00:00These women in northern Ghana are on a mission.
00:03Today, they are heading into the Bachabodou community forest
00:07to check on their newest source of income, beekeeping.
00:11But for these women, beekeeping is about more than just harvesting honey.
00:17It's a way to protect their forest while still earning money to support their families.
00:23For years, many people here cut down trees to make charcoal for cooking or to sell for firewood.
00:31As a result, Ghana has lost a significant portion of its forest cover in recent decades.
00:38According to Global Forest Watch,
00:41the country saw one of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa between 2001 and 2022.
00:49Now, these women are finding new sustainable ways to make a living.
00:55We are cutting down trees for setting fire and then cutting down trees to make charcoal.
01:02Now, through the honey, we get money to protect ourselves.
01:06And then where we get money to protect is when children are in need of money
01:11and you don't have something, you have to go to cut down the tree to make.
01:14And now we get to know that we are getting money from our honey.
01:18Their efforts are not only creating new income opportunities,
01:22but they are also setting an example for others about the importance of protecting the environment.
01:30We are now happy about the honey production because we get money from there.
01:35We no more cut down the trees for charcoal burning, cutting down trees for painting.
01:40Now, our forest and our beekeeping is now making us happy.
01:44Northern Ghana is known for its rich forest and wildlife.
01:48But much of this green landscape is disappearing, mainly due to activities like logging, farming, and charcoal burning.
01:57Still, in places like Iwagu, women are leading the way to protect their environment.
02:04They monitor the forest for illegal logging and encourage people to return to traditional practices that help preserve nature.
02:12One of these traditions is the idea of sacred forests.
02:16These are special areas protected by the community for spiritual reasons,
02:22and women play an important role in maintaining these customs.
02:26This sacred forest is also served as a windbreak to our community.
02:32It helps facilitate in the rainfall, and it also serves as a herbal resource, a source of our medicinal purposes.
02:44Ghana's government has set national targets to protect and restore forests.
02:49This includes programs to plant trees, strengthening laws against illegal mining and logging,
02:56and involve more local people in conservation.
03:00According to the World Bank, reforestation and better forest management can help Ghana achieve its climate and development goals.
03:09Experts say involving communities and highlighting their stories are key to protecting Ghana's forests.
03:16The media is very instrumental when it comes to environmental protection,
03:23when it comes to articulating issues that have to do with issues that affect the environment.
03:30I think the media can play a very vital role in order to keep some of these activities that we
03:36are seeing.
03:37These women are showing that change is possible.
03:40One hive, one tree, and one community at a time.
03:46I find out each other.
03:49That's important.
03:51It may be philosophical музatas.
03:51It may be philosophical, but things that do for us if not because our studios...
03:52...and each other harus of the righteous baÅŸ concepts of the university are making professions on the testing.
03:52...we canhill kind of really FORGAST.
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