Maymester 2009
Photo:
The University of Texas at Austin
Destination: GHANA
University of Texas at
Austin School of
Social Work professor
Dr. Dorie Gilbert
stands to left of
Chief Sarpong, joined
by Regional queen
mothers and Maymester
students.
GHANA: COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
University of Texas Maymester students make an impact on restoring the Ghanaian rainforest
As part of the 4-week 2009 Maymester course, Ghana:
Community and Social Development, offered by Dr. Dorie
has increased by 50% over the last ten years, according to
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The main
Gilbert, associate professor of social work, 39 University of
causes of forest loss in Ghana include: timber trade,
Texas students made an impact on restoring the Ghanaian
rainforest. In the village of Agogo, students met Nana
clearing forest for cocoa, and firewood.
The government has taken a series of measures to
Akuoko Sarpong, the Omanhene (Regional Chief) of the
Agogo Traditional Area of Ashanti and participated in the
cope with deforestation, including a ban on all exports of
raw logs. In addition, Ghana has set aside 16% of its total
chief’s reforestation project to counter the environmental
area of forest land for wildlife and plant reserves, and has
devastation brought upon the country as a result of the
destruction of the Ghanaian forests.
restricted logging licenses. However, Chief Sarpong has
taken on reforestation as his personal legacy, devoting his
Deforestation has been a major concern in Ghana for
years. Since 1981, the annual rate of deforestation in
time and resources over the past 15 years to restore the
Ashanti area to the rainforest he once experienced as a
Ghana has been 2% for each year, claiming an enormous
young boy. Sarpong has been praised internationally for
toll through environmental damage and economic
deterioration. Approximately 37% of Ghana's land use is
his tree farm and reforestation projects. The farm, which
forest and woodland. Ghana’s tropical rain forest area is
now just 25% of its original size. The rate of deforestation
currently has over 3, 200 hectares under cultivation,
employs over 200 women, who grow food crops to
enhance their income.
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Since 2007, Professor Gilbert has visited Chief Sarpong
several times as she planned the Maymester program and
improve the health resources available to local healthcare
workers; support e-learning through World Bank programs
recalls the chief’s immense pride in tree planting project.
such as HIV/AIDS education, treatment and prevention;
“Upon entering the chief’s palace for the first time, I was
greeted warmly and then immediately asked if I had noticed
encourage computer competency and literacy; and foster
new entrepreneurial activity like a planned 1,400 hectare
the newly planted trees along the entrance to the village”
Gilbert recalls. This is an excellent example of community-
aquaculture and hydroponics complex (fish and
vegetable farming).
driven development that students not only learn about but
During their visit to the village, Maymester students
participate in firsthand.”
Following the tree-planting, students were received in
toured the Agogo community’s development programs
including the Women’s Training College, one of the village’s
royal fashion by the Omanhene’s court, including the chief’s
governing equal, the regional Queen Mother. Students also
oldest ongoing projects.
In addition to the tree planting, the students operating in
enjoyed a lecture by the Chief followed by a question and
teams implemented eight small-scale sustainable projects in
answer session which touched on his views of local and
national governance as well as the country’s current state
Accra, the country’s capital. These projects focused on
educational development, engineering studies, trade
of affairs.
Chief Sarpong’ Nana Sarpong also utilizes the farm to
practices, and outreach to orphans. Students discussed
their projects on Virgin Radio which was streamed here in
undertake bee-keeping and fish farming. Through Sarpong’s
the U.S. allowing parents and friends of the students to
efforts, the village youth have also started the export of
organic honey to the U. S. In 2008, Nana Sarpong and
listen in live across the Atlantic.
The 2010 Ghana Maymester students will spend the
Citrix Systems, a computer company in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,
were jointly honored by Microsoft at its annual World
spring semester designing the next steps of the initial
projects to ensure the sustainability of the work that was
Partnership conference held in Houston, Texas.
already initiated. Professor Gilbert also plans to have the
The joint award was in recognition of the roles the two
played in creating the first Cyber Sister-Cities Project in
2010 group visit the Agogo village to plant more trees and
assist Nana Sarpong in his efforts to protect the natural
Agogo Traditional Area, the Agogo information and
communications technology (ICT) Center. The Center will
landscape of Ghana. True to the university’s mission, “What
starts here, changes the world.”
Tree Planting
School of Social Work
professor Dr. Dorie Gilbert and
University of Texas Maymester
students participated in a
reforestation project to counter
the environmental devastation
brought upon the country as a
result of the destruction of the
Ghanaian forests.
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