In a move to merge environmental conservation with youth empowerment, the Oti Regional Minister, Mr. John Kwadwo Gyapong, has adopted 55 Senior High School students from two schools under the government’s “Tree for Life Restoration Initiative.”
The students—25 from Oti Senior High Technical School and 30 from Yabram Community Day Senior High School—have now been appointed as youth environmental ambassadors, tasked with spreading the message of sustainability and climate resilience across the region.
During a meeting at his office, Mr. Gyapong challenged the students to become catalysts for green transformation in their communities by encouraging their families to dedicate land to cash crop cultivation. He highlighted the economic potential of crops like cocoa, cashew, and palm, urging the students to use their vacation periods to actively engage in agroforestry.
“You have the power to shape your future. If you start planting trees and cash crops now, you could become billionaires by the time you reach middle age,” he told the students.
The Minister’s bold call links environmental action to entrepreneurship and long-term wealth creation, presenting tree planting not only as a climate solution but also a pathway to rural prosperity.
The students expressed gratitude for the Minister’s mentorship and pledged to advocate for environmental stewardship among their peers and in their communities.
By involving students directly, the Tree for Life Restoration Initiative in the Oti Region is evolving into a youth-led movement, rooted in the belief that the next generation holds the key to Ghana’s environmental future. Mr. Gyapong’s approach blends civic responsibility with economic opportunity, aiming to plant both trees and ambition in the hearts of Oti’s youth.
