Kumasi, March 24, GNA - Help Crush AIDS Ghana (HELPCAG), an NGO based in Kumasi, is embarking on an eight-year re-forestation project in the Awura Forest Reserve.

The 128-hectare project estimated to cost 5.19 billion cedis would consist of raising plant seedlings, food production, economic and medicinal plant species as well as honey for export.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency about the project in Kumasi on Wednesday, Rev Kwadwo Nkrumah, Director of the organisation, said one of the objectives of the project was to provide medicinal plants as well as affordable fruit and food to build the immune systems of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS).

He said the project would also help create jobs for the youth and increase food production in the communities on the fringes of the forest reserve.

Rev Nkrumah said HELPCAG, which was established in 2003 as an NGO giving care and support to PLWHAS, had already embarked on a number of programmes to educate the people to care and love AIDS victims. He appealed to donor agencies, philanthropists, environmentalists and people who have compassion for PLWHAS to come to the aid of the organisation to execute the project.