Teshie LEKMA 12 JHS emerged as the overall winner of the maiden edition of the Mohinani Creative and Innovation Fair, which marked the climax of a three-month waste management and recycling initiative in Ghana dubbed “Charley, Sort It Out.”

The winning team impressed judges with paper bricks made from compressed paper waste. The students collected used paper, soaked and pulped it, and then compressed the material in moulds to produce solid, durable blocks. These bricks can be used to construct eco-friendly mini structures and decorative pieces, demonstrating a practical approach to recycling.

According to the jury, the project stood out for its clear “waste-to-value” transformation, scalability across schools, and its combined economic and environmental benefits.

Second place was awarded to Teshie Salem Presby JHS, which showcased creative reuse of plastic and paper waste to produce functional and decorative items, including a moving model airplane, craft pieces, and a working table lamp.

Teshie LEKMA 5 JHS secured third place with a compelling storytelling artwork highlighting the dangers of improper waste disposal, particularly littering in water bodies. The jury noted its strong environmental message and potential as an effective public education tool.

As part of the awards, the top three schools received seed funding of GHS 5,000, GHS 4,000, and GHS 3,000 respectively to establish sustainability centres where their innovations can be reproduced and scaled. In addition, all students in the winning schools were presented with three branded exercise books and a pen each.

Forty-two schools participated in the 2025 edition of the Mohinani Waste management and Recycling competition.