The Coalition for Maternal and Citizens Empowerment (CMCE), and ActionAid-Ghana has been empowering basic school students and residents of rural communities in the Ahafo region with the knowledge and tools to actively participate in climate resilience efforts.

The project is in collaboration with the Earth Observation, Research and Innovation Centre (EORIC) of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) and the Ghana Education Service.

As part of the broader strategy of CMCE and partners to build the capacity of school-based climate clubs on climate change mitigation and adaptation, Ecovista Clubs (Climate Clubs) has been established in some basic schools across Asutifi North and South districts.

The following key activities have been implemented as part of the Empowerment strategy:

Community Farm Radio Program
CMCE organized an interactive farm radio program on climate change and its mitigation strategies in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture.

The program was broadcasted live across 15 community information centres, reaching an estimated 10,000 smallholder farmers with practical information and solutions to address climate issues at the grassroots level.

Capacity Building Training for Ecovista Clubs: In partnership with UENR's Earth Observation Centre, CMCE facilitated a capacity-building and refresher training session for over 300 Ecovista Club members from selected basic schools.

The training focused on actionable climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, enhancing students’ knowledge and commitment to environmental sustainability.

Educational Field Trip to the Bia-Tano Forest Carbon Tower: To deepen understanding through experiential learning, CMCE and partners organized a historic excursion to the Bia-Tano Forest Carbon Tower, the only operational carbon tower in West Africa.

The carbon tower plays a vital role in directly measuring and capturing carbon dioxide emissions, significantly contributing to global efforts to mitigate climate change.

One of the club members, Dari Davis, expressed her excitement and increased awareness from the visit:

“The field trip has greatly enhanced our understanding of climate change adaptation and mitigation. I urge my peers, parents, and community members to take tree planting seriously as a key climate action" Dari Davis, a student stated.

An Ecotourism quiz competition and experience sharing fair on climate change has also been organized for some selected basic schools in the Asutifi North and South districts of Ahafo region.

The competition was aimed at inculcating the knowledge of climate change and its impact on the environment and humans to children in the Ahafo region where the children are mentored to share the information with their peers and parents.

At the end of the competition, Kenyasi No 3 D/A Basic School emerged the winner, with Yawkrakrom, Oseikrom D/A Basic School and Kwahu No 2 placing second, third and forth positions respectively.