WORK/PROJECT: This project seeks to address very serious and distressed water shortage situation which constantly hit the people of Kasalgu during the dry season. Kalsalgu is, a community located within the Tamale metropolis of the Northern region of Ghana and situated on the Guinea Savanna vegetation zone. The corporate intention of VOLU is to support the people in collaboration with other agencies/stakeholders to find long-lasting solution to the prevailing condition through planting of trees around the only dam that supplies water to the community and other 3 communities, namely Shishegu, Woribogu and Nyerizee. This dam was constructed by the Government of Ghana as support initiative, which has a diameter of about 300 m across. The population of the community is about 2000 residents; occupying just about 20% of the total land area of 6sq.km.

Over 80% of the residents by and large, heavily depend on the only man-made Dam for their daily water needs. Community folks draw water from this dam for their household uses. Likewise, it is the same dam that quenches the thirst of the livestock such as the goats, cattle, donkeys and the like. The people of Kasalgu are generally farmers and mostly depend on this dam for supply of water for their agricultural needs. The existence of this dam has been helping some of the peasant farmers to do dry season vegetable farming.

However, the shoulders of the dam have been left bare which has resulted to its seasonal drying during the harmmattan season. This situation is increasingly being aggravated owing to the effects of the climate change that is being experienced harshly these days. During the perennial water shortage in the dry season women and children usual bear the brunt odf the situation as school importantly have to walk on long distances in search of water. The only panacea to this problem is to undertake massive tree planting of various tree species on the shoulders of the dam.

The land size allocated for this project is about 32 acres (13 hectares). But for this year the target to achieve for the planting is 10 acres. Among the duties to be performed by the volunteers are site clearing, hole digging, carrying of seedlings from one location to the planting site and the actual planting. It is expected that the number of trees to be planted would be about 4500 of various tree species. This project will be carry out in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, the District Assembly and the community folks.

LOCATION: The project community is town located in the Northern region of Ghana where the issues of Climate Change is very paramount to the people and their leaders. The name of the area is Kasalgu as indicated above. The community is part of the Tamale metropolis and is not very far from the commercial centre of Tamale Township. Tamale as well as the project area and for that matter the whole northern Ghana lies in the savannah zone of the country. The dreadful conditions of the environment of the entire northern sector of Ghana called for conscientious efforts to mitigate the situation to avoid no distance catastrophe as a result.  Rudimentary agricultural practices by the people over a long period of time have debasing effects on the social and economic lives of the people ignorantly.

ACCOMMODATION: Accommodation will be provided near the central point of the town in a local school building.

EXTRA INFO: As Kasalgu is a semi- urban community (near Tamale metropolis, about 15 minutes drive away) for this reason,  the following social amenities could easily be accessed by the volunteer during the project implementation period-clinic, mobile phone usage, post office and banking services, as well as electricity  quality drinking water.

EXTRA INFORMATION: The journey from the secretariat (Accra) to Tamale would take about 8 to 10 hours. The distance is about 651km away. Volunteers may decide to go by public transport or private. Whichever choice one makes you are assured of a comfortable ride. Volunteers may choose to go by night or by day.

All volunteers shall arrive 3 days before the commencement of the project and they would be accommodated at our VOLU hostel free of charge. They will be given orientation about Ghanaian culture, the type of food they would eat, the work they are expected to do etc. Aside this, volunteers at liberty and will be encouraged to mingle with the local volunteers and go for sight –seeing as when they deem fit.