1. Project description

Environmental sustainability challenges pose a serious threat to human and animal life and the environment as individuals and organizations ridiculously engage in illegal mining, burn hazardous substances, and dump waste in the open space and into water bodies, causing flooding and other hazards due to ignorance in Ghana. This project aims to educate communities on dangers associated with environmental injustice at community levels and to create awareness by training 600 religious leaders on eco-education who would intend train others in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The plan of activities is: to mobilize 600 religious leaders as master trainers on sensitization on environmental awareness and justice; organize training on environmental preservation and sustainability; and supervise the master trainers to organize step-down training workshops for their local Assemblies. 

2. Project progress up to now

Ø  The project has chalked good progress since its inception on the 1^st of May 2023. The first task the team embarked on was to zone the Ashanti region (the project area) for the mobilization of religious leaders. Figure 1 shows the zones of the project site.

Figure 1: Map of Kumasi Metropolis

Within these zones, the project team made initial contacts and meet-ups with 500 religious leaders in Kumasi at both the places of worship and at their head offices within the period of 6^th to 21^st May 2023. The leaders of the following religious groups took part in the initial meeting:

a)     Christianity

1.     Pentecostal/Charismatic–Sampled churches are The Church of Pentecost, Assemblies of God, International Central Gospel Church

2.     Orthodox- Sampled Churches are the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church of Ghana, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Anglican Church, and The Seventh Day Adventist Church

3.     Other Christians - Jehovah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Witness

b)    Islam

1.     Sunni

2.     Tijaniyya

3.     Qadiriyya

4.     Ahmadiyya

5.     Shia

c)     African Traditional Religion

d)    Hinduism/Buddhism

e)     Others

Ø  Training programme: The three (3) sessions of Training-of-Trainers (TOT) have been organized successfully. Below are the sample invitation cards sent out to our target religious bodies. Prior to the training activity, data on the knowledge level of environmental issues of the leaders were collected.

The sessions were organized as follows:

1st Session

Date: Saturday, 3rd June, 2023

Venue: Opoku Ware Hall

In attendance: Leaders from the Church of Pentecost, Assemblies of God, Catholic Church, Ahmadiyya Muslim, Shia Muslim, and Hinduism.

2nd Session

Date: Saturday, 24th June, 2023

Venue: Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly

In attendance: Leaders from International Central Gospel Church, the Methodist Church, Qadiriyya Muslim, and Buddhism.

3rd Session

Date: Saturday, 22nd July, 2023

Venue: Prempeh Assembly Hall

In attendance: Leaders from Presbyterian Church, the Anglican Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Jehovah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Witness, Sunni Muslim, Tijaniyya Muslim, and African Traditional Religion

Plate 1: Initial meeting with some leaders of religious bodies

Plate 2: Dr. Bour and Dr. Adu, in a group discussion with the youth leaders from various religious bodies.