Chapter 12-The School Project

Eric stood in front of his class, gripping a small notebook. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to smile.

"Good morning, everyone," he began, scanning the room. His classmates stared back, some curious, others uninterested. "I have an idea."

A few students groaned. "Not again, Eric," one boy muttered.

Eric ignored the comment and pressed on. "You all know how dirty our school compound gets, right?"

There were some nods. Everyone had seen the litter scattered around—empty water sachets, food wrappers, and old exercise books lying in corners.

"What if we clean it up ourselves?" Eric continued. "Not just once, but every week. And we plant trees and flowers to make it beautiful."

Silence. Then, someone laughed.

"Ei, you want us to be school janitors?" Kwesi, the class troublemaker, scoffed. "That one is for the cleaners, not us."

Eric had expected resistance. He took a deep breath. "No, it's not just cleaning. It's about responsibility. If we want Ghana to be great, we have to start with our own environment."

A girl in the front row, Ama, raised her hand. "But how do we get people to help? Some students won't do it."

Eric nodded. "We make it fun. We turn it into a challenge. House against house. The cleanest area wins a prize."

Now, a few faces lit up. The school had four houses, and competition was fierce. If there was a prize, people would be interested.

Kwesi folded his arms. "And who will give this prize? You?"

Eric hesitated. He hadn't thought about that. But before he could answer, a voice spoke from the doorway.

"I will."

Everyone turned. It was Mr. Mensah, their social studies teacher.

"If you're serious about this, Eric," Mr. Mensah continued, stepping into the classroom, "I'll personally donate a brand-new football to the winning house. But only if you get enough people involved."

Eric's face broke into a grin. A football? That was a big deal.

"Challenge accepted," he said.

For the next few days, Eric and his small team—including Ama and a few other classmates—spread the word. At first, many students dismissed them.

"Why should we bother?"

"That one is teacher's work."

"School is for learning, not cleaning."

But when they heard about the football prize, everything changed. Suddenly, students were arguing about which house would win. Even Kwesi started taking it seriously, boasting that his house, Red House, would destroy the competition.

On Saturday morning, the school gates opened for the first-ever "Clean & Green Challenge."

Eric arrived early, carrying a bundle of gloves and trash bags. He looked around nervously. What if no one showed up?

But then, one by one, students began arriving. First a few, then dozens. Soon, nearly half the school was there.

Eric beamed. This was happening.

"Alright, everyone!" he called out. "Each house has its own area to clean. When you're done, we plant the flowers over there—" he pointed to a neglected patch near the assembly hall—"and then we'll vote on the best work!"

Whistles blew. The challenge began.

Students rushed to pick up litter, sweeping the dusty compound, scrubbing old desks, and raking fallen leaves. Eric joined in, helping wherever he could. Even teachers passing by looked impressed.

But not everything went smoothly.

At one point, Kwesi and his friends started playing around instead of working.

"Ei, Kwesi!" Eric called out, hands on his hips. "We're here to clean, not fool around."

Kwesi smirked. "Relax, leader-man. We're working."

Eric sighed. He had to handle this carefully. "Alright," he said, thinking fast. "Let's make it more interesting. Whoever finishes their part first gets extra votes from the teachers."

Kwesi's eyes lit up. "Extra votes?"

"Yes. But only if it's done properly."

Immediately, Kwesi and his group got serious, working twice as fast. Eric smiled to himself. A little motivation could do wonders.

After two hours, the school looked completely different. The ground was spotless, and the air smelled fresh. Near the assembly hall, bright flowers stood in neat rows, their petals catching the sunlight.

Mr. Mensah and a few other teachers walked around, inspecting the work. Finally, they made their decision.

"And the winner of the first Clean & Green Challenge is…" Mr. Mensah paused dramatically. "Blue House!"

Cheers erupted from the Blue House members, while the other houses groaned.

Eric felt a rush of pride. It didn't matter which house won—the real victory was seeing his idea come to life.

As Mr. Mensah handed over the football, he patted Eric on the back. "Well done, Eric. You've just proven that leadership isn't about big speeches. It's about action."

Eric grinned. Today was only the beginning.