Students of Suhum Senior High Technical School urged to take interest in tree planting

The Headmistress of the Suhum Senior High Technical School (SUTESCO) in the Eastern Region, Elizabeth Ama Agyakwa, has asked students of the school to take the centre stage in tree planting.

That, she said, could only be done by educating their parents at home about the need to plant and nurture tree seedlings to preserve the ecology.

Mrs Agyakwa made the call at a tree planting exercise within the school's premises last Friday, May 26, 2023.

The exercise which was organised and funded by ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited in collaboration with the Eastern Regional Office of the Forestry Commission led to the planting of over 200 tree seedlings of different species by the students in the school.

The tree species included acasia, mahogany, nim, royal palm and rain trees.

The event formed part of a nationwide tree planting exercise being undertaken by the company to plant over 2,000 tree seedlings every year.

According to the headmistress, it had become necessary to involve students in tree planting not only to safeguard the environment but also to serve as wind-breaks to protect school buildings especially the roofing from falling during rainstorms.

Mrs Agyakwa said hitherto the exercise, the students had been taught on tree planting theoretically and that the exercise had come to complement what they had learnt.

"Our forefathers lived longer because the trees were there but now that we are cutting them down unnecessarily, people are now dying early because if the last tree dies then we are all perishing", Mrs Agyakwa indicated.

She therefore lauded the company for choosing the school to plant tree seedlings to provide shades for the students.

The Koforidua Area Manager of ASA Savings and Loans, David Amevor said the main purpose of carrying out the tree planting exercise in the school was to help provide shade for them and also beautify the school’s environment.

He said already they had covered the Koforidua Prisons and Suhum Senior High Technical School and would be engaging in similar exercises in other regions of the country.

Mr Amevor said tree planting exercise formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility to support the government's Green Ghana Project.

An official from the Eastern Regional Office of the Forestry Commission, Alex Adonteng advised the school's management to ensure that the tree seedlings planted were nurtured, adding that the Commission  would follow up to ensure that the trees were better taken care of.

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