The Rotary Club of Accra Labone has organised a spelling bee competition for students of La Yahoushua Junior High School (JHS) to promote reading, vocabulary development and literacy.
The annual event, held in Accra to coincide with Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy theme, brought together selected students to test their spelling and vocabulary skills.
The President of the Rotary Club of Accra Labone for 2026/2027, Mercy Odzawo, said the competition formed part of the club’s commitment to supporting the school, which it had adopted.
Donation
She said the club had also donated computers, refurbished the school’s computer laboratory and provided a functional library to support teaching and learning.
Ms Odzawo said she was impressed with the students’ performance, particularly because they had not been given materials to study ahead of the competition.
“It was exciting and fantastic. It looks like they were prepared.
They weren’t given any materials ahead to read or learn, so I’m really impressed,” she said.
She said the spelling bee encouraged students to read, pay attention to words and look up unfamiliar words they encountered.
Support
A sponsor, Phyllis Owusu-Adjapong, said her family had supported the competition in memory of her late father, Felix Kwasi Owusu-Adjapong, a former President of the Rotary Club of Accra West.
She said her father had faced difficulties accessing education while growing up but worked hard to improve his circumstances.
Ms Owusu-Adjapong said the family’s support was aimed at giving students opportunities to improve themselves and become examples to others.
She said the tablets presented to the winners were intended to support learning and research.
The winner, Dorothy Mawuena Batanyi, a Form Three JHS student, said she was excited about her victory after placing ninth in last year’s competition.
She attributed her improvement to increased preparation, by searching for difficult words and expanded her vocabulary.
“I went and studied hard. I took my mother’s phone, and I’ve been searching for big words and tough words,” she said.
Miss Batanyi, who received a tablet as part of her prize, said she would use it for learning and online classes.
The quiz mistress for the event, Stella Gyimaah Larbi, said the competition could help develop students’ interest in reading and vocabulary.
She said Ms Batanyi’s improvement from ninth place to first showed how such competitions could motivate students to read more.
