Twelve year-old JHS One pupil from the Silicon Valley International School in Accra, Neriah Tettey, has been crowned the first Child Sanitation Diplomat in Ghana.

Neriah earned this prestigious title after winning the first ever School Sanitation Solutions Challenge organized by World Vision Ghana and Kings Hall Media Limited between September 2019 and August 2020 with support from the Zoomlion Foundation and the GAMA Sanitation and Water Project.

The Campaign, which has the objective to inspire and involve children in the search for solutions to the country’s sanitation and waste management challenges, was organised in three rounds. In round one (The Common Contest), children were asked in January 2020 to write an open letter to the President of Ghana, informing him of the sanitation and waste management challenges in and around their school and offering sustainable solutions. A hundred and ninety-four entries were received nationwide out of which the ten best pupils, including Neriah, were selected for round two.

The ten selected for round two (The Masters Encounter) were made to defend their essays verbally before a three-member panel of sanitation and waste management experts in front of about 70 invited guests in July 2020.

Neriah again made it through to the final round (Battle of the Champions) along with three other contestants. Held on the GTV live flagship What Do You Know programme on Sunday, 23rd August, Neriah emerged the winner with 23 points ahead of her school mate, Joshua Desmennu, 17.5 points, Hemes Apolara Sylvia from Pong Tamale Experimental JHS, 15 points and Maame Yaa Ohenewaa Gyima from Julian Academy in Tema, 13 points.

As the new Child Sanitation Diplomat, Neriah will be mentored and supported by the organizers to develop and implement a one-year sanitation advocacy campaign project.

By Emmanuel Addai