Some 30 members of the Vea Community have been trained as Community Fire fighting Volunteers ahead of the Dry Season.
Bush burning is an annual activity across the Upper East Region and despite many attempts by NGOs and public institutions to get people to desist from bush burning, the practice persists, hence the new trend, where Community members are engaged, trained with information and logistics to fight fire cases when they come up.
As the dry season approaches it is expected that some bush burning cases will be recorded and in its quest to ensure that these cases are minimized or curbed, a livelihood improvement oriented NGO, Trade Aid Ghana has partnered with the Ghana National Fire Service to create and train Community Fire Fighting Volunteers in the NGOs operational areas in the Upper East Region.
This year, 2018, Trade Aid conducted a research which revealed that many communities in it operational area and the entire Upper East Region, lack the needed fire fighting skills and are found helpless where there are fire outbreaks in their homes and farms; which sometimes leads to loss of lives and properties.
It is against this background that, Trade Aid Ghana decided to partner the Ghana National Fire Service in the Upper East Region to train Community Volunteers to lead the struggle to end bush burning in their communities and also help fight fire.
The Community Fire Fighting Volunteers also had their mindsets about bush burning being good, also changed.
According to the Project Officer of Trade Aid Ghana, Duti Conrad, one of their key projects is to provide food security tips to community members and to do so, there is a need to educate them on how to eliminate bush burning, and provide safety for all.
“In providing safety for all, there is the need to educate them on the methods of protecting their farms and homes against bush fires. As we all know, fire has no respect for persons or properties. This is why we are working together with the Ghana Fire Services to equip 30 community volunteers in each community to safely guard their respective communities whenever there is a fire breakout. Mind you also that, at the end of the training, certificates will be given to all as community fire fighters.” He said.
The Chief of Vea community, Naba Azubire Thomas II noted that, the initiative will really help his people to realize how dangerous bush burning is.
“Yes it was not in our mind that, such initiative will ever come to our community, therefore, I and the people of Vea Tangabori will embrace this initiative and ensure its implementation.” He said.
Source: a1radioonline.com/ Moses Apiah / Ghana
