SUNYANI, the Bono Regional capital, was once renowned for its lush greenery.
Thick canopies of trees stretched across schools, homes and public spaces, creating a cool, serene environment that defined the city's identity.
Today, that defining landscape is steadily disappearing as urban development and indiscriminate tree felling take their toll, leaving many schools and communities exposed to extreme heat and the destructive impact of rainstorms.
The loss of trees has not only diminished the city's beauty but also affected learning environments, with many classrooms becoming unbearably hot while strong winds frequently rip off roofs during storms.
Restoration
It is against this backdrop that ASA Savings and Loans Ltd is helping to restore the city's fading green cover through a tree planting initiative, mainly in schools.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability programme, the financial institution donated 500 seedlings, including fruit seedlings, to two senior high schools (SHS) to help restore the disappearing green landscape of Sunyani and its adjoining communities while nurturing a new generation of environmental custodians.
The schools are Notre Dame Girls' SHS at Fiapre in the Bono Region and Akumfi Ameyaw SHS at Aworowa in the Bono East Region.
The seedlings, comprising mahogany, mango, coconut, orange, tangerine and other fruit trees, are expected to restore degraded lands on the school campuses while providing shade, improving biodiversity and serving as future sources of food and income.
Disappearance of trees
A teacher at the Notre Dame Girls SHS, Felix Donkor, lamented the gradual disappearance of trees across Sunyani, saying the city had lost much of the greenery that once made it one of the country's most beautiful towns saying awareness of young people on the importance of trees was critical.
He said the school had already identified land for the plantation and possessed irrigation facilities that would help sustain the seedlings throughout the dry season.
Beyond beautifying the campus, Mr Donkor said the fruit trees would improve students' nutrition while creating an additional source of income for the school.
Healthy communities
At Fiapre, the CSR and Sustainability Officer of ASA Savings and Loans Limited, Lily Opoku Mensah, said environmental sustainability had become one of the company's key pillars because healthy communities depended on healthy ecosystems.
She said the company deliberately targeted schools because they offered the opportunity to combine environmental restoration with education, empowering students to become ambassadors for climate action.
“Every seedling contributes to cleaner air, reduced temperatures, biodiversity conservation and food security.”
By involving students, we are nurturing a generation that understands the value of protecting the environment," she told the Daily Graphic.
Ms Mensah said the company would continue to collaborate with schools and communities to expand tree planting activities as part of its commitment to promoting sustainable development and supporting Ghana's efforts to restore its degraded landscape.
Protecting the environment
A second-year student of Notre Dame Girls SHS, Sanatu Abdul-Rashid, said although she might not live to enjoy the fruits of the newly planted trees before completing school, she was proud to contribute towards protecting the environment for future generations.
She said students would ensure the seedlings were watered, protected from pests and carefully nurtured to maturity.
At Akumfi Ameyaw SHS, Agriculture teacher, Richard Amponsah, described the donation as timely, adding that the school had ample land to establish a plantation and was committed to ensuring every seedling survived.
He said planting trees was an investment in the future.
