Accra, June 19, GNA – The Vodafone Ghana Foundation has planted over150 trees of various species to commemorate World’s Awareness Sickle cell Day at the Accra Zoo.
The exercise was done in partnership with Planet of Africa Relief Foundation, Medical Reformers, the Govind Narain Srivastava (G.N.S) Foundation and Vantage to Medical Foundation, which is made up of doctors who serve at the Vodafone health line medical call centre, Forestry Commission, Medley Montessori School and Accra Zoo, Achimota.
It was part of the foundation’s contribution to the Green Ghana Project, initiated by the Forestry Commission, for Ministry of Lands and Natural Resource, to plant five million trees nationwide to restore the country’s depleted forest cover.
Reverend Amaris Nana Adjei Perbi, Lead for Vodafone Ghana Foundation, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the day was to celebrate staff and celebrities born in June, therefore the team came together to celebrate with MzVee (musician) and Nana Gyasi Owusu ( an actor in the Makola verses Kejetia series).
“Today we assemble here as part of the Green Ghana Agenda to plant 4000 trees that will groom the environment and the ecosystem of Ghana and also the biggest botanical garden as tourist site in the country”, he said.
He said they were constructing a digital park called Vodafone WiFi Park, which tourists would browse with free internet, access history and backgrounds of the various trees planted.
Madam Sandra Ayivor, Executive Member, G.N.S Foundation, said as today marked the Worlds Sickle Cell day, it had become a huge platform to educate Ghanaians on the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for patients.
She disclosed that the disease was caused by red blood cells (RBCs) becoming sickle/crescent shaped, thus causing frequent infections, swelling in the hands and legs, pain, severe tiredness, and delayed growth or puberty.
She reiterated that the testing of blood groups should be treated with importance to avoid mistakes when ready for procreation.
Madam Ayivor said the Vodafone Ghana Foundation initiative to plant trees was in line with their goals, disclosing that, her team also planted trees at the Sickle Cell clinic at Korle-Bu for fallen heroes but “today’s exercise was to honor those who had passed on through the disease.”
She revealed that the team will follow up on the trees planted and watered to see it grow.
Madam Ayivor said previously, sickle cell could not be treated, hence there was high death rate, but now, there is hope for treatment but was very costly.
“We cannot fight it alone, so stakeholders and the public should all get involved, we should not wait for Government because we are the Government, we should rise and drive this Agenda in our little communities to make the country a better place for all,” she added.
Sickle cell crisis is a painful episode that occurs in people who have sickle cell anemia.
It happens when sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) block blood vessels, thereby making it difficult for blood and oxygen to get to the tissues.
GNA