On the 5^th of March, a day before the celebration of Ghana?s 59^th Independence day, Green Africa Youth Organization partnered with Seafront Environment to organize a clean-up exercise along the Baakano lagoon in Cape Coast.

This was yet another volunteering opportunity for youth within the community who are concerned with environmental sanitation. The clean-up exercise commenced around 7 am in the morning with leaders from each of the organizing groups leading volunteers to collect trash that has found its way to the beach and banks of the lagoon.

It was a tiring exercise – we walked almost 2 kilometres and gathered about 15 kilograms of waste – mostly plastic bowls and bottles. Plastics pose a huge threat to coastal organisms thus, very important for such exercise to be carried out frequently.

Comparing this exercise to a similar one we organized in 2014, there has been a variation in the quantity and composition of waste disposed at the beach. In our previous clean up and education program, we gathered over 50 kg of waste – mostly polythene bags, plastics, food leftovers, baby diapers, tissue papers, clothing, spoilt furniture, and other domestic items.

This change in waste composition and quantity inspires us to carry on with our environmental outreach events. We will work hard to protect the ecological health of ecosystems and the health of humanity.