Environment & Sustainability
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When the Rain Doesn’t Come: Small Farmers Battle Climate Change
By Jasmine Wa, Upper West Region — For 60-year-old farmer Alhaji Iddrisu, the sky used to be a dependable clock. By early May, the rains would arrive — nourishing his maize and groundnut fields in the village of Wechiau. But this year, like many before, the clouds gathered and passed. No rain. No crops. No income. “I planted twice,” he says, staring at a cracked patch of land. “The seeds died both times. Now, I have nothing.” Across Ghana, especially in the northern savannah regions, climate change is no longer theory — it’s daily life. And for the country’s smallholder farmers, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A Fragile Backbone Smallholder…
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Farming Dreams in the City: Urban Gardens Feeding Families
By Kwame Accra, Ghana — Nestled between a concrete wall and a mechanic’s workshop in the densely populated neighborhood of Alajo, rows of green lettuce, okra, and tomatoes sway gently under the morning breeze. There’s no farmland in sight, no tractor — just makeshift containers, old rice sacks, and plastic bottles arranged on wooden planks. This unlikely farm belongs to 45-year-old Patience Anokye, a single mother of three and a seamstress by trade. Two years ago, the pandemic slashed her client base and income. But she turned to a skill she had nearly forgotten — farming. “I was raised in the village where we grew our own food,” she says.…
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Selling Sunshine: How Ghana’s Solar Pioneers Are Changing Lives
By Abena Navrongo, Upper East Ghana — On a dusty patch of land near the edge of town, a cluster of shiny panels glistens under the scorching midday sun. Nearby, a group of young women assemble solar lanterns in a small container workshop. For many in this remote community, this isn’t just a project — it’s power, progress, and a paycheck. “I never thought light would come from the sky,” says 19-year-old Fatimata, who now earns ₵250 a month assembling solar kits. “But now, the sun gives us work — and light.” In a country where access to electricity remains uneven, solar entrepreneurs are transforming lives — one rooftop, one…
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Ghana’s Trash Problem: One Woman’s Fight Against Plastic Waste
By Chris Accra, Ghana — In the heart of Madina Zongo, a narrow footpath winds between makeshift kiosks and food stalls. A foul smell lingers in the air. Below the path, a drainage canal is choked with discarded sachet water bags, plastic bottles, and black polythene. It’s a common sight in Ghana’s urban neighborhoods — but one woman is trying to change that. Meet Felicia Owusu, a 38-year-old sanitation crusader who has turned her frustration into action. With a reflective vest, broom in hand, and an ever-present megaphone, she leads a community clean-up every Saturday, shouting: “If you eat, bin it! If you drink, don’t drop it!” She’s not a…
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Cooking With Charcoal: The Cost of Not Going Green
By Nene Kasoa, Central Region — The sound of sizzling stew fills the small compound as Esi Darko fans the glowing charcoal in her clay stove. A mother of four, she starts cooking every day before dawn. Firewood is too smoky, gas is too expensive. So, like millions of Ghanaians, she relies on charcoal. “This is what I can afford,” she says. “Gas is faster, yes — but one refill costs me more than two weeks of food.” Across Ghana, charcoal remains the primary cooking fuel for over 35% of households, especially in peri-urban and rural communities. But the true cost of this widespread dependence is much higher than the…