With grief, we bring news of the passing of a respected friend, Professor Allison Mary Howell. We hear from Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Yaw Blasu, the Director of Allison Howell Centre for Religion, Environment, Science and Development (edited for brevity):

Remembering Prof. Allison Mary Howell: Missionary, Great Scholar of Holistic Mission and Activist of Creation Care in African Perspective.

“Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints…” (Ps. 116:15).

The late Prof Howell was a missionary committed to Christian development of people in Africa, especially in the areas of spiritual, socio-cultural and environmental concerns at both academic and grassroot levels. She had been instrumental in creation care activism in Ghana and beyond for several years.

Prof Howell was instrumental in introducing courses such as ‘Holistic Mission and Development’ and ‘Theology, Human Needs and Environment’ at postgraduate level at Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture, (ACI) at Akropng-Akuapem. She was both Dean of Accredited Studies at the time and a great activist of creation care in African perspective—demonstrating this through not only training many research students at ACI, but in the development of a community park known as The Allison Greens.

Prof Howell encouraged and facilitated the networking of scholars, institutions and organizations within the field of creation care. Part of the fruit of this is a now formal partnership between A Rocha Ghana and ACI—promoting creation care at both academic and grassroot levels in Ghana and beyond.

Prof Howell, the Lord gave you to us for a while, and He has taken you away to be with Him eternally. May His name be praised (Job. 1:21). My academic mother and mentor, hede nyuie; Mawu nanᴐ kple wo miaga kpe (fare thee well; God be with you till we meet again).

We have received the following report on a major tree-planting effort in Ghana. This came from LWCCN member Rev. Ebenezer Yaw Blasu: (note, this was a pre-event announcement, but the event was successfully concluded according to news reports):

Here In Ghana, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor has launched the Green Ghana Programme as part of activities to mark this year’s International Day of Forest. The initiative will take place on June 11, 2021. This period coincides with the major rains in the Southern regions of the country for natural watering accessibility. A total of five million trees are expected to be planted on the day across Ghana. It will form part of effort to encourage Ghanaians to plant more trees to preserve and protect Ghana’s forest cover and the environment. The initiative is planned as a joint responsibility for which more broad-based support is needed including Faith based organisations and individuals. Thus, Christians, churches, and para-church groups are vigorously involved, encouraging the active participation of local community churches and their members.

It is only for historical purpose that a date is chosen to plant five million trees. The main aim, however, is to help raise national consciousness of the need to protect the environment and the forests. Therefore, the planting exercise as awareness and motivational campaign could start earlier depending on the rain availability. On Friday 4^th June 2021 when the first rains started at Sokpoe in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, the local (Langhorst) congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Sokpoe decided to begin the Campaign with their school children. The idea was to ‘Catch them young’ with a Christian motivation for creation care so they will not depart from it growing up (Prov. 22:6). The author of African Theocology: Studies in African Religious Creation Care, the Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Yaw Blasu, who led the campaign explained that, at Sokpoe, the outdooring rites performed on the 8^th day after birth ecologically grounds and primes babies for creation care. Yet no practical actions follow the babies growing up to enable them to live out what the rituals of outdooring expect of them. Hence, launching this year’s tree planting campaign in the basic schools is in the right direction. He encouraged the pupils to  nurture the seedlings and water them at least once a week on their day of birth.

[Exciting things happening in your country? Tell The Pollinator about it!]