Clean Greater Accra Campaign – Youth Network cleans Glife Beach

The Greater Accra Regional Youth Network has kick-started a Clean Greater Accra Campaign with a youth-led cleanup exercise at the Glefe Gbegbese beach in the Ablekuma West Municipality.

The initiative comes at a time the Government of Ghana has set for itself an ambitious agenda to rid Accra of the choking menace of filth, improper waste management and littering engulfing the national capital.

Youth numbering over 200 joined the exercise as they cleared the beach of plastics, rubbish, faecal matter and litter.

The exercise aimed to foster greater youth involvement in the vision of government, to make Accra, the cleanest city in West Africa.

The youth were also trained on proper waste management practices geared towards attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation

To protect aquatic life of the sea, GARYN took advantage of the day to champion SDG 13 on climate action and SDG 14 on protecting life below water.

The campaign mobilized youth from keep fit clubs and recognized youth groups including Glife Youth Association and Ablekuma boys.

Vice convenor for the Greater Accra Youth Network Florence Agyemang told the media the cleanup exercise will be held on the last Saturday of every month.

She explained: “Accra generates over 3000 tons of filth every day. Our inability to properly manage this leads to all kinds of diseases, floods and a dirty landscape that poses harm to our very selves.”

If the youth are properly educated to take on the task of cleaning the city, we create a culture of ownership of the environment for the good future of the country,” she added.

The initiative has gotten the buy-in of the Foundation for Security Development in Africa (FOSDA), Valley Fresh, the Environmental Office of the Ablekuma West Assembly and the National Network of Youth Groups (NNOYG).