By Ramona Cornell du Houx

February 28, 2025

Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) congratulates Matthew Azure Awini, Senior EOPA National Campaign Fellow, for winning the $500 prize for Best Climate Adaptation Idea from The Centre for Green Growth. 

The farming community Matthew grew up in Ghana is a victim of the climate crisis suffering long-term drought. Last year alone, Ghana experienced drought-induced crop failures and low yields in eight out of its 16 administrative regions. In Ghana, over 1 million people are food insecure, while 1 million children under 5 are chronically malnourished.

“I grew up in Suaba, an agricultural community in the Wassa Amenfi Municipality of Ghana. For as long as I can remember Suaba has struggled being left to the mercy of the impacts of the climate crisis. Every day was not only a race to earn a livelihood, it was an ongoing battle for survival,” said Matthew Azure Awini, Senior EOPA National Campaign Fellow.

Matthew’s initiative aims to help farming communities in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality by leveraging existing Nnuboa, local community groups. 

“We are exceptionally proud of Matthew. As a National Fellow he’s tireless work ethic and professionalism continues to be an example for us all. We believe strongly in his project,” said Alex Cornell du Houx, former Maine State Representative, Marine combat veteran, President of the Elected Officials to Protect America, and Co-Founder. “EOPA is proud to announce that we will match the $500 Best Climate Adaptation Idea award so we can expand its impact and we hope other organizations and/or individuals will jump in to help more local groups in this climate stressed region.” 

Matthew will train farmers on climate adaptation with his Gong Gong Adaptation Initiative. 

“Matthew is a dedicated humble, intelligent man who is working to help mitigate the climate crisis with a fire in his soul. No matter the time of day or night he’s always there to help our shared EOPA mission. He deserves all the assistance we can give him with his Gong Gong Adaptation Initiative,” said Ramona du Houx, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA), Communications Director. “Exposing farmers to techniques so their crops don’t fail due to extreme climate conditions is imperative work. This project could spread across the region saving the livelihoods of many farming communities.”

Matthew has already begun educating farmers and community members on how to enhance their adaptive capacity by equipping them with practical strategies to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather caused by the climate crisis. 

“Working alongside Matthew has been incredibly inspiring. His innovative approach and steadfast commitment to the notion of protecting communities and people reflect the core values we champion, and he’s truly internalized the lessons from our work. Now, armed with that knowledge, he’s driving transformative change in his own country. This award not only honors his exceptional achievements in environmental leadership but also celebrates his journey in adapting and amplifying our shared vision for a sustainable future. We are proud to have played a role in his growth and look forward to seeing the ripple effects of his impactful work,” said Naweed Kawusi, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Chief Operating Officer.

Please read Matthew’s personal description about his project and why he’s dedicated to ensuring it is successful and expands. It’s powerful:

“The nightmare of waking up in the morning and thinking about what to eat, when to start growing our crops, and whether our cocoa farm would yield enough income was psychological torture. Needless to say, my childhood was slightly traumatic.

“When I left for university, I was heartbroken knowing my family would continue to suffer along with our friends and neighbors. As long as the climate crisis persisted my community would be in danger of collapsing. I nearly dropped out not being able to help. Then I decided to use my situation to seek out answers to how to mitigate the unpredictable climate crisis weather conditions that led to failed crop seasons. Soon, I became an aggressive advocate, demanding climate action at all levels.

“Individual actions, no matter how small, will culminate into the bigger climate goal of reducing climate impacts and bringing down emissions to 1.5 degrees.

“The need to contribute to alleviating the climate vulnerability of my parents, and our community as a whole gave birth to the adaptation initiative: The Gong Gong Adaptation Initiative (GAI). Gong Gong is an Akan name that implies calling people’s attention. 

“In my community we know we must work together to ensure our future. We practice cooperative farming or communal labor or Nnuboa — the process where people come together to work on each other’s farms or projects in a spirit of mutual assistance. By leveraging an existing Nnuboa the GAI initiative aims to help my farming community.

“The project will train farmers on climate adaptation by showing them how they can enhance their adaptive capacity and equip them with strategies on how to be successful.

“On February 15, 2025, I won the prize for Best Climate Adaptation Idea from The Centre for Green Growth after a competitive pitch. This $500 award from the Center will help build the capacity of one Nnuboa group. 

“Despite the ongoing impacts of climate change ravaging my vulnerable farming community jeopardizing our livelihood, I will continue my advocacy and seek more funding opportunities to scale up the training to other groups within and beyond the municipality to enhance their adaptive capacity.”

Please reach out to Naweed Kawusi, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Chief Operating Officer at naweed@protecingamerica.net to help with Matthew’s project.

Elected Officials to Protect America is a network of current and former elected officials who care deeply about protecting the planet and people. EOPA is committed to solving the climate crisis, ensuring environmental justice, and protecting our lands, waters, and democracy. EOPA educates through value-based storytelling, training lawmakers, and connecting elected officials to inspire strong environmental leadership.