TREE AID, an international NGO, which works to reduce poverty, using trees and tree resources, has launched its operations in the country by inaugurating its Ghana Country Office in Tamale.
The inauguration of the Ghana Country Office of TREE AID International, which is based in the United Kingdom with its West African Office in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, forms part of its decentralization and expansion strategy to get closer to beneficiaries of its initiatives.
Speaking at its inauguration in Tamale on Friday, Mr Ludovic Pascal Conditamde, Director of West Africa Operations of TREE AID said "Our mission is to help villages living in the dry lands of Africa unlock the potential of trees to reduce poverty and protect the environment."
Mr Conditamde said TREE AID would and encourage communities to plant various tree species in northern Ghana to help protect and improve the environment by building greater understanding of how best to manage natural resources.
He said it would also work to secure long-term access to natural resources for the benefit of the poor, help communities to become more resilient in the face of drought, and create the means for the poor to invest in the future of their families.
He thanked stakeholders including government agencies, collaborator NGOs amongst others, for their continued support.
Mr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer of TREE AID said planting of trees was a major step towards poverty reduction and attaining food security and called for the support of communities to ensure the success of the NGO's aims.
In a speech read for him, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister commended the NGO for opening a branch in the country, saying, it demonstrates its commitment for a long-term engagement with its stakeholders.
Mr Emmanuel Djagbletey, Northern Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission pledged the support of the Commission towards the cause of the NGO, saying its activities were in line with the mission of the Commission to protect and preserve the environment.