Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration

Blessing is the  2 year old Grandson of Norbert Akolbila and his Wife Elizabeth Akolbila. Norbert is a Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) Champion and Executive Director of Movement for Natural Regeneration (MONAR). MONAR is an environmental Non-governmental Organization (NGO) based in Bolgatanga of Northern Ghana and dedicated to the promotion of FMNR.

Blessing’s parents, Christopher Pubeng and Edina Akolbila (Norbert’s daughter) decided to let Blessing stay with his grandparents for a while. It has been an exciting time for the young boy. Norbert goes with Blessing and other children to an ebony tree on his farm to pick fruits. The fruit of this ebony tree actually fed  Norbert s when he was a child, over 50 years ago. Blessing is “too happy” to have the fruits to eat – the photo speaks for itself. Norbert is not only passing on the tree, but the experience of picking fruits to his children and grandchildren. As a result, the children are always happy to join him and observe how he does the pruning of shrubs and tree stumps to grow into big trees within the family farm. Norbert remarks “imagine the harm my parents would have done to me, my children and grandchildren if they had cut down this tree at its young age for fuel wood”.