SANATU ZAMBANG STUDIOS (Podcast)

Forests play a vital role in preventing global warming and building sustainable societies. So the need to protect and develop them can never be stressed enough. Japan's substantial forests make it a notable example. In brief, that is the message of the government report on forests and forestry released last week. The white paper, the first to be prepared under the Forest and Forestry Basic Law that took effect last July, points out various problems, including financial ones, that stand in the way of forest conservation. The government has its work cut out: fleshing out the basic program approved by the Cabinet last October. Forests have a variety of functions, including land conservation, securing of water sources, control of climate change, and creation of natural environs essential to human existence. The law gives new value to these "multifunctional" forests with a view to achieving harmony between them and society. There is a hard lesson to be learned ...

The Day of Arafah (Arabic: يوم عرفة) is an Islamic Holy Day, in which the verse of the Qur'an was revealed which explained that is said that the religion had been perfected. The Day falls on the 9th day of Dhul Hijja (ذو الحجة) of the lunar Islamic Calendar . This happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the month of Ramadan . It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and the day after is the first day of the major Islamic Holiday of Eid ul-Adha . At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafa and the Plain of Arafa. It was from this site that Muhammad SWA gave his famous Farewell Sermon in his final year of life.There are numerous virtues claimed for the 9th of Dhu ’l-Hijjah which is known as yawm al-‘Arafah. This is the day where the pilgrims assemble on the plain of ‘Arafah to complete one of the essential rituals of the Hajj. It is claimed that this is the day the religion was per...

Rice farmers in three northern regions of Ghana will now have access to additional funding, thanks to the newly launched $75 million fund secured by the SNV Netherland Development Organisation. The $75million fund which SNV acquired from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (FinGAP) will help to boost commercial rice production locally. FinGAP is a five-year funding intervention programme set up by the USAID to facilitate support for rice, maize and soya production. It was created to address constraints that restrict the development of commercial agriculture. Since it launched, it has provided funding for 1,700 farmers and processors, with rice manufacturers the major benefactors. Northern Ghana contributes up to 80% of the Ghana food basket and for the local market, comprising of major crops like yam, cassava, maize, millet, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, beans etc, while livestock species produced cat...

Rice is one of the world's most important basic foods for about half of the world's population and provides a source of livelihood to about two billion people worldwide. Rice has become the second most important staple food after maize in the Ahafo Ano North District of Ashanti and Ghana as a whole. Its consumption therefore keeps increasing as a result of consumer habits, ceremonial events and population increase. The rice industry is one sector that has suffered the brunt of importation. The sector over the years has been made to compete with imported rice, thus pushing local rice farmers out of business. According to the National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS 2009) nearly 80% of local rice is produced under lowland conditions by small scale rice farmers in Ghana making it inadequate for the consuming public. Thus, strengthening of domestic rice production and distribution system of the cereal with market competitiveness is an urgent and critical issue...

More than 60 researchers drawn from Ghana, Burkina-Faso, Togo, Cameroon and Germany, have converged at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale for the 2014 Summer School to discuss common areas of research. During the five-day Summer School, the researchers would discuss research findings on challenges in West African Urban Agriculture, and to suggest ways of improving urban food. The focus of the summer school is on UrbanFoodplus, which is an African-German partnership, and is financed by the German Ministry for Education and Research. UrbanFoodPlus is a multi-disciplinary network of German-African and international scientists, private sector representatives and stakeholders, aimed at developing site-specific, farmer-tailored innovations for improved agricultural production, food safety and value chains. Professor Haruna Yakubu, Vice Chancellor of UDS, who opened the school in Tamale on Monday, underscored the importance of research to the soc...

Civilization began with agriculture. When our nomadic ancestors began to settle and grow their own food, human society was forever changed. Not only did villages, towns and cities begin to flourish, but so did knowledge, the arts and the technological sciences. And for most of history, society's connection to the land was intimate. Human communities, no matter how sophisticated, could not ignore the importance of agriculture. To be far from dependable sources of food was to risk malnutrition and starvation. In modern times, however, many in the urban world have forgotten this fundamental connection. Insulated by the apparent abundance of food that has come from new technologies for the growing, transportation and storage of food, humanity's fundamental dependence on agriculture is often overlooked. The upcoming World Food Summit serves as an important opportunity to reconsider the fundamental importance of agriculture - and the degree to which the global ...

A project to improve the productivity, incomes and livelihoods of about 20,000 smallholder legume farmers in Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions has been launched. The three-year project dubbed: “Enhancing Soil Health in Northern Ghana: Inoculants Production, Distribution and Utilization through Private-Public Partnership”, seeks to address low soil fertility, high cost of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, lack of production facility for rhizobium inoculants amongst others. The $999,205 project, which ends in December 2016, is being implemented by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR –SARI) based at Nyankpala, in the Northern Region, with sponsorship from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Under the project, scientists at CSIR-SARI would disseminate the technologies in inoculants production to smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in the legumes industry in the three r...

The Northern Region is much drier than southern areas of Ghana, due to its proximity to the Sahel, and the Sahara. The vegetation consists predominantly of grassland, especially savanna with clusters of drought-resistant trees such as baobabs or acacias. Between May and October is the wet season, with an average annual rainfall of 750 to 1050 mm (30 to 40 inches). The dry season is between about N ovember and April. The highest temperatures are reached at the end of the dry season, the lowest in December and January. However, the hot Harmattan wind from the Sahara blows frequently between December and the beginning of February. The temperatures can vary between 14°C (59°F) at night and 40°C (104°F) during the day. Months of inadequate household food provisioning has been defined as the time between stock depletion and the next harvest (Bilinsky and Swindale, 2007). It is usually used as a measure of food insecurity in a highly subsistence-oriented area where producti...

A research conducted by Civil Society Coalition on Land (CICOL) last year, revealed that women in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions have low access to land and no secure tenure. Despite this, about 80 per cent of women from these three regions are engaged in small scale farming as means to sustain the livelihoods of their families. Mrs Lillian Bruce, CICOL National Coordinator disclosed this at Wa during a one day workshop for women on securing land tenure security for small holder farmers in the Upper West Region. The objective of the workshop which was organized by Better Life and Trust Foundation (BeLT Foundation) was to improve women access, control and secure tenure on land in the face of large scale acquisition of land in the three northern regions. Mrs Bruce mentioned the UN Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure of Governance on Land, Forestry and Fishery and the AU Framework on Land Governance as some of the international instruments championing wome...

WHO IS TO BLAME Africa is so dark sometime I wonder is it an illusion or dream, having lost track of days weeks and years, time become so manliness   to a point I have lost the torch of reality. Blaming those sitting on mountains, he blames those walking down the streets, stand in front of the mirror then ask that man in the mirror to change is mentality, ‘‘achievements benefiting others is supreme’’ By    Abdul Raafi Mohammed    (King Julia II)   Abdulrafiu27@gmail.com   @rafiu_abdul on tweeter   +2336221777/+2332630779

WHO IS TO BLAME Africa is so dark sometime I wonder is it an illusion or dream, having lost track of days weeks and years, time become so manliness   to a point I have lost the torch of reality. Blaming those sitting on mountains, he blames those walking down the streets, stand in front of the mirror then ask that man in the mirror to change is mentality, ‘‘achievements benefiting others is supreme’’ By    Abdul Raafi Mohammed    (King Julia II)   Abdulrafiu27@gmail.com   @rafiu_abdul on tweeter   +2336221777/+2332630779

QUEST FOR POWER The wars we have caused have drained too much blood, schemes, hatred is killing, the earth is weeping shore. Failing the peace we pledge the dry bones and hot blood. They glance beyond the skies, see what we have done, we are so confused, our problems getting more complicated. When our mission is simple. One love By    Abdul Raafi Mohammed    (King Julia II)   Abdulrafiu27@gmail.com

Look he is struggling with broken wings trying to fly, impossible! He identifies opportunities even if is it dressed in over rolls. Sensitive indeed, a bird in need, like a bird indeed a bird. Please I pity him, nothing in him is valuable, just a piece of mental scrap in my area, forgetting we get diamonds from mud, what a shame, my eyes were wide open but could not see. A step at a time with caution, a predator in a form of a chameleon that was his method. How was I to know Excellent! Bravo! He may achieve he will succeed. Sorry I never believed in you. Never he said when but was sure

THE MESSAGE The light Africa is searching for, the voice Africa needs, the rain Africa is waiting for, constant as the northern sun, only time moves me, flesh and blood if you care to know, fixed like a star, and the sky is painted with the ocean, truly irreplaceable. One step at a time and you will see the face behind that image. Panic not, despair don’t. Describe you have the right, make sure you are not misquoted, keep a shape eye, sensitive ear, when the time comes the blind will hear and deaf shall see, you will recall this day. Not a prophet but a cynic of the golden age By Abdul Raafi Mohammed (King Julia II) abdulrafiu27@gmail.com mohammedfishbone@facebook.com TWITTER: @Rafiu_ fishbone  +2336221777 / +2332630779

The largest-ever outbreak of Ebola was triggered by a toddler's chance contact with a single infected bat, a team of international researchers will reveal, after a major investigation of the origins of the deadly disease now ravaging Guinea , Liberia , Ivory Coast and Nigeria. A group of 17 European and African tropical disease researchers, ecologists and anthropologists spent three weeks talking to people and capturing bats and other animals near the village of Meliandoua in remote eastern Guinea, where the present epidemic appeared in December 2013. They have concluded that the disease was spread by colonies of migratory fruit bats. Their research is expected to be published in a major journal in the next few weeks. News of the research came as the first confirmed case of a Briton contracting the disease emerged on Saturday night. Professor John Watson, deputy chief medical officer, said the overall risk to the UK public remains "very low". Early stud...

Ebola also known as hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is a disease of humans nadia other primate caused by an ebola virus. #symptoms are; two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, fever, sore throat, muscle pain, bleeding internal and external and headache. One can #acquire ebola through #blood, #bodily fluids. #fruit #bats are believed to carry and speak through virus without bein affected. #malaria, #cholera, and other #hemorrhagic fevers are related disease to #Ebola.Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease from infected animals to humans. This may be done by checking such animals for infection and killing and properly disposing of the bodies if the disease is discovered. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may also be helpful, as are wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around a person with the disease. Samples of bodily fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled with special cau...

Speaking to these farmers in buntanga in the #kumbungu district of the #northern #region, i was told it is so #stressing especially when they need water supply to their various #farmers but do not get at the right time. Adam on my right said sometimes they have to spend a night at the #farm just to get #water for their maize.  Abubakari also plead to #NGOs and #government #officials in the agriculture #sector to help them with #fertilizer and good #seeds because the #vegetables, #maize and #rice they #grow here in #buntanga is the main source of #food to the near by #villages and sometimes to #tamale #metropolis. And it is also a source of #income to #them. MY NAME IS ABDUL #RAFIU MOHAMMED #reporting for #HIDDEN #VOICES..

WHERE IS TRUTH For 20years searching for you None has an original picture of you Are you shy to come out boldly or just that People reject you, sometimes we cry out for you, you ignore us when we need you the most why. Your twine brother is always visible and entertaining while they say you are boring. Grays say because life is full of secrete it makes you invisible, so we only can feel your presence when we want to. But you are always hard to find nowadays. By Abdul Raafi Mohammed (King Julia II)

today i had the #honour to #interview a #chief who has been farming for more than #65years now.... he grows #Rice , #maize and #yam ... #bigThanks to the #team

today we spoke to this lady, she has been #farming for almost #10years now and she has #never used #chemical #fertilizer ... she grows #cabbage , #okoro and #pepper

we would like thank the people of #Bimbila for sharing their concerns with us.....

on Thursday, i interview the woman, she told us her husband uses chemical fertilizer and they always harvest big but she uses compost 'organic manure' on her back yard garden and guest what her husband can't resist her food, especially the soup.

after implementing the school feeding program, the students number has increased but as you can see there are no furniture nor books to make teaching and learning easy.. as i spoke to some teachers and the head of the school, they have made numerous request to the district assemble and government but nothing has been done yet.

YOU MUST REALIZE THAT FEAR IS NOT REAL. IT IS A PRODUCT OF THOUGHTS YOU CREATE DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME, DANGER IS VERY REAL, BUT FEAR IS A CHOICE

DEMOCRATIC SLAVES Choked gutters’ full of schemes and hatred, smelling yet they say that’s the scent of freedom, overtaken by flies which is lies. Abandoning the meat in their hands, and chasing after the fastest antelope. Thieves with certificates praised by zombies. If they knew what I know, some know more than I know, it nature they believe. Sweating like a lost mouse in a sunny day chased by ambitious kids, while someone takes all the credit, what do they take us for? Slaves we are without chains, free slaves we say, and do what we like but work for them to eat well. Unable to beat us physically against our will yet control us mentally against our will

managers of Burkina be #Dam in #Burkina #Faso were compelled to spill more water from the Dam. Which will swell the #White and #Black #Volta #Rivers at the Expense of mostly #farmers #Lives and their #Properties ... - SHOULD #FARMERS CONTINUE TO #RUN AT A #LOST AFTER MONTHS OF #LANDS #PREPARATION AND WEEKS OF #PLANTING , AND #FERTILIZER APPLICATION, ANY TIME THEY ARE COMPELLED TO #SPILL MORE #WATER FROM THE #DAM? .

KINGS TURN SLAVES Everything man need to enjoy in life they have, a star I will say, majority don’t notice because democracy is the light. Like kings them decision is final, Fail them fine, can’t force them, promise you can. They struggle to shine, we can make them want they want to be, thee decides long before time, yet we do not know how powerful we are, we feel and behave like slaves, the power of our thumb alone can decide their future. Without light the star can’t shine By    Abdul Raafi Mohammed     (King Julia II)

FOOLS Democracy has fooled us all into the trap of freedom making us look stupid in front of the truth, neglecting justice along truth to a point of sending them to exile. Out of depression justice has lost his identity, truth is missing, this has made violence and corruption very famous as they are winning Oscar’s and gaining global power. By Abdul Raafi Mohammed (King Julia II)

  THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE OUT BREAK OF CHOLERA IN ACCRA... My name is Abdul Raafi Mohammed, popularly known as fishbone. I come from Tamale, but have recently moved to Accra to take a risk in my career. I have noticed and observed how people in Accra live day in day out, and have come to the conclusion that the residence in Accra are working very hard when it comes to learning their environment but they are faced by three(3) problems from my point of view. These problems are as followed;             firstly; many residence in the Accra metropolis do not have access to dust bins, which makes it difficult for them to take time to clean their environment properly. Moreover i heard on Radio that the president was distributing dust bins, that was a good move, but this falls under the second problem.              Secondly most residence who have access to prop...

  THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE OUT BREAK OF CHOLERA IN ACCRA... My name is Abdul Raafi Mohammed, popularly known as fishbone. I come from Tamale, but have recently moved to Accra to take a risk in my career. I have noticed and observed how people in Accra live day in day out, and have come to the conclusion that the residence in Accra are working very hard when it comes to learning their environment but they are faced by three(3) problems from my point of view. These problems are as followed;             firstly; many residence in the Accra metropolis do not have access to dust bins, which makes it difficult for them to take time to clean their environment properly. Moreover i heard on Radio that the president was distributing dust bins, that was a good move, but this falls under the second problem.              Secondly most residence who have access to prop...

Always i have wished for more. Impatient has clouded my thoughts, i work double the average man, receive less the average worker. When the blessing of my creator began raining on me, when i just started to enjoy the worldly pleasures, ''YOUR TIME IS UP'' says my creator. Why now? Why me?.. I looked at my children they had a secured future, a brighter one, age took away my mom identity, but she is proud of me.. My sisters looked at me with eyes filled with tears, i told them death is not the end, is just the beginning so be happy. After 25years of marriage my wife was still looking fabulous and charming, like the day i first set my eyes on her.. I pray my creator forgives me and have mercy on me,please for i have made a lot of mistakes, to the people i have wrong, please forgive me.. -family comes first -embrace what you have now -continue to dream big -believe and never lose faith in GOD. Until you meet me in the hereafter GOODBYE BY ...