Greener Impact International (GII) is a non-governmental, non-profit making organization in Ghana committed to promoting and complementing the effort of the government in achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs). The main focus of Greener Impact International is eliminating extreme poverty and hunger (MDG..) and also ensuring environmental sustainability.
The staff of Greener Impact International is made up of young Climate Change professionals with extensive experience in creating awareness; facilitating and managing youth oriented Projects towards climate change mitigation and ensuring food security.GII also has an advisory board made up of professionals in the field of environmental protection, forest conservation, food production and financial management. The advisory board provides technical support and establishes a framework for monitoring and periodic evaluation of performance and financial accountability of the activities of the organization.
With a belief in volunteerism as hallmark for the development of every nation, GII has recruited a number of volunteers who help in the execution of its projects. These volunteers who are mostly graduates and students from Senior High Schools and universities in Ghana are recognized by the organization as climate Change ambassadors. The ambassadors receive extensive training through various workshops and seminars specially organized to empower them serve in this capacity.
Climate Change
Within recent years, the world received very strong warnings from scientific studies which indicates that climate change will affect life as we know it if actions are not stepped up to address it. Many extreme weather events and environmental changes experienced within recent years have been linked to climate change.
Here in Ghana, we have experienced significant localized impacts of climate changes including extreme weather events, increased temperatures and sea level rise. On October 26, 2011 an unusual weather system produced high levels of rainfall which resulted in one of the worst flooding ever recorded in the history of Ghana. This flood displaced more than 1000 people and destroying property worth thousands of the US Dollars. Severe droughts in the northern part of the country have also led to migration of young men and women to the south to seek for un-existent greener pastures. These young men and women in most cases end as head potters whiles others who are fortunate end up as house maids.
Our approach to tackling climate change is mainly through Education and Advocacy.
In the area of education, Greener Impact International has established Green clubs in both Junior and Senior High Schools and the purpose is to educate members about environmental sustainability and the role they can play in the environmental protection. GII executives regularly visit member schools to provide them with resource materials for their better understanding on the issue. We believe that, with the knowledge gained, these children and youth will grow to be responsible and become good architects in managing and protecting the environment. In the area of advocacy, GII uses campaigns as a tool to call on the government and political leaders to make policies that are geared towards environmental sustainability. GII also organizes capacity building and training of trainers workshops to reach the broader public.
GII recognizes the need to assist communities already affected by climate change and those vulnerable to these effects and therefore embark on projects that are geared towards adaptation and mitigation. This includes organizing clean-up campaigns to distill chocked gutters and planting of trees.