Ghana’s overwhelming waste problem needs a holistic approach of involving the youth to achieve a clean and healthy environment, where they would be tasked with the responsibility to devise sustainable means to help reduce or eradicate filth.
To achieve this, a youth-oriented not-for-profit organization, Foundation for Generational Thinkers (FOGET), organised a contest for Junior High School (JHS) students to produce a sustainable solutions that address poor waste conditions in their localities.
The contest titled, “FOGET-GNAPS Quiz and Challenge Competition 2018” was aimed at pushing students to address the question: “Your community has been filth-laden: Device means by which waste can be properly managed to ensure a clean environment”.
FOGET in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Greater Accra Zone ‘5’, and with support of other organizations like Ghana Ohuade Company Limited, Robertkusco Enterprise, AKAKUBI Enterprise and Bluecrest University College last Friday in Accra, drew the curtain down on the programme that has been running for months.
Sowah Boye Memorial School was adjudged winner of the competition, for coming out with some practical solutions that can help address poor sanitation conditions especially in Chorkor and its enclave.
Sowah Boye Memorial School stood in contest with New Generation Preparatory School which came second, Joehans Academy, third, and St. Charles Preparatory School, fourth, after they all presented their findings and solutions to how waste should be tackled.
The four schools entered into the ‘Challenge Competition’ after wining over 36 schools, all drawn from GNAPS Greater Accra Zone ‘5’ in a quiz.
The winner had a trophy, cash prize, desktop computer, books & certificate, 2nd school received cash, printer, stationary & certificate, third placement got cash, printer, book & certificate, and forth placed school also had some prizes.
The schools’ presentations were judged by Emmanuel Addai, communication specialist, who was the chair of the panel, Ama Ofori Antwi, Executive Secretary to the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), and ING. Joy Hesse Ankomah of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The schools were assessed according to the solutions they were able to provide after three weeks research they conducted in some communities, alongside touring of some waste management companies’ sites in Accra.
According to the judges, most of the schools generalized their findings and solutions, hence failed to tackle the question properly for the research outcomes to community specific.
Nevertheless, they congratulated the students for putting themselves up to be tested, in order to contribute their quote to national development.
They lauded FOGET and GNAPS for the initiative to raise and ignite the spirit of patriotism in the youth, so as to make them responsible to their environment.
The outgoing Metro Education Director of Accra, Mr. Eugene Yeboah, who was present to grace the occasion, charged teachers to live up to their mandates, since one of the concerns raised by the judges was that the teachers failed to give their students proper support and guidance to conduct the research.
He said the teachers have a mandate to follow strict instructions to guide and instruct their students in achieving the goals and purpose of a given task.
He therefore encouraged them to look for help if the need be to effectively teach a subject or direct students.
He also congratulated the students for putting out their best in an attempt to provide solutions to the poor waste management situation affecting the country.
The contest, he said has helped the students work and learn together as a team, saying “this project has compelled you to read from many sources while you were conducting your research. It is said that a reader today is a leader tomorrow. Please don’t stop, continue to read more.”
He promised to champion the programme in Upper Denkyera East Municipality in the Central Region, where he has been appointed as the new Municipal Education Director.
Prosper Dan Afetsi, President and founder of FOGET said the aim of the ‘Challenge’ was to help students apply their knowledge they have acquired in the classroom to solve real-life problems, especially facing their respective communities.
Mr. Afetsi was convinced that major development problems facing the country were as a result of students’ inability to connect academic to real-time challenges. To him, many times Ghana has to fall on foreign expertise to solve problems that can easily be taken care of by Ghanaians.
Since civil societies have roles to play in development, he strongly believed that nurturing ‘the can do spirit in the Ghanaian,’ by providing them opportunities and responsibilities to help them to explore.
He added that FOGET-GNAPS Quiz and Challenge Competition is one of such programmes tailored towards putting the youth to the task, adding that though the competition has ended, “we still have clubs that are still running in the various schools.”
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Source: FOGET