Yara Ghana encourages education, sustainable farming and waste management with its 10,000 School Bags Initiative

Yara Ghana has launched the Yara 10,000 School Bags Project. This initiative will see the distribution of 10,000 school bags produced from used Yara fertilizer sacks to primary school children in farming communities across Ghana. Together with a school bag, each child will also receive a notebook and a pencil. In total, over 40 primary schools across the country will benefit from this initiative. 

Through the 10,000 School Bags Project, Yara aims to emphasise the importance of education in rural farming communities as well as recycling and reusing waste, while shedding light on the importance of agriculture as a valid career choice for the youth. Agriculture is one of the most important industries in Ghana’s economy and education is key to ensure the development of this industry.

Yara is committed to sustainability and the protection of the environment, hence the company is dedicated to lead by example and to inspire the youth to take care of the environment by the proper disposal of waste and recycling.

This project arose through a collaboration with Trashy Bags, a Ghanaian NGO that makes recycled eco-friendly bags and gifts from plastic waste. The organisation employs over sixty employees – predominantly women, often single mothers with limited job opportunities – to collect, clean and stitch discarded plastic products and transform them into fashionable bags and other useful products.

Managing Director of Yara Ghana, Mr. Sergio Godoy, said “Every year, Yara supplies ca. 2 million bags of fertilizer products to villages and farmers nation-wide. As a company, one of our goals is to support Ghana and the Ghanaian farmer, by helping create a long term and sustainable agriculture industry. Young people need to be adequately prepared for the future they will inherit and they must be aware of the crucial role that agriculture will play in community and national prosperity. This is why the 10,000 School Bags Project is so important to us. Through this project, we hope to promote the importance of education, especially in farming communities.”

Mr. Godoy added, “We acknowledge that this project is a drop in the bucket in comparison to what we hope to achieve supporting local farming communities in the long term – this is just the beginning. However, it is our hope that this initiative sheds light on the great need for resources in these areas and in turn spark a wave of even more private sector involvement.”

Yara Ghana’s activities go beyond supporting increased farmer yields. By sharing its knowledge, expertise and passion for sustainability with farmers and their families, Yara aims to sensitise the recipient communities on important environmental issues, the importance of maintaining a sustainable environment, responsible waste disposal and recycling. Godoy emphasised that this initiative hopes to encourage school children to recycle and hopefully spark a recycling culture in the wider community.

About Yara

Yara‘s knowledge, products and solutions grow farmers’, distributors’ and customers’ businesses profitably and responsibly, while protecting the earth’s resources, food and environment.

Our fertilizers, crop nutrition programs and technologies increase yields, improve product quality and reduce the environmental impact of agricultural practices. Our industrial and environmental solutions improve air quality by reducing emissions from industry and transportation, and serve as key ingredients in the production of a wide range of goods. We foster a culture that promotes the safety of our employees, contractors and societies.

Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, today, Yara has a worldwide presence, with more than 12,000 employees and sales to more than 150 countries.

www.yara.com