AASU PLEDGES TO SUPPORT THE 100 MILLION CAMPAIGN

           

Photo: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Kailash Satyarthi presenting a signature token to the Secretary General of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), Mr. Peter Kwasi Kodjie at the Africa Launch of the 100 Million Campaign

 

The All-Africa Students Union, AASU, a continental students’ movement has emphasized its resolve to take leadership role in spearheading the 100 million campaign at the regional level.

 This it said would be done through its Volunteer Teacher Program which will be launched later this year. 

In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Peter Kwasi Kodjie, and copied to gbconline, the movement further pledged its commitment to providing quality education for children around the globe, who through no fault of theirs are engaged in hazardous activities at the expense of schooling.

 The 100 Million Campaign is an effort to save children involved in worst forms of child labour and give them education to enable them realize their  full potentials.

 The idea of the campaign was mooted and developed in India, through the selflessness of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Kailash Satyarthi. 

According to the statement, the 100 Million Campaign is a call to action for a world where all young people are free, safe and educated. 

The campaign is not only in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, (SDG 4) which stresses the democratization of education through inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, but also serves to highlight the overlapping nature of the SDGs. 

The statement noted that the 100 Million campaign goes to complement global efforts aimed at ending poverty of all forms (SDG 1), and ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for all ages as captured in SDG 3. 

It added that the campaign mean a lot to Africa, where UNICEF report suggests that, half of the population is below 18; and a good number of whom are out of school, jobless or unemployed. 

In some circumstances these unfortunate ones are sexually exploited, trafficked or used as slaves.

 To this end, AASU said it shall endeavor to mobilize African students through its member unions to organize themselves to promote the 100 Million Campaign in their institutions and countries.

 Meanwhile, the 100 Campaign has sparked a lot of support across the world, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, UK, Sweden, India, Peru, and in Africa Togo.  

 At the Africa level, the Campaign was launched officially at the Accra International Conference Centre on March, 16 2018 following a two-day series of coordinated meetings to strategize how to roll out the campaign in Africa on the background of our different contexts. 

In the meantime, some remarkable progress have been made as hundreds of children have been saved from extreme forms of child labour and made to attend school.  

AASU is grateful to Dr. Kailash Satyarthi and his team  for the bold initiative and “pledge to do all within its capacity to end child labour and ensure education for all. 

AASU by this statement also hopes to work in partnership with other interest groups to stamp out violence against children so that every young person will be free, safe and educated.

GBC’s Isaac Asare /Release

Great Victory Academy wins 2018 Spelling Bee for schools in Bolgatanga

14 year old, Amalitinga Silas from Great Victory Academy in Bolgatanga outwitted 40 other spellers to emerge as the ultimate winner in this year’s ‘Spelling Bee’ competition organised for selected primary and junior high schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality. 

The five gruelling rounds of spelling saw Master Vitus Ayariga of the Sacred Heart Junior High School, claiming the second position with 11 year old primary 6 pupil, Abdul Mutalib Fongo also from Great Victory Academy settling as the third top speller. 

The brilliant spellers who exercised prowess in the said oral discipline were among one hundred and 60 competitors that managed to sail through the qualifying stages held in January this year.

Report

This year’s ‘Spelling Bee’ competition  featuring 12 primary and junior high schools within the Bolgatanga municipality follows the successful outcome of a similar event held in March last year.

 In the said event Sacred Heart JHS were deemed the favourites after putting up an impressive performance to assume the top position.

 The second annual competition is being championed by Overcomers Club, a non-profit organisation that is centred on improving academic excellence among students in the Bolgatanga Municipality and beyond. 

In 2012, students from the Upper East Region led by Mr Joseph Abongo, a spelling Bee facilitator won gold and bronze in the National ‘Hard Spell’ Competition held at the Legon campus in Accra. 

The success story, however gave cause for Overcomers Club, to replicate it at the district level so as encourage reading habits among students. 

The idea is to take it up to the regional level whilst preparing winners for the national events such as the Indomie National Spelling Bee Competition which has been in existence without the participation of schools from Northern Ghana. 

This year’s event saw both primary and Junior High Students battling for the ultimate prize. 

At the end of the keenly contested battle, 14 year old, Amalitinga Silas from Great Victory Academy in Bolgatanga outwitted other spellers to emerge as the ultimate winner.

 Master Vitus Ayariga of the Sacred Heart Junior High School, was the second runner up with the youngest competitor being 11 year old primary 6 pupil, Abdul Mutalib Fongo also from Great Victory Academy claiming the 3^rd position.   

 

Abdul Mutalib Fongo

The competitors aged between 11 and 15 were exposed to spell words such as, anthropomorphism, Ambivalence, Ambidextrous, Chrysanthemum, Holocaust, Equanimity, Nostalgia, Androgynous and Binoculars among others. 

 The mood at the venue was quite tensed and the expression on the faces of some spellers was that of sheer uneasiness. 

One could easily read from their unusual gestures especially those that were competing for the first time. 

 The winners received some packages from sponsors as well as citations and trophies. Each of the participating spellers were also honoured with certificates of participation. 

Experts say Spelling Bee is meant to enrich students’ vocabulary and their general proficiency with language.

 It equally words helps in laying the basic foundation for every school going child. 

The Talensi District Director of Education, Madam Stephanie Mosore who represented as the guest speaker stressed that bad spelling gives others a bad impression about the speller. 

She said in a situation where a child is unable to get pronunciations, grammar and punctuation right, his/her grades is invariably affected.

 Madam Mosore therefore challenged schools in the various districts to make reading and spelling part of their co-curricular activities. 

She also challenged school heads to consider organising such events on regular basis as this will give students exposure and build their confidence levels.  

A Former lecturer at the KNUST and a Specialist in International Relations, Dr Augustine Awuni said considering the level of enthusiasm displayed by both the contestants and audience, he was convinced that Spelling Bee has come to stay, therefore the onus lies on schools to prioritize such events. 

Story by GBC