Kwame (front-left in white) celebrates the launch of the DGM project with the Solidaridad team
Explaining his role, Regional Director for Solidaridad West Africa, Isaac Gyamfi, said Okyeame Kwame will help drum home the impact of climate change and, hopefully, move the public to take responsible action to fight the global phenomenon. Okyeame Kwame will also be instrumental in developing appropriate jingles for the purpose of public education and undertake media engagement and outreach with school children and community people on land use and climate change. He will also promote appropriate interventions for responding to climate impacts in local communities.
“Climate change actually affects everybody, and it should be the concern of all to take appropriate actions toward its fight,” said Director Gyamfi.
On his part, Okyeame Kwame expressed his appreciation to Solidaridad for the opportunity to contribute towards the fight against climate change. He said climate change, if left unchecked, could wreak havoc on the livelihoods of poor farmers as it alters rainfall and affects crop yields. He bemoaned the current rate of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana and called on the media to spotlight this trend as it threatens human survival.
The Chairman of the National Steering Committee of the DGM project, Hayford Duodu, expressed optimism about Okyeame Kwame’s ability to make a difference in the fight against climate change. He said the popularity of the artist in local communities would boost climate awareness and create meaningful impact.
Country Representative for Solidaridad Ghana, Suzan Yemidi, commended Okyeame Kwame for his selfless interest in climate awareness, offering his support on a pro bono basis. She complimented the artist’s respected brand and image and hoped that it could help bring about the change that matters in halting deforestation and improving the livelihoods of local communities.
Director Gyamfi (left) and Ambassador Kwame (right) at DGM project launch event
About Okyeame Kwame
Okyeame Kwame (birth name: Kwame Nsiah-Apau, 1976) is a Ghanaian musician and creative director of exceptional quality who has been inspiring evolutions in the entertainment industry since 1997 when he debuted on the Ghana music scene.
About the DGM Project
The Ghana Dedicated Grant Mechanism project seeks to contribute toward the fight against forest loss and unsustainable land use practices that drive climate change and its associated negative impacts by putting local communities at the forefront.
The project’s objective is to strengthen the knowledge and practices of targeted local communities in the Western and Brong Ahafo Regions in REDD+ processes and sustainable forest management.
The project seeks to achieve this through capacity building in REDD+, climate change, and the provision of demand-driven grants to 52 local communities and community organizations in the Brong Ahafo and Western Regions.
The Climate Investment Fund and the World Bank are key partners of the DGM project, implemented by Solidaridad under the oversight of community representatives, who constitute the National Steering Committee.
Learn more about Solidaridad programmes in West Africa