Green Africa Youth Organization

{{Short description|Ghanaian youth-led advocacy group}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{Cleanup|reason=Please sort out WP:BOMBARD|date=October 2022}}

{{Undisclosed paid|date=November 2022}}

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{{Infobox organization

| name = Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO)

| formation = 2014

| founder = Joshua Amponsem and Desmond Alugnoa

| headquarters = Ghana

| location_country = Ghana, West Africa

| website = https://greenafricayouth.com/

}}

Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) is a youth-led advocacy group based in Ghana. It was founded in 2014 by Joshua Amponsem and Desmond Alugnoa.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2020 |title=Rural Innovation – A Story of Green Africa Youth Organization |url=https://climatalk.org/2020/07/07/rural-innovation-a-story-of-green-africa-youth-organization-gayo/ |website=ClimaTalk}}{{Cite web |last=Suzuki |first=Mayumi |date=2021-07-28 |title=In Ghana, two young men are shaping climate justice for the Global South |url=https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/53751/in-ghana-two-young-men-are-changing-what-climate-justice-looks-like-in-the-global-south/ |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=Landscape News |language=en-US}} The group focuses on environmental sustainability and community improvement.{{Cite web |title=Green Africa Youth Organization: Climate action in Ghana and the Global South |url=https://www.greenzine.org/post/green-africa-youth-organization-climate-action-in-ghana-and-the-global-south |website=The Green Zine}}{{Cite web |title=Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) |url=https://www.worldcleanupday.org/organisations/greenafricayouth-pWY |website=World Cleanup Day}}{{Cite web |last=Yin |first=Millicent |title=Climate Groups in Ghana to gather in Accra to develop Ghana's National Youth Statement on Climate |url=https://fillahouse.net/press-release-climate-groups-in-ghana-to-gather-in-accra-to-develop-ghanas-national-youth-statement-on-climate/ |website=Filla House}} GAYO aims is to inspire young people to participate in climate activism and foster climate leadership in Ghana.{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mayumi |date=29 July 2021 |title=In Ghana, two young men are changing what climate justice looks like in the Global South |url=https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/53751/in-ghana-two-young-men-are-changing-what-climate-justice-looks-like-in-the-global-south/ |website=LANDSCAPE NEWS}} GAYO also provides environmental blogs.{{Cite web |last=Sodeinde |first=Solomon |date=5 March 2018 |title=Africa's top five environmental blogs |url=https://www.dw.com/en/africas-top-five-environmental-blogs/a-42806118 |website=Deutsche Welle}} GAYO established the first Youth Climate Council in Africa to provide climate skills to young people when it launched the council in 2021 in Ghana.{{Cite news |date=25 September 2021 |title=Ghana institute Youth Climate Council |work=Ghana News Agency |url=https://www.gna.org.gh/1.21205235}}{{Cite web |title=WikiForHumanRights Workshop |url=https://ofwafrica.org/blog/wikiforhumanrights-workshop |website=Open Foundation West Africa}}{{Cite web |title=Ghana launches Youth Climate Council |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghana-launches-Youth-Climate-Council-1365478 |website=GhanaWeb}}

Founders

Joshua Amponsem{{Cite web |title=Joshua Amponsem |url=https://earthcharter.org/youngleaders/joshua-amponsem/ |website=Earth Charter}}{{Cite web |title=State & Trends in Adaptation: Governance & Young People |url=http://adaptationfutures2020.in/pdf/GCA_Agenda_1_Oct.pdf |website=Adaptation Futures 2020}} is a Ghanaian climate activist{{Cite news |date=27 January 2021 |title=Ghanaian climate activist wants mandatory climate change education for youth |work=Graphic Online: Ghana news |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghanaian-climate-activist-wants-mandatory-climate-change-education-for-youth.html}} and the Climate Lead at the UN Secretary General’s Youth Envoy office.{{Cite web |title=Joshua Amponsem |url=https://www.bloomberg.org/united-nations-climate-action-race-to-zero-and-resilience-forum/joshua-amponsem/ |website=Bloomberg.com |access-date=2022-10-20 |archive-date=2022-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023104750/https://www.bloomberg.org/united-nations-climate-action-race-to-zero-and-resilience-forum/joshua-amponsem/ |url-status=dead }} Since a young age, he has been assisting climate-affected communities in Ghana.{{Cite news |date=6 November 2021 |title=The hidden truth: Solutions for a youth-driven bioeconomy in Ghana |work=Forests News |url=https://forestsnews.cifor.org/75113/the-hidden-truth-solutions-for-a-youth-driven-bioeconomy-in-ghana?fnl=en}} Being an advisor to the UN Youth Envoy’s office, he facilitated the first UN Youth Climate Summit.{{Cite web |title=Global Youth Call to Action Adapt for Our Future |url=https://gca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GCA-Global-Youth-Call-to-Action1-2.pdf |website=Global Center on Adaptation}} Joshua was one of the speakers{{Cite web |title=Meet our speakers and jurors |url=https://www.climatecrisisff.co.uk/speakers |website=The Home of Climate Cinema}} at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Cheam |first=Jessica |date=1 June 2022 |title=The Global Plastics Treaty: We need speed, standards, scale and teeth |url=https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/the-global-plastics-treaty-we-need-speed-standards-scale-and-teeth/ |website=Eco-Business.com}}{{Cite web |title=Joshua Amponsem |url=https://www.climateinteractive.org/joshua-amponsem/ |website=Climate Interactive}}

Desmond Alugnoa was a farmer in northern Ghana.{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mayumi |date=29 July 2021 |title=In Ghana, two young men are changing what climate justice looks like in the Global South |work=Landscape News - Global Landscapes Forum |url=https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/53751/in-ghana-two-young-men-are-changing-what-climate-justice-looks-like-in-the-global-south/}}{{Cite web |last=Musmanni |first=Gabriela Díaz |date=9 September 2021 |title=Newly formed Youth Advisory Panel to help GCA steer the course of Global Adaptation |url=https://gca.org/newly-formed-youth-advisory-panel-to-help-gca-steer-the-course-of-global-adaptation/#:~:text=D%20esmond%20Alugnoa%20grew%20up,crop%20yields%20and%20water%20availability. |website=Global Center on Adaptation}}{{Cite web |date=30 January 2022 |title=Youth from the Global South reflect on multisolving |url=https://www.multisolving.org/youth-from-the-global-south-reflect-on-multisolving/ |website=Multisolving Institute}} His work started in 2012 with an emphasis on environmental preservation, climate adaptation, and community development.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2020 |title=Rural Innovation – A Story of Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) |url=https://climatalk.org/2020/07/07/rural-innovation-a-story-of-green-africa-youth-organization-gayo/ |website=ClimaTalk}}

Projects and Initiatives

= Sustainable Community Project =

GAYO’s sustainable community project{{Cite web |title=GAYO SEEKS TO RESEARCH AND PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES |url=https://www.thekidsrightschangemakers.org/en/changemakers/green-african-youth-organization-gayo |website=KidsRights Changemakers}} is a community-based waste management project in the South district of Ghana.{{Cite web |last=Clayton |first=Taylor |date=22 Jan 2021 |title=Meet the next generation turning the tide on plastic pollution |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/young-people-turning-the-tide-on-plastic-pollution/ |website=The World Economic Forum}}{{Cite web |last=SANO |first=MAX |date=6 March 2022 |title=Green Africa Youth Organization: Climate action in Ghana and the Global South |url=https://www.planetforward.org/idea/green-africa-climate-action |website=Planet Forward}} The project includes members-led activities such as composting, recycling arts, and producing charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste.{{Cite web |title=Sustainable Community Project (SCP) |url=https://www.climate-chance.org/en/best-pratices/sustainable-community-project-scp/ |website=Climate Chance}}{{Cite news |last=Jean-Gervais |first=Alloh |date=20 April 2021 |title=Cape Coast: Green Africa Youth Organization organizes clean up and waste audit exercise |work=ATL FM NewsRoom |url=https://atlfmnews.com/cape-coast-green-africa-youth-organization-organizes-clean-up-and-waste-audit-exercise/}}{{Cite web |title=20 Youth Organizations Transforming Food Systems |url=https://foodtank.com/news/2021/08/youth-organizations-transforming-food-systems/ |website=Food Tank}}

The project aims to create a zero-waste model for African rural-urban areas.{{Cite news |date=13 January 2017 |title=Should Ghana Ban Plastic? |work=Deutsche Welle |url=https://www.dw.com/en/should-ghana-ban-plastic/a-37122891}}{{Cite web |title=GAYO LAUNCHES CAMPUS ECO-CLUBS |url=https://www.no-burn.org/gayo-launches-campus-eco-clubs/ |website=Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives}}

The project has achieved significant results within the short period of its initiation.{{Cite web |title=Sustainable Community Project |url=https://www.climate-chance.org/en/best-pratices/sustainable-community-project-scp/ |website=Climate Chance}} The project also procured safe water to over 100 women within the Kandiga-Kurugu rural population.{{Cite web |last=Amponsem |first=Joshua |title=Sustainable Community Project: A Zero Waste Motive |url=https://www.frontrunnersinnovate.com/sustainable-community-project-a-zero-waste-motive/ |website=Frontrunners Innovate}}

= Zero Waste Strategy =

GAYO has been working with La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) to implement Zero Waste Accra Project to promote zero waste practices across municipalities.{{Cite news |title=Gayo works with ladma to implement zero waste accra project |work=NewsGhana24 |url=https://newsghana24.com/gayo-works-with-ladma-to-implement-zero-waste-accra-project/}}{{Cite web |last=Magoum |first=Inès |date=9 September 2021 |title=GHANA: A new solid waste recycling initiative in Accra |url=https://www.afrik21.africa/en/ghana-a-new-solid-waste-recycling-initiative-in-accra/ |website=Afrik 21}}

= Sustainable Sanitary Products & Period Poverty =

GAYO partnered with PeriodLink for the menstrual justice movement.{{Cite web |last=Raghunath |first=Ruchita |date=1 March 2021 |title=Artists and Activists: In conversation with Peace Silly on fighting period poverty |url=https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2021/03/01/artists-and-activists/ |website=The Oxford Student}} Both youth-supported organizations raised funds to train women in Northern Ghana to build better careers.{{Cite web |title=Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO): Water4Adaptation and Period Poverty |url=https://uplink.weforum.org/uplink/s/uplink-contribution/a012o00001pU16FAAS/water4adaptation-and-period-poverty |website=UpLink}} The project educated teachers and pupils on menstrual health and period poverty across the upper-east region of northern Ghana.{{Cite news |title=In Ghana, two young men are changing what climate justice looks like in the Global South |work=LANDSCAPE NEWS |url=https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/53751/in-ghana-two-young-men-are-changing-what-climate-justice-looks-like-in-the-global-south/}}{{Cite web |title=Period poverty and menstrual belonging: a matter of climate justice |url=https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanplh/PIIS2542-5196(22)00141-3.pdf |website=The Lancet}}

= Campus Eco Clubs =

GAYO initiated campus echo clubs in Ghanaian universities to educate youth on environmental problems.{{Cite web |last=Marnce |first=Carissa |title=GAYO LAUNCHES CAMPUS ECO-CLUBS |url=https://www.no-burn.org/gayo-launches-campus-eco-clubs/ |website=Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives}} Some of the participating universities were the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the University of Ghana (LEGON), the University of Developmental Studies (UDS), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).{{Cite web |last=Yeboah |first=Yaw |date=15 October 2021 |title=GAYO Eco-Club UG-Legon Campus Chapter Participates in the "Good Food For All Forum" |url=https://ebosafo.com/gayo-eco-club-ug-legon-campus-chapter-participates-in-the-good-food-for-all-forum/ |website=EBO SAFO}}{{Cite web |title=Break Free From Plastic Youth Ambassadors 2021 |url=https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/bffp-youth-summit-2022/ |website=Break Free From Plastic}} The GAYO eco clubs called for drastic action on plastic waste{{Cite web |last=Cheam |first=Jessica |date=1 June 2022 |title=The Global Plastics Treaty: We need speed, standards, scale and teeth |url=https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/the-global-plastics-treaty-we-need-speed-standards-scale-and-teeth/ |website=Eco Business}}{{Cite news |title=GAYO ECO-Club calls for drastic action on plastic waste; break free from plastic |work=ElectionSinGhana |url=https://electionsinghana.com/news/gayo-eco-club-calls-for-drastic-action-on-plastic-waste-break-free-from-plastic/}} as a part of the Zero Waste Strategy.{{Cite news |title=GAYO ECO-Club calls for drastic action on plastic waste |work=Ghana Education News |url=https://ghanaeducation.org/gayo-eco-club-calls-for-drastic-action-on-plastic-waste-break-free-from-plastic/}}

References