Cape coast: Climate Change Advisors Ghana (CCAG), an Environmental Advocacy Group, in partnership with the Buzstop Boys, a volunteer-driven environmental sanitation group, led a massive clean-up in Cape Coast during this year's Oguaa Fetu Afahye. The intervention reinforced calls for cleaner communities and more sustainable cultural events.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative aimed to heighten public awareness of waste management ahead of the festival, reduce pollution in sensitive water bodies, and promote a culture of environmental responsibility among residents and visitors. The two organizations emphasized that cleaner streets and functioning drains help prevent health hazards, protect local livelihoods tied to fishing and tourism, and ensure a safer, more attractive festival environment.
The operation brought together dozens of volunteers from the Buzstop Boys and community members, demonstrating local commitment to clean public spaces for more sustainable festivals. The exercise began along the banks of the Fosu Lagoon and moved through streets towards the historic Cape Coast Castle. Volunteers collected plastic waste, cleared choked drainage channels, and removed debris that risks blocking waterways and fuelling flooding during the rainy season.
As part of CCAG's support for the exercise, it presented a cash donation to the Buzstop Boys to support their ongoing clean-up activities. Dr. Nana Esi Badua-Taylor, Lecturer, Department of Hospitality Management, Cape Coast Technical University, emphasized the need for environmental responsibility to be incorporated into the planning and execution of public events. Dr. Badua-Taylor, who is also the Project Coordinator of CCAG, called on event organizers and planners to prioritize environmentally friendly products and practices, particularly those that help prevent pollution of water bodies.
Mr. Shafi Mohammed, Head of Administration of CCAG, corroborated her views and called for environmentally conscious sustainability. He commended the Buzstop Boys for their continued efforts to promote environmental cleanliness across Ghana, noting that the group's work had attracted considerable public attention and appreciation, particularly through its social media activities. He further encouraged the leadership of the Buzstop Boys to explore ways of sustaining and expanding the initiative, stressing that the environmental challenges facing Ghana required continued collective action.
Mr. Mohammed also urged the youth of Cape Coast not to view plastic waste simply as rubbish but as a potential economic resource through collection, recovery, recycling, and other circular economy opportunities.