Two siblings, 12-year-old Adonijah Opoku Brefo and his 9-year-old sister Bonilla Opoku Brefo, have mounted a strong anti-galamsey crusade through their 14-line poem (sonnet) titled STOP GALAMSEY.

STOP GALAMSEY

River river running

Why are you so bleeding?

Bleeding like a wounded soldier

It is because of the galamseyer

Destroying me as an unwanted foe

The future is at risk like a melting snow

Children born with deformities

As a result of water impurities

Aquatic animals cannot survive

Because of this we will strive

Let's stand up against illegal mining

Else, we will all be dying

It is my responsibility

And your duty

"I was watching a show on television and they were making a comparison between the then River Pra and what it is now and I noticed that there is a vast difference in terms of quality so I tried to write a poem about it so that we will all come together and stop galamsey else the future will be hopeless," Adonijah remarked.

The young environmentalist also appealed to Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to "provide the youth with employment so that they will stop engaging themselves in illegal mining as a source of income".

To the youth, Adonijah has advised them "not to take part in illegal mining but find legal ways of working or doing business because the illegal mining is having a major effect on us and our water bodies".

On her part, 9-year old Bonilla Opoku Brefo said she was inspired by her brother's decision to write the poem hence joined him to write.

Little Bonilla has added her voice to her brother's appeal to the president to provide employment for the youth and advised the youth involved in galamsey to find better jobs.

Aspiring pharmacist, Adonijah, and aspiring air hostess, Bonilla, want to prove the adage that "The pen is mightier than the sword" by writing poems to address environmentally destructive and disease-causing human activities.