By: Haruna Kuyateh
Njawara Agricultural Training Centre (NATC) in partnership with Shaping a sustainable future through joint action doubles as Green Economy Project has embarked on 12 days tree planting exercise within the project intervention communities – Lower, Central, and Upper Badibou, Jokadou, and Lower Nuimi in the North Bank Region.
The project is implemented with 10 schools to help students value environmental education and contribute to mitigating the effect of climate change.
Alpha Sey Project Manager who is also the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist NATC said the planting exercises formed part of the project initiative of empowering communities to establish their tree nurseries and with greater emphasis on the propagation of indigenous trees that are extinct.
More so, the purpose is to contribute to enhancing the regeneration and restoration of degraded forest cover. The project provided 38,000 poly pots, fencing materials, and tree nurseries in 10 schools as a strategy to catch them young.
He noted that the partnership with the Regional Forestry Office in Kerewan and Mama Tamba Youths Empowerment Association of Illiasa aimed to complement efforts in mitigating the effect of climate change and food production.
Sey disclosed further that the project distributed 1100 improved cooking stoves to help reduce pressure on the forest on the collection of fuel wood, and enhance the health of women and children.
He added that Njawara Agricultural Training Centre partners with Toroba Baobab Youths Association on enhancing resilience building on climate change, citing the production of compressed earth block. The project provided concrete mixer and capacity enhancement to youths and by extension create employment opportunities and income.
Pierre R Colley Administrative Circle Head at Forestry Office described the partnership with Njawara Agricultural Training Centre as cordial and said trees planted should be protected from animals and bushfires. He thanked partners for complementing government efforts in the restoration and preservation of forest cover.
Momodou Bah Public Relations said the support to youths has contributed immensely to skill development in compressed brick making and group management. He said the intervention by NATC helped create employment opportunities.
Matel Bah women representative thanks NATC and donor partner for their support in providing improved cooking stoves. She noted that access to fuel wood posed greater challenges for women and girls and quickly called for more support
