It is time! Two adjoining plots of land in Fiaso are bought, or more precisely, leased. In Ghana the land always remains in the possession of the government, one can only acquire it through a lease contract up to 99 years with the Ghana Land Commission. This lease period can be extended upon expiry.

With a stream adjacent to the land, the site offers optimal conditions for the cultivation of bamboo and thus enables training in bamboo cultivation, care and harvesting on the project site.

Wilfred Dery and representatives of the Bamboo Farmers Association visit various local communities and meet the community leaders to recruit them as project partners. The location for the project has been chosen: Fiaso, a rural community in Bono East Region.

Project coordinator Wilfred Dery organises on behalf of GROW Colourful Ghana e.V. a meeting of the Bamboo Farmers Association to further organise the network of bamboo plantation farmers and to inform about the developments and progress since the last meeting in January 2019. The meeting was led by Mr. Awudu Yakubu and Secretary Yahaya Adam, the leaders of the Bamboo Farmers Association. A total of eleven people from five communities close to the project took part.

A pilot study on the bamboo project in Ghana: local bamboo stocks and their owners are identified and included in the project planning. There is great interest and enthusiasm for the project!

The “Bamboo Farmers Association” is founded, which offers bamboo farmers and other project participants a platform for exchange and networking.

In order to expand the network in the local bamboo sector, we meet with the head of the Ghana office of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), Mr. Michael Kwaku. With his wealth of knowledge and experience in the bamboo sector, he provides further valuable input for the project.