Dabala: Comboni R.C Junior High School has emerged winner of the 2025 Civicfest competition held at Dabala in the South Tongu District on the theme: 'Protecting Our Environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.'
According to Ghana News Agency, the school scored 301 points to beat its closest contender, E.P JHS 'A,' which obtained 205 points, while E.P JHS 'B' placed third with 174 points. The contest, organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) with support from Fidelity Bank, brought together basic schools across the district to promote awareness on waste segregation, recycling, and climate change.
Mrs. Lucille Hewlett Annan, Commission Secretary of the NCCE, said the initiative formed part of the Commission's constitutional mandate to educate citizens on their civic responsibilities, particularly environmental protection. She noted that engaging children early was strategic, adding: 'These young ones will grow with the values of recycling, reusing and reducing plastics, and they will never forget what they have learned through this practical, hands-on approach.'
Mr. Ken Kponor, Volta Regional Director of the NCCE, observed that Ghana's environment had suffered years of abuse and neglect, stressing the need for initiatives like Civicfest to reorient the youth towards positive habits. He appealed to corporate Ghana to support environmental education programmes, especially those promoting biodegradable packaging to reduce plastics.
Mr. Ashia Derrick Logo, Area Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said the collaboration with the NCCE was meant to instill practical waste management skills in schoolchildren, since improper disposal of waste, especially plastics, contributed significantly to climate change through increased greenhouse gas emissions at landfill sites. He disclosed that the EPA had introduced a sachet segregation competition among schools to encourage pupils to collect, separate, and recycle plastics as part of a broader effort to cut down on waste.
'Not everything should end up at the landfill site. What is waste to one person may be useful to another. We must learn to segregate, reuse and recycle,' he stressed.
Mr. Steven Aho, Assembly Member for the Dabala Electoral Area, commended the organisers, saying the initiative would benefit pupils, including those less academically inclined, by equipping them with practical skills that could translate into economic opportunities. The event featured drama, poetry, songs, and creative displays by pupils to highlight the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal and showcase innovative ways of managing plastics.