August 30, 2020

The Lead Promoter of the Green Oyster Initiative (GOI) represented the team at the 2020 SEED Replicator Workshop, which was held at the Ghana Innovation Hub from August 19-20, 2020. The GOI Team worked on the Replicator workbook on 'Climate-smart innovation in agricultural production and distribution'. The workshop was facilitated by the SEED Team and also witnessed an eloguently delivered statement from the current Ghanaian Minister of Communications, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

July 13, 2020

The first test-run to produce "ecochalks" from oyster shells by the Green Oyster Initiative (GOI) has proved successful. The preliminary viable product from the GOI's M-Oyster Lab shows that it is possible to recycle oyster shells for manufacturing ecochalks locally. One stick of ecochalk contains 100% biomaterials, making GOI’s product eco-friendly... According to the Lead Promoter, cleaner production of the ecochalks fits GOI's sustainable and climate-smart conservation strategy.                       https://greenoyster.wixsite.com/goinitiative/post/new-breakthrough-into-ecochalks-at-sogakope-ghana

July 10, 2020

We are very much delighted to provide a link to a poster by GOI Lead Promoter published yesterday as part of the NbS Digital Dialogues Conference on the theme "What do we mean by successful, sustainable Nature-based Solutions?" The virtual conference with over 500 participants from across the globe was well-organised and moderated by the Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford, UK from 7-9 July, 2020.

​

                            You can access the poster and a lot of other inspiring and resourceful         

                                information from the NbSI:  https://www.naturebasedsolutionsoxford.org/nbs-

                               digital-dialogues/

Abstract: "Oysters are spectacularly charismatic species that provide immense food, livelihood and ecobenefits in the estuary of the Volta River in Ghana and some coastal world regions. Yet, extreme climate change combines with high utilisation of toxic chemicals to alter ecosystem services by 70%, leading to reduced oyster population, ecological job loss, extreme poverty and migration. In response, Green Oyster Initiative integrates eco-entrepreneurial model (EEM) into oyster conservation as a sustainable nature-based solution (NbS). This paper explores the challenges, prospects and opportunities associated with a promising NbS start-up in delivering all the 17 SDGs overtime. New options for enabling NbS to intervene in climate and COVID-19 crises, and to facilitate socio-ecological improvements are highlighted to stimulate future research and understanding."

June 28, 2020

GOI has clear record and idea of the communities where it is co-working to promote oyster conservation. The following communities are already listed: Sogakope, Ada, Sokpoe, Agorme, Tadze, Agordome, Nutekpor and Agorta. We are re-mapping and need citizens to be central part of the mapping processes. If you are living in the estuary and think that your community must be included in the Volta River Oyster Conservation Areas (VROCA), then write to us and we will get in touch. For a community to be included in the VROCA, we expect that at least 10 Oyster Divers are living in the community. If the Oyster Divers are less than 10, the community will still be recognised but for the purposes of networking and coordination, the Oyster Divers would have to join their counterparts in the nearby community. To submit a community, give us your full name, name of the community and the names of ten other Oyster Divers known to you. For further information contact us at greenoyster@outlook.com

June 16, 2020

Having successfully piloted student membership program, we are excited to hire two undergraduate students to join our team for the period 2021-2022. The Student Team Members will work remotely until lockdown restrictions are fully lifted when you can occasionally meet us face-to-face. We expect the following:

     - demonstrate strong interest and knowledge in volunteerism, social innovation and SDGs.

     - confident and skillful in using social media to communicate appropriately.

     - ready to learn, take instruction and be creative.

     - currently in the 2nd or 3rd year of a public university located in Ghana.

     - current studies and your future career goals fit what we are doing at GOI.

     - CV (max 2 pages) and cover letter (200 words max).

     - be available and willing to join the team in January 2021.

June 08, 2020

GOI Team participated in the SEED online workshop series, which was held from May 06 - June 03, 2020. The workshop was aimed at "Supporting the resilience of eco-enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic". Among relevant thematic issues, tools and solutions discussed, the GOI Team found 'getting digital' and 'funding strategies' very useful and timely. As the Lead Promoter of the GOI noted, the workshop rekindled and motivated the team to review and integrate new tools and innovations to promote digital and financial inclusions among vulnerable groups at the grassroots. By closely working with the local communities, groups and partners, the GOI is working to empower oyster divers, women and girls on how to profitably use digital services to boost both marketing and biodiversity information sharing while recovering from COVID-19 pandemics and climate crisis. 

May 29, 2019

​The Lead Promoter of the Green Oyster Initiative participated in the 2019 Africa Climate Week organised by the United Nations in partnership with other organisations and central governments. The event was held from March 18-22, 2019 in Accra. According to him, the 2019 Africa Climate Week was one of the most successfully organised events in recent times to engage diverse actors and citizens in the subject of climate change across the continent. While narrating the devastating impact of climate change on oyster ecosystems, he reiterated the need to organise similar event at the national levels to  drive the messages of climate change to reach wider audience on the continent. Action against climate change is now.

June 10, 2018

The Green Oyster Initiative participated in the Final Evaluation Workshop organised by the Switch-Africa Green (SAG-SEED) in Accra from June 11-12, 2018

May 20, 2018

The Green Oyster Initiative immensely benefited from the Seedbeds of Transformation Conference, which was held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa from 9-11 May, 2018. The theme of the conference was 'Seedbeds of transformation: the role of science with society and the SDGs in Africa'. The Initiative was represented at the conference in PE by the Lead Promoter.

April 12, 2020

We are very much delighted to provide a link to a poster by GOI Lead Promoter published yesterday as part of the NbS Digital Dialogues Conference on the theme "What do we mean by successful, sustainable Nature-based Solutions?" The virtual conference with over 500 participants from across the globe was well-organised and moderated by the Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford, UK from 7-9 July, 2020.

​

                            You can access the poster and a lot of other inspiring and resourceful         

                                information from the NbSI:  https://www.naturebasedsolutionsoxford.org/nbs-

                               digital-dialogues/

Abstract: "Oysters are spectacularly charismatic species that provide immense food, livelihood and ecobenefits in the estuary of the Volta River in Ghana and some coastal world regions. Yet, extreme climate change combines with high utilisation of toxic chemicals to alter ecosystem services by 70%, leading to reduced oyster population, ecological job loss, extreme poverty and migration. In response, Green Oyster Initiative integrates eco-entrepreneurial model (EEM) into oyster conservation as a sustainable nature-based solution (NbS). This paper explores the challenges, prospects and opportunities associated with a promising NbS start-up in delivering all the 17 SDGs overtime. New options for enabling NbS to intervene in climate and COVID-19 crises, and to facilitate socio-ecological improvements are highlighted to stimulate future research and understanding."