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Maymester 2009The University of Texas at Austin

Photo:University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work professor Dr. Dorie Gilbert stands to left of Chief Sarpong, joined by Regional queen mothers and Maymester students.

GHANA: COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTUniversity of Texas Maymester students make an impact on restoring the Ghanaian rainforest

As part of the 4-week 2009 Maymester course, Ghana:

Community and Social Development, offered by Dr. Dorie

Gilbert, associate professor of social work, 39 University of

Texas students made an impact on restoring the Ghanaian

rainforest. In the village of Agogo, students met Nana

Akuoko Sarpong, the Omanhene (Regional Chief) of the

Agogo Traditional Area of Ashanti and participated in the

chief’s reforestation project to counter the environmental

devastation brought upon the country as a result of the

destruction of the Ghanaian forests.

Deforestation has been a major concern in Ghana for

years. Since 1981, the annual rate of deforestation in

Ghana has been 2% for each year, claiming an enormous

toll through environmental damage and economic

deterioration. Approximately 37% of Ghana's land use is

forest and woodland. Ghana’s tropical rain forest area is

now just 25% of its original size. The rate of deforestation

has increased by 50% over the last ten years, according to

the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The main

causes of forest loss in Ghana include: timber trade,

clearing forest for cocoa, and firewood.

The government has taken a series of measures to

cope with deforestation, including a ban on all exports of

raw logs. In addition, Ghana has set aside 16% of its total

area of forest land for wildlife and plant reserves, and has

restricted logging licenses. However, Chief Sarpong has

taken on reforestation as his personal legacy, devoting his

time and resources over the past 15 years to restore the

Ashanti area to the rainforest he once experienced as a

young boy. Sarpong has been praised internationally for

his tree farm and reforestation projects. The farm, which

currently has over 3, 200 hectares under cultivation,

employs over 200 women, who grow food crops to

enhance their income.

Destination: GHANA

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Tree Planting

School of Social Work professor Dr. Dorie Gilbert and

University of Texas Maymester students participated in a reforestation project to counter

the environmental devastation brought upon the country as a

result of the destruction of the Ghanaian forests.

Since 2007, Professor Gilbert has visited Chief Sarpong

several times as she planned the Maymester program and

recalls the chief’s immense pride in tree planting project.

“Upon entering the chief’s palace for the first time, I was

greeted warmly and then immediately asked if I had noticed

the newly planted trees along the entrance to the village”

Gilbert recalls. This is an excellent example of community-

driven development that students not only learn about but

participate in firsthand.”

Following the tree-planting, students were received in

royal fashion by the Omanhene’s court, including the chief’s

governing equal, the regional Queen Mother. Students also

enjoyed a lecture by the Chief followed by a question and

answer session which touched on his views of local and

national governance as well as the country’s current state

of affairs.

Chief Sarpong’ Nana Sarpong also utilizes the farm to

undertake bee-keeping and fish farming. Through Sarpong’s

efforts, the village youth have also started the export of

organic honey to the U. S. In 2008, Nana Sarpong and

Citrix Systems, a computer company in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,

were jointly honored by Microsoft at its annual World

Partnership conference held in Houston, Texas.

The joint award was in recognition of the roles the two

played in creating the first Cyber Sister-Cities Project in

Agogo Traditional Area, the Agogo information and

communications technology (ICT) Center. The Center will

improve the health resources available to local healthcare

workers; support e-learning through World Bank programs

such as HIV/AIDS education, treatment and prevention;

encourage computer competency and literacy; and foster

new entrepreneurial activity like a planned 1,400 hectare

aquaculture and hydroponics complex (fish and

vegetable farming).

During their visit to the village, Maymester students

toured the Agogo community’s development programs

including the Women’s Training College, one of the village’s

oldest ongoing projects.

In addition to the tree planting, the students operating in

teams implemented eight small-scale sustainable projects in

Accra, the country’s capital. These projects focused on

educational development, engineering studies, trade

practices, and outreach to orphans. Students discussed

their projects on Virgin Radio which was streamed here in

the U.S. allowing parents and friends of the students to

listen in live across the Atlantic.

The 2010 Ghana Maymester students will spend the

spring semester designing the next steps of the initial

projects to ensure the sustainability of the work that was

already initiated. Professor Gilbert also plans to have the

2010 group visit the Agogo village to plant more trees and

assist Nana Sarpong in his efforts to protect the natural

landscape of Ghana. True to the university’s mission, “What

starts here, changes the world.”