The youth of Zopelig-Daborin community in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region as part of commitment to the fight bushfires and restore vegetative cover has sensitized residents on adverse effects of fire.

They have also sensitized them to guard against practices that tend to destroy the vegetative cover and their valuable property.

A visit to the community by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that there had not been a particular case of bushfire recorded in the surroundings, unlike other communities in the district where fire had already gutted several hectares of grazing yards and farmlands.

Mr Christopher Telim, the Patron of the Zopelig-Daborin Youth Association, said in an interview with the GNA, that bushfires had caused devastating effects on the community in the past, prompting them to devise strategies to prevent further negative effects.

According to him, bushfires had contributed to the loss of their animals, and other valuable property, which otherwise could have been avoided.

‘In
time past, bushfires used to be common in our community, contributing to the loss of our animals due to the absence of grass for them to graze, which urged them to travel far distances in search of feed and do not return.

‘Thatch, which is used for the roofing of homes, was always consumed by bushfires, thereby imposing a financial burden on residents who used it for their homes, depriving people who depend on it for their livelihoods,’ he added.

He noted that this necessitated the need for them as members of the community to take matters into their own hands to mitigate the adverse effects of bushfires on the people.

The youth, known for their high spirit in community volunteerism, have contributed immensely to the development of their community, drawing the attention of many stakeholders to their commitment to development.

Among other projects, the youth have mobilised and funded the construction of a bridge to ease human and vehicular movement and drilled a mechanised borehole for dry season farming ac
tivities by the community.

Source: Ghana News Agency