By Bensmith Afful
As the Project Lead for the Youth Climate Action Fund for the city of Accra, I supervised one of the Youth Groups, Amamomo Youth group, in transforming the unused rooftop at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Head Office into a fully established rooftop garden that now serves as a model of sustainable urban agriculture and innovation in Accra. This completed initiative demonstrates how urban spaces can be reimagined to address climate challenges, enhance local food production, and promote environmentally responsible practices. The garden incorporates climate-smart techniques, including container farming, efficient water use, and organic cultivation, which have turned a once-empty rooftop into a productive and resilient green area. Beyond its environmental impact, the project has created a hands-on learning space where young people have gained practical skills in urban agriculture, environmental management, and green entrepreneurship. The Rooftop Garden stands as tangible proof of what youth leadership can achieve when supported with the right resources. Thanks to the Bloomberg Philanthropies for the support to the thousands of youth groups across the globe. “Green Above the Sky of Accra” is now a lasting symbol of innovation, resilience, and the transformative power of youth-driven climate action.
What was once a bare, reddish-brown concrete surface has been redesigned into a structured and vibrant green landscape that reflects thoughtful planning, and technical skills.
As the rooftop garden matured, it began to yield substantial volumes of fresh, high-quality vegetables, particularly lettuce, green pepper, cabbage and other leafy greens. The crops thrived under the carefully maintained cultivation zones, demonstrating the effectiveness of the planting techniques, climate-smart practices, and ongoing maintenance strategies employed throughout the project. The vegetables were systematically collected, measured, and documented to ensure accurate tracking of yields. Attention was also given to quality control, with careful inspection of each head of produce.
Through these processes, the garden has not only produced a consistent supply of nutritious vegetables but also illustrated the capacity of urban agriculture to deliver measurable outcomes. The combination of methodical cultivation, structured harvest procedures, and quality management has ensured that the rooftop garden functions as both a productive food source and a practical model of sustainable urban farming.
