Ten Brinke - News Reader

Bamboo plantation - near 3 small villages in the area Tamale / Ghana

Our foundation finances the planting of about 4 ha of bamboo in cooperation with Stichting Barbarugo.
Through the establishment of small plantations and the cultivation of bamboo plants, jobs are to be created in the Tamale region. Bamboo is a grass that grows rapidly in 3-5 years up to a height of 10 - 20 meters. The material is used as a raw material for many things, cardboard, clothing, furniture, fuel ... In the Tamale area it is very dry, so a special type of bamboo is planted there; the plants help to catch the rain better and drip it slowly down into the ground, so that the water wells can fill up; the roots continue to hold the soil so that it does not wash away during the rainy season, a layer of humus is formed, the plants provide shade, the bamboo plantations can even influence the local climate.
Bamboo can be planted on soils where agriculture is not possible due to poor soil quality. The plants can be harvested for about 40 years after the 5-year growing phase. On an area of 1 ha, a previously unemployed person can earn a living for himself and his family for about 40 years. There is great interest among the population and the foundation already has a long waiting list.

Through Stichting Barbarugo, the interested parties receive an interest-free loan for the first 5-6 years for a 1 hectare plantation; after 6 years, the loan is to be paid back in instalments from the sales proceeds in order to be able to invest the money in new plantations.