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Project Proposal On Environment & Climate Change
Project Proposal On Environment & Climate Change
Project Title
Theme
Implementation Period
Geographical Coverage
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“One generation plants a tree; the next generation gets the shade.”
– Chinese Proverb
“The countries most vulnerable are the least able to protect themselves.
They also contribute least to the global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Without action they will pay a high price for the actions of others.”
– Kofi Annan
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TABLE OF CONTENT
2.0 BACKGROUND………………………………………………………………………….. 5
2.1 Goals ……………………………………………………………………………………… 5
4.1 Plastic Waste Audit Campaign (PWAC) for recycle of plastic waste ………………. 7
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1.0 IMPLEMENTING ORGANISATION
Abibimman Foundation is a Non-Profit Oriented, Non-Partisan, Non-Governmental Organisation
(RGD G 5,895, DSW 2525) established in 2000 in Tema. The essential thrust of the Foundation is
to enhance livelihoods in a peaceful and developed environment through Cultural, Formal and Non-
Formal Education, Civic and Health Education, Human Right and Environmental Protection, and
General Activities. Its mission statement is “to ameliorate conflict situations and promote a culture
of peace, sustainable livelihoods, democracy and development based on knowledge of cultural,
civic, and human right, environmental and health issues. Promote cultural, formal and non-formal
education as well as technical and vocational skill development to enhance employment and job
opportunities for a better standard of human development”. The Foundation upholds the principles
of the United Nations and African Union.
The Foundation has a structure of the General Assembly, Executive Council, Local Executives and
Secretariat. It operates from its Tema based Secretariat located in Flat # 1/ A 74, Site 3,
Community 1, Tema. The Secretariat is headed by the Chief Executive Officer with two Deputies, a
Director of Programmes and Projects, Communications Director, Programme Officers and
volunteers. The Foundation operates towards the achievement the Ghana Poverty Reduction
Strategy (GPRS) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Its programmes and targets are
as below;
1. Support the Children Programme (S.C.P) - Children’s Wing
2. Youth In Development Programme (YiDP) - Youth Wing
Green-Life Clubs - (Student’s Wing)
3. Women Advancement Programme (WAP) – Women’s Wing
The Foundation acknowledges climate change and environmental issues as crucial to the
promotion of sustainable livelihoods, peace and development and, in breaking the effects of the
vicious circle of unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment in the country. The Foundation
mobilizes and facilitates collaboration among various partners especially in youth development. It
develops concepts and implements programmes with approaches and methodologies that enable
its audience to identify problems, set priority, and address needs assessments. The Green-Life
Clubs of the Foundation focuses on climate change and environmental issues especially in school
by promoting the needed education and awareness among pupils and students. This helps them to
understand climate change issues and challenges while utilizing them as positive agents in
development. These stimulate appropriate decisions and actions from its targets based on burden-
alleviation and cost-effectiveness analysis.
The Foundation, since January 2000, has implemented a number of major environmentally related
events in the areas of public education, youth engagements such as tree planting, environmental
clean-ups, media engagements under the Green-Life Clubs especially within the Tema Metropolis
and Ashaiman Municipality.
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‘OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR DEVELOPMENT’
(Championing Climate Change Issues through Environmental Education)
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Human development is about people. It is about expanding people’s real choices and the
substantive freedoms - the capabilities – that enable them to lead lives they value. Choice and
freedom in human development mean something more than the absence of restraints. People
whose lives are blighted by poverty, ill-health or illiteracy are not in any meaningful sense free to
lead lives that they value. - Human development report
Climate change has become one of the defining forces shaping prospects for development in the
21st Century. Ghana is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol on Climate which entered into force 16
February 2005 and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was ratified by
Ghana's Parliament on 26 November 2002. Although Ghana has committed itself to meeting its
obligations under the Convention and the Protocol for achieving stabilization of greenhouse gas
emission, and climate change will continue to have huge and lasting impacts on its ecosystems and
productivity, its climate change responses are very limited. The cost of taking preventive action now
is much lower than paying the price later. The Kyoto Protocol provide avenues under the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) which holds great potential to promote technology development
and transfer and can assist Ghana in attracting foreign direct investment in the energy, transport,
waste management, industry, land usage and management, and forestry sectors where there are
clear potential to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The formal and informal sectors of Ghana’s economy are strongly based on natural resources:
agriculture, pastoralism, logging, road construction, eco-tourism, mining amongst others. Climatic
variations that alter the viability of these activities, for better or for worse, have very high leverage
on the economy. Population and development pressures continue to worsen the exploitation of
Ghana’s land-cover. These pressures coupled with climate change will negatively impact on the
ecosystems will affect the distribution and productivity of plant and animal species, water supply,
fuel-wood, among others. Climate change will however impact greatly on women and children who
constitute the majority of the poor and depend mostly on natural resources for their livelihoods (like
agriculture) that are susceptible to climate change. Natural resources productivity and biodiversity
may even be irreversibly lost due to climate change.
The declines in agricultural productivity and food insecurity as a result of declining soil fertility due
to changes in rainfall pattern and water stresses have grave consequences on Ghana’s
development. Inland fisheries and fish farming systems are predominantly along riverbanks and as
a result of water stress will suffer during intense rainfall periods which result in floods and during
episodes of drought and habitat destruction.
Human health will be adversely affected by projected climate change. Changing weather patterns
and raising temperature will escalate the pressure on our limited medical facilities and staff to cope
with the increased demand. This will result from higher numbers of patients suffering from malaria,
meningitis (CSM) and other water and air-borne diseases. Persistent droughts and flooding in the
face of our inadequate sanitary infrastructure will result in frequent of epidemics of enteric diseases
such as cholera and dysentery. These will lead to loss of manpower and decreased productivity
whiles automatically increasing healthcare burden which is likely to derail the infant National Health
Insurance Scheme.
Substantive portions of Ghana government’s investment go into provision of basic infrastructure for
development such as roads, bridges, railways, dams, housing. The impact of climate change on
these infrastructure particularly roads, bridges, historical buildings serving as tourist sites/attractions
due to exposure to damaging flooding, deep potholes, erosion, excessive heat and other extreme
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events are very devastating. The exacerbation of desertification by changes in rainfall and
intensified land use poses a serious threat to land resources. The reservoir storage of the
Akosombo dam shows high sensitivity to variations in runoff and periods of drought as evidenced
by critically low levels, threatening hydropower generation and industrial activity, which endangers
Government's effort in ensuring growth through the private sector.
The recent flood that hit the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Western Regions of Ghana in
September 2007 and Nov 2010 revealed the nations vulnerability. The following were the statistics
that were recorded by the Ministry of Interior with regards to the flood;
Number of deaths - 56
Number Displaced - 331,360
Houses Destroyed – 34,919
Roads Damaged - 655
Farmlands Destroyed - 46,851
Dams & Bridges Destroyed - 140
Ghana’s environmental and climate change challenge profile will be in a more dangerous position in
the coming decades. This is due to consistent human activities such as littering with non-
biodegradability plastic waste which leads to depletion of soil fertility, chock gutters and drains and
results in flooding of home, and roads causing deep potholes formation and erosion; huge traffic
congestion which leads to high consumption of fuel and large volumes of CO2 emission; rampant
bush fires and illegal felling of trees, expanding surface mining and quarries which depletes our
greenly surrounding, reduces CO2 uptake, increases temperature and destroys water bodies;
increase in industrial activities with huge energy demands; and the discovery of oil which will lead to
the drilling of more wells and establishment of more oil refineries. Climate change will have serious
permanent damaging effects on Ghana, and it is critical to consider climate change as a
development issue. Integrating environmental and climate change concerns into Ghana’s
development agenda is critical in order to ensure the long-term achievement of development goals,
in particular the Ghana Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) and Millennium
Development Goals.
Climate change is a challenge that needs to be addressed now to reduce the risk it poses to the
youth of today and generations unborn. Unfortunately Ghana as a country is not doing much to halt
the continuous effects of climate change. Most adult Ghanaians are preoccupied with day to day
issues. The current generation of this country stands directly in harm's way and they have the least
resources to cope. This has compelled many young people to be primarily concerned with, even
overwhelmed by, their education, health, future employment and financial situations which look very
blurred.
Abibimman Foundation therefore through this project, ‘OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR DEVELOPMENT’
seeks to develop a youth-focused Public Education and Outreach (PEO) strategy on climate
change. The strategy seek to provide young Ghanaians understanding in the issues and support
them with the knowledge, stimulus, and, most importantly, the opportunity to work together towards
emissions reductions. The strategy will be piloted in the Greater Accra Region within 2009 and
2011 outcomes replicated in other regions of the country in three (3) phases within a period of ten
(10) years (2011 – 2021). It will also be used by the member organisations of Ghana National
Youth on Climate Change to champion the issues.
Abibimman Foundation believes that young people hold the keys to Ghana’s climate change
challenges and education is the lead stream in their engagement on climate change actions. Young
people through action-oriented projects will be engaged in environmental policy development
advocacy while incorporating them in capacity building to ensure sustainability of in-and-out of
school operations. There is an enormous gap between action and gratification, or tangible results
on climate change. While youth may not see an immediate reduction and corresponding
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environmental response/reparation, the strategy will provide other ways to reward their actions.
Young people will be recognized, respected and rewarded for their contributions and
accomplishments. In particular, value will be attached to their volunteer work, in order to engage
youth at the community level.
Flexible and multiple sub-projects approach that is more responsive both to the diversity of youth
and diversity of funding and other available resources will be employed. The youth will be involved
in all processes and stages of implementing and expanding the strategy; design, planning and
delivery of an outreach campaign, adverts, and other aspects of this strategy. They will know where
their input will go and how it will make a difference (the kind of decisions or impacts they can affect,
realistic timelines for change, and what they can expect to see). Opportunities will be created for
young people and adults to work together. Campaigns will be easy, accessible and convenient for
youth to participate. Sub-projects will encourage interaction, information and knowledge sharing,
and participation among the community as a whole. Businesses and industry will be approached to
be part of the solution to demonstrate needed integration between the economy and the
environment.
2.1 Goals
The goal is to engage the energy, enthusiasm and values of youth on issues related to
infrastructural development such as roads, drains, sewage, dams, national parks to from personal
lifestyles and to work with their communities, the private sector and government to make significant
inroads on reducing emissions.
2.2 Broad objective
The broad objective is to provide young people and youth with information on climate change and
what they can do about it using the linkages between road transport, tree planting and sanitation as
major components; providing the opportunities to work on concrete projects to make a difference,
and recognition and rewards for their work towards emissions reduction.
Motivating youth to take actions within their communities to reduce emissions and to encourage
others in their lives (peers, families, communities) to reduce emissions using the linkages
between road transport, tree planting and sanitation.
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3.2 The project focuses of the following campaign strategy and issues
3.2.1 Awareness creation – which intersects with the broader information, awareness and advocacy
campaigns on the issues below;
Advocate for recycle of at least 25% of the volume of plastic waste which chock gutters and
drains and cause flooding, create potholes, erosion and destroy roads in the country. This also
aims to improve on the sanitation and environmental degradation situation in the country.
Call for improvement in the road transportation system and the needed support for alternative
transportation methods to the car culture in the country to reduce the heavy traffic congestion,
high consumption of fuel, waste of time and the huge CO2 emission.
Contribute to the enhancement of energy efficiency and conservation through the use of energy
saving bulbs, reducing wastage of electricity and other domestic fuels.
Promote nature conservation and greenly environment through positive connections of the
youth with the environment by planting trees along selected roads, within selected parks and
along some rivers and water bodies personal.
3.2.2 Mainstream media campaigns, both to profile and reward participants, and to catalyze them to take
notice of the problem and look for more information and ways to become engaged.
3.2.3 Mainstream special promotions and events, emphasizing novelty and entertainment.
Phase II
Phase II will be for specific advocacy on ensuring protection, long duration and safety on a specific
adopted road. Trees will be planted and maintained along the full stretch of the road by groups of
students and youth clubs within the communities along the road. The trees and greens along the
road will be evaluated and awards given to groups whose portions are well maintained.
The strategy is to reinforce youth’s current awareness of environmental matters such as littering of
gutters and drains with plastic waste, cutting down trees indiscriminately, bush burning, road traffic
congestion and huge CO2 emission rather than focusing just on climate change. It will highlight
individual causes and effects on climate change, illustrating its local, national and global
dimensions and impacts and how they affect the economy and our way of life. The strategy is to
encourage widespread dissemination of information on environmental issues to continue
awareness raising and sharing of values and viewpoints of the youth. It will connect the need to
mitigate or adapt to climate change to ensure employment opportunities and show how an
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environmentally-friendly lifestyle improves on health, and make the world a better place at the same
time. It will put national climate change strategy into global context to build on the global
perspectives and concerns of youth, but connect the strategy back to the community and how they
affect them personally.
The strategy will focus on events designing and implementation of activities that can involve and
allows more youth to participate in, but for shorter periods of time – requiring less time commitment.
Empowering them on means to form and enhance alliances and partnerships between themselves
and governments, private sector, educational system, NGO’s, churches, sports groups. This will
include, especially, how to develop collaboration, communication and coordination between them
and stakeholders who deal with similar issues.
4.1 Plastic Waste Audit Campaign (PWAC) for recycle of plastic waste
Gutters and drains across the country are chocked with plastic wastes, causing damaging floods
which cause destruction to home, properties and infrastructure such as roads with potholes and
erosion. The members of the Green-Life Clubs will mobilize plastic waste generated in their homes
within a one week period and bring them to school. These plastic wastes will be collected from the
schools and put into a single pool. The membership will also undertake signature collection
campaign within their schools to support the demand greater commitment and political will towards
recycling at least 25% of plastic wastes produced in the country. The collected plastic wastes and
signatures will be presented by a youth delegation to the Ministers of Environment, Local
Government and Education, and the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a
campaign launch. Representatives of other relevant stakeholders such Embassies, NGOs, religious
and traditional bodies will be invited. The collected plastic waste will be given to companies
involved in recycling. Call will be made to the general public not to be throwing plastic waste unto
roads and streets.
4.2 Energy audit and efficiency enhancement campaign (EAEEC)
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Membership of the Green-Life Clubs will undertake one-months community outreach which will
educated both family and community members on energy usage and efficiency and encourage
them to change their ‘onion’ bulbs to energy saving bulbs. Prizes will be given to each member who
will present the cases of an energy saving bulb and an onion’ bulb as evidence of work done for
educational and promotional materials such as pencils, pens, rulers, exercise books and T-shirts;
the grater the number of evidence the grater the prize. Collected cases and ‘onion’ bulbs will be
presented to the Minister of Energy and personnel from Energy Commission, Energy Foundation
and Electricity Corporation of Ghana for destruction in media event.
Awareness – A broad awareness of the campaign, its theme and basic messages among youth
Attitudes – An general acceptance of the campaign messages among youth
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Behavioral intentions – Discernable differences in intended behaviors the youth exposed to the
campaign than that were not exposed to the campaign
Interpersonal communications –Demonstrated increased willingness and commitment to
disseminating information on the issues to others among youth as exposed to the campaign
Current use - Discernable differences in behaviors that can be currently changed, such as
taking the bus, carpooling, using appliances efficiently and other personal contributions
Trends – A development of general trends in attitudes and behaviors, especially among the
targeted audience
Use of Campaigns as Models – Adoption of strategies or specific projects by groups not
included in the strategy, or by groups wanting to adapt strategies or specific projects for
campaigns on different issues and topics and requests for expertise or consultancies
Testing of indicators would be completed by the following qualitative and quantitative methods:
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LOG FRAME FOR 2011
Strategy Expected objective Target group Activity Performance indicator / Evaluation
1. Expansion Strengthen existing clubs and establish Primary, Junior High Correspond with school heads, interact A total of 100 in-school clubs
of Green- new clubs in selected Basic and Senior School and Senior High with students population at school invigorated / established and launched
Life Clubs in High Schools Schools (10 - 25 years) gatherings, correspond with club in the Greater Accra Region within a
schools School heads membership, hold consultation with period of 8 weeks.
School management Club Patrons and School Heads Facilitated a number of intra-clubs
boards Inaugurate of new club executives and actions such as tree planting in each
Parents and membership school
guardians Promote intra-clubs interactions and
actions
2. Capacity Train the Peer Trainers on Climate Change Club Leadership Organize capacity building workshops Organized 4 capacity building
building for Club Membership for club leadership and peer educators workshops in each of the respective
youth Club Patrons (Basic on Climate Change issues Metropolis / Municipality /District before
to Senior High Build capacity of Club Patrons on the commencement of each of the
Schools) Climate Change issues major advocacy campaigns
Organized one-day meeting with Club
Patrons in each of the respective
Metropolis / Municipality
Organized one-day capacity building
workshop for Club Patrons in each of
the respective Metropolis /
Municipality/Districts
3. Information Raise awareness on social, cultural, Local partners Show films / documentaries on climate Documentaries and films showed and
and economic, environmental and political Youth change issues in schools literature shelves established in
awareness issues that contribute to climate change; Family members Establish literature shelves stuffed with schools
campaigns Advocate for recycle of at least Religious, adequate information on climate Three (3) major media-oriented
25% plastic waste in the country. community and change in school libraries advocacy events executed and
Advocate for improved traditional leaders Do presentations and exhibitions at received both local and international
transportation system and support Ministries, PTA Meetings / Speech & Prize recommendation.
alternative transportation methods to the Departments and Ceremonies Engaged relevant stakeholders,
car culture. Agencies of state Lobby and engage with relevant institutions and agencies involved in
Enhance energy efficiency through International partners stakeholders for support and funding the events
energy saving bulbs, reducing wastage and community Organize 3 major media-oriented
of electricity and other domestic fuels. . campaign events.
Ensure conservation and nature Ensure relevant stakeholder’s active
through positive connections of the youth involvement and participation in major
to the environment. events and activities
Mainstream promotions and events,
emphasizing novelty and entertainment.
4 Community Provide concrete actions that everyone in Green-Life Club Peer-to-peer outreach Among peers Within the Tema
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actions the community can take to mitigate the membership Organise adolescent reproductive and metropolis and Ashaiman municipality
effects of climate change Patrons health outreach and counselling clinics For counselling and guidance teachers,
Stakeholders heads of various schools and club
institutions / members.
organisations
Donors / sponsors
Abibimman
Foundation’s
Secretariat
5 Project Provide a module through evidence of Green-Life Club Undertake a baseline study Project evaluated, audited and 100
evaluation successes and challenges membership Undertake an end of project copies of published report distributed
and audit Provide evidence of prudence financial Patrons evaluation.
management Stakeholders Undertake financial audit
institutions / Distribute report to relevant
organisations stakeholders and partners
Donors / sponsors
Abibimman
Foundation’s
Secretariat
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PLAN OF ACTION FOR 2011
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ACTIVITY JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Correspond with school heads, interact with students population at school gatherings,
1 correspond with club membership; Hold consultation with Club Patrons and School Heads
10 Do presentations and exhibitions at PTA Meetings / Speech & Prize Ceremonies, etc
16 Hold stakeholder planning meetings at the District, Municipal and Metropolitan levels
Organize Clean-up Your Community Campaign (CYCC) at the District, Municipal and
17 Metropolitans levels
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