Miriam Aniwa, from Mizpah International School, the overall winner receiving her prize from Mr Cletus Alengah, the Policy and Research Analyst of the Office of the President, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) Advisory Unit. PICTURES BY LYDIA ESSEL MENSAH

Junior Graphic Essay winners receive prizes

Augustina Tawiah Sep - 18 - 2019 , 17:23 4 minutes read

Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), publishers of the Junior Graphic newspaper, has presented prizes to the winners of the 2019 Junior Graphic National Essay Competition at a ceremony in Accra.

In all, 10 students from across the country emerged winners but five of them who are from the Greater Accra Region were presented with their prizes at the awards ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

The prizes of the other five students from the Upper West, Eastern, Central and Western Regions, would be presented to them in their respective regions.

For emerging as the winner, Miriam Aniwa of Mizpah International School, took home a cash amount of GH¢1,500, a Graidup tablet, products from sponsors and a Junior Graphic certificate.

William Nana Kwame Danso of Crown Prince Academy, received a cash amount of GH¢1000, a Graidup tablet, products from sponsors and a Junior Graphic certificate for taking the second position.

PHOTO: William Nana Kwame Danso from Crown Prince Academy, 1st runner up receiving his prize.

For placing third, Michelle Pinaman Eku of Witsands International School, Tema, was given a cash amount of GH¢500, a Graidup tablet, products from sponsors and a Junior Graphic certificate.

The fourth to 10th winners would each receive a Graidup tablet, products from sponsors and a Junior Graphic certificate.

PHOTO: Bernice Ackah-Swanzy, from Crown Prince Academy receiving her prize from the Editor of the Junior Graphic, Ms Doreen Hammond.

The Editor of the Junior Graphic, Ms Doreen Hammond, in her welcome address congratulated the winners and all who participated in the competition.

She encouraged more children to take part in future competitions organised by the Junior Graphic because of the enormous benefits associated with it adding that, “it is for their self-development, whether you win an award or not”.

Throwing light on the competition, Ms Hammond said, it started in 2013 and had been embraced by children with enthusiasm each year.

She explained that the cardinal objectives of the competition were to assist children to learn how to write essays correctly, improve on their grammar and to build a wide vocabulary for participants and assist them to learn how to be creative.

She said the competition, which was in two phases, was organised for upper primary and junior high school students throughout the country.

PHOTO: Michelle Pinaman Eku from Witsands International school, Tema, 2nd runner up receiving her prize

At the first stage of the competition, two essay topics are published in the Junior Graphic for participants to select one to write on.

“The best 10 essays in each region are selected and participants are invited to write another essay in the regions where they reside. This is to ensure that the contestants write the essays themselves and are not assisted by parents, teachers or their siblings,” she explained.

The Events and Promotions Manager of GCGL, Mrs Abigail Hagan, said over 2000 entries were received in the preliminary stages of this year’s contest.

In the second round, 48 pupils qualified out of which the best 10 were selected.

PHOTO: Adwoa Sedem Effah Omare from University of Ghana Basic School receiving her prize from the Editor of Junior Graphic, Ms Doreen Hammond.

The Policy and Research Analyst of the Office of the President, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) Advisory Unit, Mr Cletus Alengah, stressed the importance of education, emphasising that no society had been able to develop with huge populations of illiterates.

He stressed that developing the nation would require huge investment in education at all levels and commended the GCGL and other institutions for their efforts at improving education.

Miriam, the overall winner of the competition, expressed her joy in coming up first and urged her colleagues to participate in future competitions organised by the Junior Graphic.

The Marketing Manager of Graidup, Mr Daniel Koranteng, said the company would soon introduce more subjects onto its tablets.

The 2019 Junior Graphic National Essay Competition was sponsored by BiC, Twellium Industries, producers of Planet drinks; SDG Office of the President; UNFPA; Graidup; the Ghana Library Authority and Papaye.