As part of the Clean Air Month celebration observed every May, the GhanaThink Foundation has intensified its campaign to raise awareness about air pollution through a collaborative project known as “Clean Air Ghana.”
The initiative, implemented under the Foundation’s BarCamp Ghana platform, is supported by the Clean Air Fund—a philanthropic organization that funds projects aimed at improving air quality globally.
The Clean Air Ghana project focuses on educating the public about the dangers and causes of air pollution while proposing practical, community-driven solutions to reduce its impact.
The initiative leverages BarCamp’s established network of youth-focused events across the country to engage and mobilize young people, including in areas such as Bolgatanga. This is according to Patrick Keli Atitsogbui, Online and Marketing Lead at BarCamp Ghana.
“Clean Air Ghana is a campaign put together by the GhanaThink Foundation under the BarCamp Ghana project, in partnership with the Clean Air Fund,” Mr. Atitsogbui explained.
“After discussions with the Clean Air Fund, we agreed to use the BarCamp platform to promote the project, tapping into BarCamp’s model of organizing youth events across Ghana. This allows us to connect with Ghanaian youth—including those in Bolga—to share ideas and network around the theme of clean air.”
Speaking on A1 Radio, Mr. Atitsogbui highlighted that as part of the project, 12 social media influencers and 12 community leaders are being identified and equipped to lead clean air advocacy in their respective regions. While the influencers use digital platforms to spread awareness, the community leaders collaborate with institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drive policy-based interventions.
“In our agreement with the Clean Air Fund, we committed to identifying 12 social media influencers and 12 community leaders—aligned with the 12 locations where BarCamp operates,” he noted.
The campaign also features “air quality champions”—individuals tasked with sharing accurate and relevant information on air quality and its health implications. A core objective of the project, he said, is to help reduce the prevalence of respiratory diseases linked to air pollution, especially in urban and peri-urban communities.
“We want to ensure that respiratory diseases caused by air pollution are drastically reduced,” Mr. Atitsogbui stated.
Despite the project’s early success and support from regulatory bodies such as the EPA, he acknowledged challenges, including the limited availability of expert resource persons and difficulty onboarding social media influencers consistently.
Meanwhile, Mr. Atitsogbui called on all Ghanaians to contribute to the movement by taking positive actions in their communities and sharing their efforts online using the hashtag #CleanAirGhana. He emphasized that collective action is crucial in the fight against air pollution.
“Everyone should be part of the solution, not part of the pollution. Let’s all work together to improve the quality of air in our various communities,” he urged.
This conversation aligns with the ongoing Clean Air Month campaign, which aims to raise awareness and inspire action to ensure a healthier, cleaner environment for all.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1 MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
