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Michael Yao Tomfeah founded the African Reforestation Union in 1989.
The actual ptoject work already started in 1978 as a private initiative.
In that year Michael Yao Tomfeah went to his homeland Ghana together with his wife and noticed the following in his hometown Ho (Volta Region):
He wanted to show his former school to his wife.
The first and second class used to be educated under a tree.
However, the tree that used to be a class room for the children, wasn't there anymore.
Not only this tree was cut down, but most of the others as well.
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"Oh my God, the trees aren't here anymore!
My classroom is gone", called out Michael Yao Tomfeah.
"Calm down", said his wife.
Filled with indignation, he asked her: "Don't you know what this means to me? Just imagine you go back to your hometown and notice that your classroom isn't there anymore.
Let us now go to the school head and ask him where all the trees have gone."
To his surprise, the school head used to be his former teacher, who had educated him under that tree in first class.
The school head was glad to see his former pupil and asked him ans his wife to take a seat.
The traditional greeting took place.
After being asked for the lost trees, the school head explained:
"The reason We let them be felled, is that we wanted to build a school house at a given time. However, at the moment we don't have enough money."
Michael Yao Tomfeah explained that the loss of his class room under the tree shocked him immensely.
"I am also sad", said the head, "because that was my first place of work".
Not only his class room was cut down, but also many forests and trees in the whole region.
In their dissapointment Michael Yao Tomfeah and his wife went to a garden center to buy some trees.
The school head offered the help of his pupils for the plantation of the trees and also to take responsibility for further care and watering of the trees.
Due to Michael Yao Tomfeah's experience in Ho, grew his idea of Reforestation, of Education and of the Fight against the destruction of the rain forest.
In that same year, he lay out the first forests outside of his hometown. In the following years the work progressed foremost in the north of Ghana.
Michael Yao Tomfeah's uppermost goal is to strengthen the interests concerning environmental protection with the people in the various villages.
After all, there is no point planting trees, if they don't get cared for and get watered.
Michael Yao Tomfeah founded the African Reforestation Union in 1989 together with environmental-friendly people and acquaintances,
because it is easier to achieve these goals together in a group.
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