareness and understanding of climate change while providing a strong focus on empowering them to take an active role in the solutions to environmental Sanitation challenges, adaptation, and mitigation strategies.

The objectives of this interaction, empowerment, through a questionnaire as a starting point, collect  Credible science-based climate change understanding among the youth to Educate and trigger pupils and students about climate change.

Increase participation in and understanding of school climate change ambassadors, and science programs related to climate change mitigation so that students learn the importance of being a good steward.

Share information about what the partner agencies are doing to address climate change. Understand the role of citizens, public land management agencies, and non-governmental organizations in protecting and conserving natural resources.

To team up with the Environmental and sanitation faculty of the University of Cape Coast selected primary, secondary, and technical/Vocational schools to  a complete questionnaire that seeks to address several complementary activities, including the provision and maintenance of sanitary facilities, the introduction of R5 concept of Ecoscout which includes waste separation and recycling

Rationale for the Proposed Project

Project Strategy

The project strategy includes providing a comprehensive questionnaire to the students and conducting,  easy competitions, and award schemes for groups and individuals in our educational setup with the support of donor funding to those who will excel and show full commitment to strategically and psychologically  prepare the minds of their to introduce, At the household level, poor hygienic practices by individuals and communities which are compounded as a result of insufficient and ineffective education will be addressed

Listing of Project Activities

• Support the cleaning and dredging of Fosu Lagoon on Cape Coast
• Restoration of Bird Heritage and Mangrove at Fosu Lagoon
• Smart Climate Change Ambassadors and clubs in the schools,
• Conduct Climate Smart Agriculture and Green Housing Technology projects
• Integrate and organize smart Sports activities and competitions in and among the schools
• Conduct clean-up exercises and initiate landscaping
• Introduce waste separation in the schools
• Provision and introduction of renewable energy in the schools eg. Solar lights, lamps, and mobile phone charging system
• Initiating commercial recycling station to recycle separated waste collected from various schools in the Central Region to produce products like waste bins, buckets, bowls, organic fertilizer, and paper-based recycled products such as cups, pencils, package boxes, etc…
• To Develop appropriate technologies, practices, and DIY to avoid general contamination eg. of groundwater
• Conduct programs and projects for the schools during World Earth and Environmental Day

Expected Results

Within a decade and a half, wrapping and packing have changed from bio-degradable, like leaves to paper to thin –film, plastic, and now to more dense styrofoam and plastic, similarly Drinking water, and vending have evolved from the bucket and–cup to a thin film, plastics and now to more dense plastics of sachet and bottled mineral water.

These trends are increasing with our young growing population and the consequence of increased mortality due to poor environmental sanitation practices. This is becoming common practice and placing untoward pressure on our entire environment in the region and the country as a whole. It’s sad to state that Ghana is placed ………..among the dirtiest countries in Africa. With this intervention, we believe in systematically establishing and grooming the youth right from the education sector to become ambassadors in their localities and putting pressure on our Authorities to enforce the by-laws to combat this menace.

1. The youth will come to terms with the effects of climate change to improve their standard of living in the long term
2. Improve environmental and sanitation practices such as widespread littering, dumping refuse waste in drains and open gutters
3. Make a great impact in the homes and communities in which they live
4. Sustain and improvement of waste management to reduce environmental morbidity and mortality
5. Awareness creation to understand and improve on health and nutrition lifestyle, conscious of recognizing healthy foods
6. To understand better health care with priority attention to Poor environmental and sanitation effects and other pandemic diseases such as convinced 19 mitigation and adaptation of safety protocols.
7. Understand the importance of the R5 concept
8. Most importantly Improving and making sustainable progress on the attitudes and behavior of individuals, and communities towards the environment to reduce the increasing disease burden as a result of PESAC(Poor Environmental and Sanitation Condition)households
9. That every school adopt strict environmental practices and be consistent with the national environmental policies

How different I earlier projects?

Since its 2012 Establishment, the Ecoscout Movement of Ghana has embarked on very remarkable programs and projects to sensitive the community to combat the above-stated menace to improve the overall poor sanitation and environmental attitudes  The Declaration and Launching of 3 months of sensitization and Educational programs and projects under the motto. Cape Coast Goes Green and Clean was successfully inaugurated  We initiated our pilot with 120 students in 2014-2018as Climate change Ambassadors from 4 schools, namely Philip Quaque Boys School (which is the oldest primary school in West Africa), Anthem Junior Secondary School, St. Augustine’sPractice and Bakatsir Junior Secondary School between 2012 to 2017.

Some of the Projects include:(Visual, audio, and video evidence are available)

• Float in the inner city of Cape Coast announcing our presence and creating awareness of the effect of climate change in Conjunction with Coastal TV
• Tree planting and growing around the Fosu Lagoon, Assase Pa, and their various schools
• Poetry competition against the state of our Lagoon and drama by o c male group displayed an amazing showcase of education portraying the current situation, behavior, and attitude towards the environment in Cape Coast South. (The poem entitled ‘THE SOUND’ was written by the Chairman of Ecoscout. The objective was to address the poor state of the Lagoon as well as draw the attention of the Authorities using the voice of the youth.
• Workshop and Visit to Organic farmland and introduction to DIY organic fertilizers
• Beach clean-up exercises.
• Coastal TV youth programs on Climate Change.
• Successfully planted and grew Royal Palm trees and tropical almonds on the stretch from the King’s palace to the Cape Coast Castle under the ‘motto plant and name a tree’.
• Under this motto we have successfully planted and grown more than 20 trees in various households across the community where people take shelter from the daily hot weather, sell their produce, and enjoy fresh oxygen.
• After collecting over 600 signatures in the attempt to petition the Metropolitan Assembly to enforce the Bylaws it became clear that although our bylaws existed they have not been gazetted as such and could not be implemented.
• Ecoscout took a bold initiative to collaborate with Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive Officer Mayoress Hon. Priscilla Arhin and The Central Police Command of Cape Coast unit to Gazette the existing environmental By-laws of the assembly which gave birth to combating and enforcing the bylaws leading to the arrest and prosecution of sea sand winners and open defecation on the beach. The results were clear to see.
• Lots of Media interactions including radio programs, news daily, and internet presence including other programs including Tourism improvements were undertaken.
• Ecoscout Refurbished the old Bakano Roundabout and converted it to a green landscape roundabout which triggered other areas like the Petrol district, London Bridge, and Tanti Station constituency to emulate Ecoscout to do the same which are all visible today.
• These works earned Ecoscout to become a member of the Environmental and Tourism subcommittee of the Cape Coast Assembly of which many workshops were undertaken all in an attempt to improve Climate change
• Ecoscout also earned to become a member of the committee in Cape Coast Ghana Sister partnership with Bonn-Germany. A laudable project was initiated to dredge the Fosu Lagoon, and a research center was built at a community center close to the lagoon. Initiation of research results and implementation of projects to improve the situation and enhance the economic value of the lagoon were not realized.
• Again upon petitioning the then Minister of Central Region in 2015 Hon, Aquinas Quansah, a military force was mobilized to stop the massive sea sand-winning activities that were going on at Elmina. Those activities had already caused a lot of damage to existing beach resorts eg. Elmina Bay Hotel and the households close to the beach along the coastal belt.
• One of our main waste managcompaniesompany Zoom Lion assigned a company called subsidiarSoilil to undertake beach clean-up exercises. All the waste collected was openly and with impunity buried at the shore of the Cape Coast beach. There are more than 200 holes with about 4ft deep x and 4 ft diameter scattered across the beach front…Ecoscout went undercover and took pictures and evidence of this practice and summoned the Regional Director of the waste Management Zoomlion in one of our meetings to come and answer for that Environmental crime. After the meeting, they were asked to dig out all the waste and dispose of them properly. After 3 – 4yrs, I can say with Authority that those plastic wastes, fishing nets, gallons, pet bottles, hospital waste, syringes, etc. are still buried there. We can easily exhume today because they will not degrade until the next 100 years or more. This affected immensely our initiative to replant about 500 coconuts along those bare stretches of the coastal line. It is true coconuts will not grow in plastic soil.
• In collaboration with the King of Abura Nana Kodjo Addae iv in Cape Coast North, initiated 2 days workshop with the community under the theme’ Let us drive Malaria away’.We took this great opportunity to create awareness of Climate Change after the program Ecoscout Distributed 100 seedlings of Moringa to the participants who were mostly Muslims and put very great value on Moringa.

See Documentation, media files, Galleries, and Videos for evidence of past works and achievements of the Ecoscout Movement of Ghana.

LESSONS MADE & THE WAY FORWARD

Ecoscout Movement of Ghana after 5 years of operation and 3 years of observations we have come to realize upon careful analysis, that the current trend is that our poor environmental and sanitation situation has worsened. The sea erosion and salt intrusion are uncontrollable leaving no option to construct a massive expensive sea defense from the Cape Coast Castle to Bakano, which will continue to Ola, whereas The Elmina Sea defense is ongoing to meet the defense from Cape Coast. The implication for the fisher folk community is unprecedented. Children, especially young children, live their lives at a faster pace than adults. Consequently, anything harmful to the environment is bound to have a relatively greater impact on them. For example, young children breathe at twice the rate of adults. In polluted environments, their risk of respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, or conditions such as asthma, is likely to be far higher than for adults.

• Our current strategy with the help of the 2109 population statistics has motivated us to reorganize, and re-awaken Ecoscout to utilize our past success records with our climate change ambassadors to re-strategize to adopt Smart projects and programs with the schools from primary to tertiary.
• We shall consider reaching out to youth groupings in the churches and mosques. This is another place where our message could be successfully carried out. Investing in children and youth as part of our climate plans on mitigation and adaptation
• We believe that since Ghana’s young population forms about 57% with this initiative we are sure to improve with time the mentality and behavioral change of the people to improve our environment and sanitation.
• We strongly believe in Children and youth empowerment programs to achieve a lot of attitudinal changes, imparting knowledge and alerting through activities causes of global warming.
• We will create an international partnership with exchange programs with Climate Change groups across the world.
• Children deserve to live in a world free from the life-threatening effects of climate change. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence on the dangers of climate change and the clear opportunities we have for altering its course, there is no excuse for not acting ambitiously.

We should be impacting and grooming conscious youth who are the leaders of tomorrow to make this world a better place for all and generations unborn

We, therefore, appealing to all donors, corporate bodies, philanthropists, climate change advocacy groups, Various NGOs, etc. to partner with us since our young and energetic youth of Ghana are so smart and ready to take the bull by the horns to ensure we give respect to nature, improve on our livelihood to make the purpose God made us humans be fulfilled to the Glory of Mother Earth.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

QUESTIONNAIRES will be distributed to selected schools.

• 5 primary schools
• 5 Junior Secondary Schools
• 5 Senior Secondary Schools
• 1 Technical school
• 1 Vocational school
• Technical University
• Cape Coast University (Environmental faculty)

Cost Analysis:

The plan is to distribute around 500 questionnaires to children and youth, with 20 questionnaires given to each of the 5 selected schools. We will carefully examine each school’s questionnaire and award certifications to the participants. Additionally, we will distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the participants of our climate change program.

We will work with one teacher and the school administration from each school to create an Ecological Club. These clubs will focus on waste management and will be provided with special waste bins for this purpose. We will also introduce the practice of waste separation and encourage the use of bio or organic fertilizers made from the school’s waste.

The Ecological Clubs will work with the school authorities to create school farms and plant trees. We believe that this will help to create a more environmentally conscious community.

MEDIUM-TERM

ClimateSmart Agriculture

Climate-smart agriculture involves farming practices that improve farm productivity and profitability, help farmers adapt to the negative effects of climate change, and mitigate climate change effects, e.g. by soil carbon sequestration or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.          www.cimmyt.org

https://csa.guide/csa/what-is-climate-smart-agriculture

Climate change disrupts food markets, posing population-wide risks to food supply. Threats can be reduced by increasing the adaptive capacity of farmers as well as increasing resilience and resource use efficiency in agricultural production systems for food security.

Over decades of science and practice, several key sustainable farming practices have emerged—for example:

• Rotating crops and embracing diversity. …
• Planting cover crops. …
• Reducing or eliminating tillage. …
• Applying integrated pest management (IPM). …
• Integrating livestock and crops. …
• Adopting agroforestry practices.

Why is aquaponics Climate Smart Food production important to the future of farming?

Aquaponics is a symbiotic integration of two mature food production systems, aquaculture and fish farming.

It combines fish and crop farming. Microorganisms in the fish pond system convert the fish’s waste into nutrients for plants. This way, the plants and microorganisms purify the water, creating an appropriate environment for the fish.

The main input to an aquaponic system is fish food. The fish eat the food and excrete waste. More than 50% of the waste produced by fish is in the form of ammonia secreted in the urine and, in small quantities, through the gills. This is one of the best practices of climate-smart food Production that the Eco-scout Movement of Ghana has experimented with since August 2018 and the results were amazing.

We grew, Mint, Beans, Tomatoes, and Parsley. The negative experience was energy consumption, but should we go into commercial, educative, and resilient Aquaponics food production using renewable energy

solar-powered pumps, this will complete a good cycle of this smart climate change method.

Advantages of aquaponics include crop production at least ten times higher than traditionally farmed plots of equivalent size, 85-90% less water consumption than traditional irrigation, low energy consumption, year-round crop production, and flood and drought resilience.

Plus, aquaponics systems are beneficial because they don’t harbor soil pests, therefore no pesticides are necessary. Plants Grow Faster – Because plants have access to nutrients 24 hours a day, they grow faster. For example, the aquaponic system speeds up the growth of lettuce from two months to one month.

Smart Aquaponics System for Urban Farming

This integrated system is referred to as an Aquaponic system. The goal is to culture a vegetable that will generate the highest level of income per unit area per unit of time.

Innovative sustainable growing Aquaponics methods create zero waste and give back to the community by supplying fresh, local food. Commercial Aquaponics presents an opportunity to do all three, while also being financially profitable with high-value, year-round produce.

A successful Large-scale commercial aquaponics food production will require hiring two head growers – one with a specialty in aquaculture (fish) and one who specializes in horticulture (plants). This will allow extensive education of our climate change ambassadors and ecological school clubs.

Notwithstanding we aim at acquiring farmland and cultivating it.

Provision of Smart Climate drinking Alkaline water to improve health and boost immune system using solar energy to store and provide drinking water and packaging with biodegradable and re-use packaging system.

The world’s largest pump manufacturer created a system to collect, store, and clean water.

Alkaline water has a higher pH level than regular drinking water

These include:

• anti-aging properties (via liquid antioxidants that absorb more quickly into the human body)
• Colon-cleansing properties.
• Immune system support.
• Hydration, skin health, and other detoxifying properties.
• Weight loss.
• Cancer resistance.

Provision of Renewable Energy(solar lights for hospitals, schools, street lights)

Many people in sub-Saharan Africa have to heat and boil water by burning wood and charcoal, which is polluting and dangerous. A Swedish inventor created a solar-powered container that can do it using the power of the sun.

Irrigation of farmland land with solar-powered pumps.

LONG TERM

1. Dredging of the Fosu Lagoon to improve livelihood
2. Recycling of plastics, Mobile Phones, Computers, electronic gadgets, and tires
3. Introduction of electric taxis and busses for commercial use
4. A project with Metrological Service to send daily subscribed weather forecasts and climate situations using mobile phones, helping the citizens to plan in the face of changing climate conditions.
5. Initiating Climate Change clubs in Schools(Ecology school clubs)
6. Ecological Housing project and lodge on the Fosu lagoon
7. Adding value to Fort Victoria

CHARITY AND HUMANITY PROGRAMS

1. Provision of training skills for teenage mothers and pregnant Women
2. Provision of free yr Health insurance prog. for deprived pregnant mothers, parents, and children.
3. Provision of Incubators for Various Hospitals in the Central Region
4. Construction of Toilet facilities to combat beach/open defecation at the coastal line of Cape Coast to Elmina.
   Also, Read about RENEWABLE ENERGY HAPPENING IN THE WORLD