UP NEXT

WE SAT DOWN WITH ALBERT TUCKER, CHAIR OF THE KARMA FOUNDATION, AND ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS THOUGHTS AND HOPES FOR THE FOUNDATION’S FUTURE.

Do you have any standout moments from the last year?

The foundation supported 2 young women to go to university (making it 4 total). This has given immeasurable inspiration to the parents and young girls in the community.

The completion of the school in Segbwema Village is huge! Having a well-equipped building that is designed for children, with classrooms for different age groups and a working toilet all goes a long way towards providing a stable learning environment for students and teachers alike.

What are your worries for the year ahead?

The foundation has supported the community with a truck to enable affordable and accessible transport for goods from the community to main markets where they will receive an uplift in income and generate income for their own programme of activities. This needs to be managed very carefully to ensure the targets they have set are met.

The cost of living crisis is very real in the communities and the challenge will be to ensure the communities continue to develop through sustainable means. The lack of electricity and access to materials e.g.

technology, computers etc for the schools and business is a concern for the communities dayto-day operations. There is a need to grow the agroforestry activities and for more direct resources to the communities in the front-line of protecting and growing the forests sustainably.

What would you like to be celebrating from the communities this time next year?

• A successful proof of concept of the transport and agriculture business would be a great achievement.

• To start work on electric transportation and hubs in the communities would be another great milestone.

• Securing resources and starting to implement a sustainable agroforestry programme.

• More children going on to further education.

• Supporting Chief Kadie to complete what her husband started.