MultiChoice, Eutelsat support science and technology
A 19-year-old student of the Prempeh College in Kumasi, Master Lloyd Osei Baffour, has won the 2013 DStv-Eutelsat star award, poster category, organised for 42 African countries.
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MultiChoice and Eutelsat Communication, a French satellite provider, established the DStv-star award three years ago to encourage young people in Africa to develop interest in science and technology and to inspire innovative thinking among high school students across the continent.
Miss Angel Gabriella Atim from Uganda emerged the winner for the essay category, with Francine Mazala from Zambia and Eshlin Veden from South Africa following in first and second runner-up positions respectively in the essay category.
Award package
For his prizes, Master Baffour will take a trip to Eutelsat in Paris, including a visit to a satellite manufacturing facility with a parent or guardian, while Francine also goes on a trip to witness a live rocket launch with a parent or gaurdian.
Runners-up also won trips to the MultiChoice Africa broadcast facilities and the South African Space Agency near Johannesburg, South Africa.
Schools of the award winners will receive a fully installed DStv service, including a dish, television, PVR decoder and free access to the DStv Education Bouque.
The ceremony
At a presentation ceremony in Accra, the Minister of Education, Professor Jane Naana Opuko Agyeman, commended the organisers of the programme for their contribution to creating awareness of the importance of science and technology.
She added that with the fast-changing digital landscape, African countries had an obligation to its youth to empower them to use educational systems to make meaningful changes in their respective countries and the continent as a whole.
Prof. Opoku Agyeman explained that to make meaningful impact in the digital landscape, there was the need for public-private partnership since the government alone could not achieve the task.
The Chairman of MultiChoice Ghana, Mr Richard Darko, said the award was established to celebrate and showcase Africa’s young talent to the world.
The Chief Executive Officer of Eutelsat, Mr Michel de Rosen, said technology had the potential of impacting the continent positively and urged young people to develop interest in the field.
Dstv-Eutelsat Star Award
The awards was opened to 14-19-year-old students in 42 countries.
As part of the competition, students were invited to write an essay or design a poster depicting how innovative use of satellite technology in the fields of communication, earth observation or navigation could propel Africa into the future.
The 2013 competition received 1,000 entries from 19 countries.