Ghana 4H Youth visit OSU as part of “Our Common Home” project
Three young Ghanaians and two adults representing Ghana 4H and YMCA recently spent a week visiting Columbus and experiencing programs that engage youth in agriculture. The visit was a culminating activity of the “Our Common Home” project, inspired by the visit of Cardinal Peter Turkson in 2015 to promote stewardship of the earth, and funded by Ohio State’s Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation, a program researching sustainable food security across the globe. The project has four objectives: Establishing sister gardens, teaching the importance of food security and sustainable agriculture and youth involvement, transcending borders and forming relationships. It builds on the recently established sister city relationship between Columbus and Accra. Fame Makafui Nissi-Brown, 16, and Emelia Naa Adai Ashiley, 16, represented the YMCA in Accra and Theodora Ama Kensema, 15, the 4-H in Ghana. Accompanying the girls were Appiah Kwaku Boateng, founder and executive director of 4-H Ghana, and Reginald Foulkes Crabbe of YMCA Ghana. Led by project leader Dustin Homan, the group visited the Darke County Fair, Global Impact STEM Academy, Columbus City Councilman Shannon Hardin, Greater Columbus Sister Cities International President Tim Sword, Ohio State University (including the Bryd Polar and Climate Research Center), Franklin County Local Food Action Plan and Food Security Initiatives representatives, urban agriculture sites (Highland Youth Garden, Hoover YMCA, Granville High School), and a celebration event at the North YMCA. All came away with ideas on how to inspire Ghana’s next generation around agriculture.