We are delighted to share a blog written by Maxine V.N.E.T.Brenya, a student at Alpha Beta Christian College, Ghana who is part of a team delivering a Global Goals project for the 2018-19 Global Goals Competition.
Their project is among over 620 social action projects currently running as part of the GSL movement and we are excited to be supporting them to design and lead positive social change in their community.
Knowing this educates us on the importance of equal treatment in a society with multiple ethnic groups
Enlightening
Project Summary
The need we have identified in Ghana is the lack of knowledge about 21st century problems such as pollution, climate change, bad leadership and so on. Upon realisation, the five of us embarked on a journey to find a solution that is The GAP class. The GAP class is a project led by a series of workshops, campaigns and seminars to raise awareness and participation in young people from both disadvantaged and fortunate backgrounds to close the gap between young people who have this knowledge and those who do not. On 18th and 19th December 2018, we had our first GAP class workshop at the ACT community library in the destitute area of the Zamraman line, Dansoman. We interacted with 32 children on both days and had four volunteers from a local school. On our first day, the Quality Education goal was achieved because we taught leadership skills, gender equality and entrepreneurship. The second day was focused on climate action and clean water and sanitation. On that day, the participants learned how to recycle items to keep the environment clean and for sustainable development. With our clean-up scavenger hunt, they were able to communicate the message of pollution to the community dwellers. Now, they understand that even though the yam seller burning her rubbish is disposing of her waste, she causing great harm to our climate. It was amazing teaching the children using devices they do not normally use in regular classes. These include insightful videos , ice breakers and activities.
To see videos and pictures , click this link: https://www.instagram.com/thegapclass/
Oh and don’t be a stranger. Like, follow and comment 😉
Our Journey
As a group, we have learnt to be more empathetic and tolerant towards people since we had the opportunity of working with young people from various backgrounds. Knowing this educates us on the importance of equal treatment in a society with multiple ethnic groups. In addition, we have also learnt how to be committed in achieving a common goal. Thus, we are organised with our work since we have to meet deadlines and plan campaigns, work shops and so on. We also know the steps in project management which is a very essential skill in future employment. Ina addition, as Sixth form students, with an exam approaching, the GAP class enables us to manage our time effectively in order to be productive. Thank you, Global Social Leaders.
The Next Chapter
In future, we hope to partner with Green Entrepreneur and Founder of McKingtorch, Makafui Awuku . We have agreed to organise a plastic bottle drive to reduce the number of plastic bottles on the streets of Dansoman. Each class at our school will be given a large bag to collect all these bottles. It looks bright right now. We would totally recommend this project to anyone because it gets you aware of how small initiatives can make a great change. At the moment, we have been recognised by Ghanaian TV personality, Naa Ayorkor, for our efforts. The American company, Ogolead seems to have recognised us on our Instagram page. Who knows the opportunities you might discover?
The 2018-19 GSL Global Goals Competition is now open and runs until June 2019. If you belong to one of the 700+ teams of students currently delivering a social action project as part of the competition we would love to hear from you and feature your blog and project photos on our website to inspire others.
