Forty Community Fire Volunteers in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have been trained on how to develop forest and fire management plans to prevent the outbreak of fires on farms and forest reserves.
Farmers in the area, with others in the entire region, often have their crops burnt in the farming season thus making them run at a loss.
This year, for instance, most of the rice farmers lost their large tracts of farm produce as a result of the ritual phenomenon of bush fires.
The training programme, organised by the Rural Initiatives for Self Empowerment-Ghana (RISE-Ghana), and sponsored by World Vision Ghana, was, therefore, aimed at empowering the 40 participants who were made up of 30 males and 10 females drawn from the Yameriga, Gbeogo, Baare and Gbani communities.
They were equipped with the needed skills to effectively plan to prevent, manage their forests and bush fires, so as to help curb the menace.
Speaking at training programme, Mr Awal Ahmed, the Resource Mobilization Advisor of RISE-Ghana, said the programme was in line with the World Vision?s and RISE -Ghana?s strategic objectives of improving the living conditions of children and their families, as well as improving household food security, resilience, health and quality education
He entreated the participants to put into good use the knowledge acquired at the training at their respective communities and to also train others, particularly, farmers, to help mitigate and prevent bush fires that caused hunger and malnutrition.
Mr Fredrick Amoabeng, the Manager in charge of the Talensi District Area Development Programme, said his outfit was well concerned about the wellbeing of children and expressed optimism that the training programme would help improve upon household food security, nutritional status of children, and help improve upon the educational status of children.
The participants were educated on the causes and the effects of bush fires in communities.
GNA
