By Rebecca Ekpe
Sakafia SHS in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region of Ghana -Winners of 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize share stories about impacting their community
It goes beyond just winning an award. It goes beyond just helping the students the people and their community. It is a story about life, a story about how people can be impacted on a daily basis by food and their environment. The Sakafia Islamic Senior High School (Winner of the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Global High Schools – Sub-Saharan Africa category) share their story with GBC’s Editor -in -Chief, Rebecca Ekpe.
About the Project
Q. Can you elaborate on your award-winning aquaponics project and how it addresses food insecurity in your community?
A. Our project, “Aquaponic Farming for All,” grows fish and vegetables together using water instead of soil. It helps fight hunger by giving people fresh, healthy food all year.
Q. How does your project integrate aquaculture and hydroponics, and what are the benefits of this approach?
A. Fish live in tanks, and their waste makes the water rich in nutrients. This water is used to grow plants. The plants clean the water, which goes back to the fish. It saves water, produces food, and doesn’t need soil.
Q. What inspired you to develop this project, and how did you overcome any challenges you faced?
A. Students came up with the idea to help their community grow food in a better way. At first, we didn’t get much support, but some teachers helped, and we found people outside the school to support us.
Impact and Sustainability
Q. How do you plan to sustain and expand your project in the long term?
A. We’ll use money from selling our vegetables and fish to run the system. We’ll also train more students, work with other groups, and improve the system to grow more food.
Q. What impact do you expect your project to have on the local community, and how will you measure its success?
A. It will help people get fresh food and teach students and others about farming. We’ll look at how much food we grow and how many people join the project to know if it’s working well.
Q. How does your project contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
A. It helps stop hunger (Goal 2), gives better education (Goal 4), uses clean water (Goal 6), and fights climate change (Goal 13).
Education and Community Engagement
Q. How will you incorporate your project into your school’s curriculum, and what opportunities will it provide for students?
A. We’ll include it in science and agriculture classes. Students will learn how to grow food in a smart and eco-friendly way, and maybe even start their own projects.
Q. What plans do you have for engaging with the local community and promoting sustainable agriculture practices?
A. We will invite people to come and learn, organize training sessions, and show them how to grow food using aquaponics.
Q. How do you think your project can serve as a model for other schools and communities in Ghana and beyond?
A. It’s simple, low-cost, and easy to copy. We want to share what we’ve learned so others can also start similar projects.
Future Plans and Collaboration
Q. What are your plans for the project, and how do you see it evolving in the next few years?
A. We want to grow more food, add solar power, and create a small learning canter for farming and sustainability.
Q. Are there any potential collaborations or partnerships that you are exploring to support your project?
A. Yes, we are speaking to NGOs, tech companies, and schools to get support, training, and new ideas.
Q. How do you think your project can contribute to Ghana’s national development priorities and sustainability goals?
A. It helps Ghana by giving more food, teaching young people useful skills, and helping the country deal with climate change.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is the UAE’s pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges. A tribute to the legacy and vision of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Prize aims to drive sustainable development worldwide. In line with finding innovative solutions to today’s challenges the Sakafia Senior High School is optimistic about its impact, community engagement and even sustainability of the project beyond the the Sustainable Development Goals to a collective approach to ensuring food security, by teaching the next generation the needed skills and helping Ghana to deal with the bigger scenario of climate change for posterity.