Ghana ranks as the 72nd least corrupt nation out of 180 countries globally, according to the 2022 Corruption Perception Index. 
 
An independent office was established to reduce corruption and its related activities, but the country seems not to have tamed the influence of corruption.
 
Interestingly, some students at Adugyama in the Ashanti Region have developed a gaming app to educate children against the negative impacts of corruption.

The computer game application is designed to test the knowledge base of its users by providing answers to questions relating to corruption and its impact.
 
The app also seeks to educate students on waste management in a practical way. 
 
Students of Celestial Hope Educational Complex at Adugyama are the brains behind the app.
 
“We realized most institutions in the country are corrupt. So we designed this to change the status quo by educating the upcoming students like ourselves against corruption. So the user get to learn about some actions that contribute to corruption and how it could impeded development in a country,” one of students told Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe.  

The computer game has a set of questions on corruption which requires the user to provide the right answers to the multiple choice question.

The player can review the correct answers should they provide wrong answers to the set of questions.
 
Their prototype is one of the hundreds of technologies developed by schools participating in this year’s Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) challenge. 
 
Selected from schools across the Ashanti region, forty public and private basic schools are participating in this year’s competition.

The GSTEP Challenge is an innovative programme that encourages Junior High School students to develop practical interests and skills in STEM by proffering solutions to problems in their respective communities.

Founder of the competition, Constance Agyeman is advocating an increase in participation in STEM activities for pupil at the basic level.
 
“Junior High Schools are missing out on the STEM education and those are the formative years where they’re starting to make their decisions about what they’re curricula about and what they might want to do in the future.

“So helping them understand how STEM plays a pivotal role in their daily lives give them an appreciation that they too can follow a science and technology pathway if they want to,” she said.
 
One after the other, the students took turns to display their prototypes to a panel of judges. 
 
Johannes Thomas Arthur, a judge for the competition, is confident of a promising technological future for the country. 
 
“We want the industries to take advantage of what these kids are doing. We want all stakeholders including the Ministry of Education to take some of these things seriously. Because the children are being groomed for a better country,” he said.  
 
For the participating schools, their experience in the competition is an eye opener and a challenging expedition. 
 
“It’s not always about the books, but putting into practice what we’ve learnt in class. I’ve been able to overcome my stage freight and can now stand before the crowd an speak confidently,” Eric Agyemang, a participant, said.

Induction events were held across the three regions where teams in each region came together to participate in a series of workshops and activities.

The teams, comprising four to 6 members and led by a teacher from their respective schools participated in team building activities, workshops in business plan development, financing and budgeting.

The GSTEP Challenge is implemented by a consortium led by DreamOval Foundation including MEST Africa, Foundervine, DEXT Technology and Challenge Works.

The programme is funded by Fondation Botnar, a philanthropic organization that champions the use of AI and digital innovation to improve the well-being of young people.

The Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) Challenge has inducted 100 finalist teams from Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti regions into the programme