Akosombo Int. wins environment award
The Akosombo International School in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region has been awarded a green flag by the Foundation for Environmental Education of Norway.
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The flag is in recognition of efforts in making the school environmentally friendly over the last ten years.
The recognition makes the school the first in West Africa to receive such an award.
The ceremony
Addressing the gathering, the acting Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Mr Charles Aheto-Tsegah, was happy that the school had gone the extra mile in the management of its waste.
He applauded the Green Earth Organisation for bringing to the doorsteps of schools, programmes and activities of the Foundation for Environmental Education to sensitise pupils and students on the need to conserve and clean the environment.
He also commended the organisation for supporting the Home Management Department of the senior secondary section to make fashionable items with empty water sachets collected and the visual arts department to use paper collected for various teaching and learning aids.
He said issues of the environment should engage everybody’s attention since "we cannot afford to degrade the environment.”
“We owe mother earth a responsibility that should be individual and collective," Mr Aheto-Tsegah said.
“Akosombo International School has set the pace and I look forward to a day when all schools in Ghana will be honoured with Green Flags," Mr Aheto-Tsegah added.
Eco-project
The Executive Director of the Foundation for Environmental Education, Mrs Hilda Opoku, was happy that the school was able to meet the criteria for the award.
She urged management of the school to extend the experience gained to neighbouring schools and surrounding communities.
For her part, the head of the Eco-Project of the school, Mrs Margaret Ayenor, said the eco-project, which started in 2004, had its own challenges including the mode of rubbish collection and insufficient litter bins.
She said as part of moves to promote clean environment, the school would soon arrange for children to write articles in the Junior Graphic to share ideas on waste management and also compose a song to further drive home the need to protect the environment.