Blue Skies, KIC and Mastercard Foundation have announced award winners of the 2023 School Farm Competition at a ceremony held on 24th November 2023 in Kumasi.
In attendance were Nana Yaw Sarpong Siriboe I, 2022 National Best Farmer, Mr. Joe Mensah, Board Chair, KIC. Representatives from the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, KIC and this year’s participating schools also graced the event with their presence.
The School Farm project piloted in 2016 with 12 schools in the Eastern region to create awareness about agriculture among young people in Ghana. In 2022, through its partnership with KIC, Blue Skies Foundation scaled up the programme to reach over 200 schools nationwide.
The Competition opens each year with a training programme for Teachers on good agricultural practices and innovative ways to introduce farming to young people. Basic farm inputs are supplied to schools to grow their own school farms. Through practical experience, students receive training in areas such as cultivation beds, vegetable production, proper application, and use of approved chemicals as well as the use of PPEs.
An awards ceremony climaxes the activities for the year, where deserving schools, teachers, and students are given prizes to appreciate their commitment and enthusiasm towards the project, and the impact made on the students and communities at large.
In giving his opening remarks, Alistair Djimatey, Blue Skies Foundation Manager “Through the School Farm Competition, Blue Skies is helping to change the mindsets of young people about agriculture. We believe that this will go a long way to not only create young talents for the agricultural sector and for agribusiness enterprises but will also provide valuable life skills to young people.
In his remarks, Rev. Dr. John Manu, the Regional Director for MOFA outlined some of the opportunities that young people could consider for future careers in agribusiness and agriculture, by highlighting the relevance of agricultural education for food security. He also mentioned the need for young people to consider value-addition as they consider the current trends in the sector.
On his part, Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director outlined the importance of agriculture in providing economic opportunities for young people in the future. “The School Farm Competition is not only in recognition of the relentless enterprising hard work and dedication of students who participated in this year’s program, but also underscores the vital importance of agriculture in shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.”
He further stated, “We are also grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for its continued commitment to empowering young people providing them opportunities for work-readiness and skills training.”
The Award for the Best School Farrm JHS Category went to Adoe D/A Junior High School; 1st Runner Up was Wenchi SVD Junior High School, with Poponya Fantem D/A Basic School taking the 2nd Runner Up award. For the SHS Category, Ghana Senior High School, Tamale, won the Best School Farm of the Year Award 1st runner Up for SHS Category went to Bepong Senior High School; Mankessim Senior High School won the 2nd Runner Up.
The Best Male Student JHS Category went to Adbul Latif Gbulahagu from D/A Junior High School; Best Female Student JHS Category was received by Ofeibea Annon, Adoe D/A Junior High School; Best Male Student SHS Category was awarded to Bright Anibraka, Bepong Senior High School. Effah Yvonne, Peki Senior High Technical School won the Best Female Student SHS Category.
Best Teacher for Northern sector, JHS Category went to Cecil Boamey, Du-West Junior High School; Best Teacher for Southern Sector, JHS Category was awarded to Francis Ofosu-Agyekum, Anyinam D/A Girls Model JHS; Christian Pernarh, Bepong SHS received award for Best Teacher SHS Category. Dr. Anthony Pile Special Award went to Mr. George Attah Danso, Head Teacher of Adoe D/A JHS.
Adoe D/A Junior High School won award for Most Entrepreneurial School; Most Committed School went to Peki Senior High Technical School; Ecole Ronsard, Accra won the Most Innovative School. Discovery of the Year was awarded to SDA Senior High School, Gomoa. Most Sustainable School award went to Ghana Senior High School, Tamale
Other award categories include Lemuel Mantey Agric Leadership Award which was won by Hadid Dramani, Ghana Senior High School, Tamale. Sadata Wuaku, Bisease Senior High School received the Ruth Smith Adjei Special Recognition Award.
Congratulations to All Awardees!
You can view the full list of the winners here: