Ghanaian Students Excel at Harvard Model UN; Win $10K Grant for Social Development

Eleven Ghanaian students have won awards for the Resolution Project pitch contest as part of this year’s Harvard National Model of the United Nations (HNMUN) Conference in the United States of America.

The group also won a grant of $10,000 to enable them to undertake various social development interventions in their home country within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event took place at the Grand Ballroom of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts on February 17, 2019.

A statement released by Life-Link Friendship Schools, Ghana mentioned, the Harvard Resolution Project Social Venture Challenge (SVC), which is one of the eight global Resolution Project events, is a peripheral event which is organised on the side-lines of the annual Harvard gathering.

This year saw the participation of 23 Ghanaian students under the auspices of Life-Link Friendship Schools, Ghana.

The Resolution SVC affords students the opportunity to generate ‘outstanding venture ideas’ to address social and humanitarian challenges in their local communities.

Winners are selected as recipients of a venture grant of US$ 2000 per group (starting or existing) project and a prestigious individual “Resolution Fellowship”: “a strong and growing community of young leaders” from all over the world, whose core aim is to help the fellows succeed in their ventures and beyond.

The 11 students, who participated in the contest, constituted themselves into 5 different social ventures, from a pool of four different universities.

They were Hunvillah Asamoah (KNUST) and Horace Claud Allan Odoi (University of Ghana) who worked on “Burden To Save,” a project to provide toilet facilities for the people of Dayiri in the Northern Region of Ghana to tackle cholera; and Gilbert Kekeli Yao Dzeketey (University of Professional Studies) and Ernest Kekeli  

The third team comprised Prince Annan and Akosua Benhene Nyantakyi both from the Kings University College and Priscilla Mensah Ankoh of the KNUST whose project is titled “Computer Minds” and highlights an initiative tailored for rural school children in Gomoa  Dunkwa in the Central Region of Ghana to reduce the high rate of computer illiteracy.

The others were “School of Thoughts” team made up of Abraham Agoni (University of Ghana) and Owiredu Kissi (Ghana Institute of Journalism).

Their project seeks to bridge the educational gap between rural and urban areas, particularly in northern Ghana by training young individuals in rural areas to identify their potential while the potentials to change society.

The last group was called “SPES”, and were represented by Emmanuella Agyeman Tuffour (University of Ghana) and Adwoa Agyeman Tuffour (KNUST).

According to their pitching document, the project seeks to transform the newborn healthcare experience by providing safe, effective and affordable phototherapy eye protectors.

The statement names Venezuela, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Liberia and USA as the other countries whose students participated in the contest.

Co-founder of the award scheme and Head of the Jury, Howard A. Levine commended the winners for their exemplary leadership and urged students to be problem solvers: “We need your leadership, your ideas and your unquenchable desire for change. So when you see an issue, when you see a problem in your community, get to solving it”, he told the students.

The Executive Director of Life-Link Friendship Schools Ghana, Mr. Ernest Gyimah-Danquah, lauded the students for bringing honour to their schools and their country.

According to him, it was the fifth time a Ghanaian student delegation from Life-Link Ghana participated in the contest and won with the total of number of 22 Fellowships.

Life-Link runs annual Model United Nations Conferences for students’ at all educational levels.

For 20 years, the organisation has worked with the UN system in Ghana and the Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to train and equip students in international diplomacy, leadership and problem-solving.

Its trainings stimulate the ability of Ghanaian child in taking centre-stage in discussing global issues.

The delegation has since returned home and is expected to commence implementation of their projects in earnest.

By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM

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