Osnon Academy Uga Emerges Overall Winner As Anambra Students Pitch Changemaking Ideas At Inaugural CACE Pitch-a-thon

Osnon Academy, Uga, Community Secondary School, Aguluezechukwu, and Aguata High School, Aguata, have emerged first, second, and third respectively at the inaugural Changemakers for Culture and Education (CACE) Pitch-a-thon in Anambra, which brought together students from across Aguata Local Government Area to pitch ideas for positive change in their communities.

The event, hosted at the Aguata Local Government Headquarters by Ashoka Africa and the Chude & Ego Foundation, attracted the Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Barrister Udorji Amedu; his Ministry of Youth counterpart, Patrick Agha-Mba, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ifeatu Emordi; the Aguata Local Government Chairman, Dr. Chibueze Oforbuike; as well as teachers from the participating schools.

Earlier, while declaring the event open, the Aguata Local Government Chairman, Dr. Oforbuike, who appreciated the organisers and partners for the impact they are making in society, said changemaking should be part of everyday conversations for a better society.

In his keynote address, the Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Barrister Amedu, described the programme as innovative and urged the participating students to allow their cultural values, especially the Igbo culture of hard work, to positively influence their lives, while assuring them that his ministry would work with all interested parties in hosting similar programmes.

In an interview, the Team Lead of Ashoka Africa in Southeast Nigeria, Ozi Anieto, charged the winners to encourage others to contribute to bringing about the desired changes in society, and stressed the need for the government and well-meaning individuals to support the scaling up and expansion of the programme to other parts of the state for greater impact.

Contributing, a representative of the Chude & Ego Foundation and Head of School, Osnon Academy, Uga, Dr. Arinze Izuegbunam, said the foundation and the school are committed to creating positive change in society and charged everyone to be changemakers wherever they are.

The event featured the presentation of cheques to the winners and awards to changemaking teachers from schools in Aguata Local Government Area.