A seven-year-old pupil of the Sir Martin’s Memorial School in Damongo in the Savannah Region of Ghana, Kaliya Jasmine Bahia has emerged winner for Category One (6-9years) of the World Environment Day (WED) Essay Competition organized by A Rocha Ghana in partnership with Open Foundation West Africa and GH Environment. The contest was launched with the topic; “Only one Earth, how will you protect it?” on the 5th June, 2022 as part of the World Environment Day celebrations. The contest was to encourage young people to use their literacy skills to raise awareness on the need to protect the earth as well as contributing to emerging issues such as climate change, food and water security, sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity loss and the likes. With over 80 entries from all three categories, with her thought-provoking submission, Kaliya came up on top in the category targeted at children within the ages of six and nine. From the southern sector, the second category winner went to 11-year-old Denzel Agyapong-Agyare of Kids at Heart International School. He highlighted that growing climate resilient vegetation a setting up a friendly website that giving information on how individuals can take climate actions would be some of his solutions to environmental issues.
From the southern sector, the second category winner went to 11-year-old Denzel Agyapong-Agyare of Kids at Heart International School
Aspiring geologist Kristodia Phoebe Arthur, 14-year-old of Alpha Beta Christian College won the third category with her essay talking about targeting certain SDGs through initiatives such as clean energy and collaborative partnership with those in environmental protection.
Aspiring geologist Kristodia Phoebe Arthur, 14-year-old of Alpha Beta Christian College won the third category
A brief ceremony was therefore held at A Rocha Ghana Northern Sector Officer to present award to Kaliya. During the presentation, Project Officer of A Rocha Ghana, Mr Isaac Kofi Ntori indicated that their organisation believes that children possess innate attitudes of love and care for God’s creation but the quality of this, needs to be supported, guided and encouraged. In view of this, he said A Rocha Ghana as part of its work engages students at all levels in Environmental conservation education to instill in them, the culture of environmental stewardship. Students therefore participate in wide-ranging activities with the aim of promoting quality education and learning, whiles caring for the environment. Mr Ntori congratulated Kaliya on this feat and also appealed to students to fully participate in competitions such as the WED Essay Contest while calling on teachers, heads of schools and the Ghana Education Service as a whole, to motivate and guide students to actively participate in any competitions that seek to build up on the skills and intellect of students. The Proprietress of Sir Martin’s Memorial School, Miss Joana Ewuntomah also expressed her joy for this award. She thanked A Rocha Ghana and the partners for putting up the competition and also bringing Sir Martin’s Memorial School into the limelight. She further entreated all students especially in the Savannah Region to participate in any future contests like the one they participated. On her part Miss Kaliya was grateful to the organisers and pledged to deliver her best to advocate for protection of the environment and the earth as a whole.
The three winners
Miss Kaliya took away a Certificate and Wikimedia souvenirs from Open Foundation West Africa. She would also partake in a training session with Wikipedia as well as have her essay published on some media platforms.
Honourable mentions include
Category 1 Yasmine Otubea Ibrahim Sibie Ohemaa Wiafe Akenten Nana-Akesi Esuamoah Kwofie Lordina Bekoe Category 2 Benjamin Danquah Amira Karim Ama Asabea Kuoko Kakra Rudolf Assi Ayeyi Owusu-Basoah Category 3 Joseph Cecil Coffie Seth Seyiram Jessica Asantewaa