Analysing the impact of GhanaThink’s #CleanAirGhana project and some of its catalysts

Thanks to conversations involving the leaders of the GhanaThink Foundation & Clean Air Fund, the #CleanAirGhana project emerged as a direct response to the severe public health crisis posed by air pollution in Ghana. The core mission of this project is multifaceted: to raise public awareness of the (health) impacts of air pollution, to drive concerted community action, and to advocate for the rigorous enforcement of existing environmental policies, and drive implementation of more solutions. With an estimated 28,000 Ghanaians succumbing to premature death annually as a direct consequence of air pollution, this project is very critical. The project's central tagline, "Be Part of the Solution, not the Pollution," is derived from GhanaThink’s motto: “Less Talk, More Action”, showcasing the forward-looking, action-oriented philosophy of this social enterprise working in the youth empowerment space in Ghana and beyond.

GhanaThink’s overarching mission is to "mobilize & organize talent for Ghana" through a variety of programs, projects, etc. The #CleanAirGhana project is a tangible and powerful manifestation of this mission, channeling the foundation’s established networks and expertise toward a pressing environmental challenge. GhanaThink leverages its pre-existing infrastructure of volunteerism and networking, moving into this advocacy campaign. 

The #CleanAirGhana project framework involves working with 3 distinct groups: Air Quality Champions (AQCs), Social Media Influencers (SMIs), and Community Leaders (CLs). The AQCs provide critical information and data, thereby grounding the advocacy in scientific evidence. The SMIs drive online awareness and education, utilizing digital platforms to disseminate the project’s message to a wider audience. The CLs mostly work offline  spearheading awareness, education, and advocacy efforts within their local communities.

GhanaThink built this project from its established network of community engagement programs. There have been 23+ breakout sessions centered on issues around this project at Barcamps in Ghana, which are free networking forums. #CleanAirGhana also utilizes Konnect meetups, which are smaller localized gatherings - for discussing air pollution and potential solutions. The Tamale Konnect Meetup, for example, has served as a learning environment where attendees learned how to "prevent & fight air pollution" from a mentor. GhanaThink ensures that participants are not just passive recipients of information but are equipped with practical knowledge. 

There are also clean-up exercises, advocacy campaigns and tree-planting exercises that these groups have participated in, led and championed. Aside from these physical activities, the "Clean Air Ghana Ambassadors" WhatsApp Community sustains engagement and collaboration with continuous interaction, exchange of news and resources and facilitating collaboration among advocates across Ghana.

Benjamin Adadevoh: The Digital Strategist

Benjamin Adadevoh is a digital marketing expert and social media manager based in Tema. His professional expertise lies in areas such as data analysis, project management, and digital marketing, making him an ideal candidate to drive the campaign’s online engagement. He currently is the Barcamp Ghana Partnerships Lead, after leading Barcamp Tema for multiple years. He has also been the #CleanAirGhana Tema Community Leader. He participated in a clean-up activity at Laboma Beach which is in line with National Volunteer Day. 

Naomi Kokuro: The Community Catalyst

Naomi Kokuro is a staff of hapaSpace and the founder of EMB Ahenfie, a social enterprise focused on providing health and empowerment training for underprivileged women. She led logistics for Barcamp Kumasi for many years and has been the #CleanAirGhana Kumasi Community leader. She led a team of volunteers to engage at the #scifest2024 event in Kumasi. 

Rahinatu Haruna: The Policy Advocate

Rahinatu Haruna has held leadership roles and volunteered with several organizations, and works with Noni Hub. Since Covid, she has been the Resources Lead for Barcamp Wa. She led several #WaKonnect meetups on #CleanAirGhana, around mobilizing youth for change and contributing to the policy-oriented discussions within the movement.

Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith: The Journalist-Advocate

Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith brings a unique blend of advocacy and media expertise to the #CleanAirGhana initiative. Aside coordinating Barcamp Bolga and other GhanaThink activities in the Upper East region, he is the #CleanAirGhana Community Leader for Bolgatanga. He has used his journalism (A1 Radio 101.1MHz) and documentary photography (North Sight Images) to capture compelling visual narratives, engage communities, and amplify local voices. He also led 3 #BolgaKonnect Meetups in his region, demonstrating his on-the-ground leadership and commitment to educating his community about air quality issues.

The #CleanAirGhana project is growing to ensure that youth in Ghana can more adequately prevent and fight air pollution, as well as advocate for air quality and cleaner air. The project plans to foster a network of journalist-advocates through its ambassador group. GhanaThink is also ensuring its narrative reaches national and international audiences, keeping the pressure on policymakers and raising the campaign’s profile. Engagement with the EPA and other relevant government actors would continue. The various social media influencers, community leaders & air quality champions etc would also advocate for increased budgetary resources and technical capacity to enforce existing regulations. GhanaThink Foundation’s model of leveraging pre-existing networks would also be demonstrated as a scalable and sustainable approach to grassroots mobilization. Through its Komseko program, some social entreprises would also leverage this and be trained for a more massive impact in Ghana and beyond.