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In  In a quiet corner of Accra’s growing suburban sprawl, dozens of schoolchildren knelt in the dry earth, cradling seedlings and patting soil into place. It was World Environment Day, and at the Bawaleshie Presby Basic School, the future of Ghana’s climate resilience was being gently planted—one sapling at a time.
The tree-planting exercise, organized by Habelle’s Foundation in partnership with Aya Aeifora Solutions, formed part of a nationwide call to action to restore degraded landscapes and raise awareness of climate change. The event brought students, teachers, and environmental advocates together in a modest but symbolic effort to confront Ghana’s mounting environmental challenges.
Each classroom adopted two trees to nurture throughout the school year, with students assigned to monitor growth and care for the seedlings as part of their environmental studies.
“Climate change is not a distant threat. It’s here, and we all have a role to play,” said Dr. Mrs. Leticia Ackun, founder of Aya AeiforaSolutions. “Engaging children is critical. If we teach them now to protect the environment, they’ll grow into adults who will prioritize sustainability.”
The trees were planted around the school park—chosen not only for their capacity to sequester carbon but also to provide shade in an area where average temperatures have steadily risen in recent years.
Before the planting began, students gathered for an outdoor assembly where environmental education took center stage. Founders of both organizations addressed the pupils, linking tree planting to larger issues of land degradation, deforestation, and drought.
 
“We believe that when a child plants a tree, they also grow their understanding of what it means to care for something beyond themselves,” said Miss Hannah Arabella Tachie-Menson, who leads Habelle’s Foundation, a community-focused nonprofit based in Accra. “It’s not just about the act of planting—it’s about cultivating a mindset of environmental stewardship.”
The headmistress of the school, Madam Naa Shormey Nortey, said the initiative had made a strong impression on students.
“For many of them, this was the first time they planted a tree. It was emotional,” she said. “We’re grateful. This event has sparked something powerful—a sense of responsibility.”
Ghana is one of several West African nations experiencing the effects of increasingly erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and soil depletion. Government agencies and NGOs have promoted afforestation as one of several strategies to combat desertification and protect rural livelihoods.
World Environment Day, established by the United Nations in 1972, is observed annually on June 5. This year’s global theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,” underscored the urgency of protecting ecosystems under threat.
Habelle’s Foundation and Aya Aeifora Solutions intend to extend the program to other schools in the Greater Accra Region in the coming months.