A win over “galamsey”: How Abigail and Abomosu STEM School turned a previous mining site into a school garden

What used to be a destroyed “galamsey” site in Abomosu is now full of life, and young people made it happen.

Through the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) School Farm Program, students at AbomosuSTEM School proved that even damaged land can rise again. At the heart of this story is Abigail Nmabila Aduko, winner of the 2025 Best Female Student (SHS Category).

When Abigail joined the school, she didn’t just come to learn, she came to lead. Drawing on skills she gained through the KIC School Farm Program, she helped her school restore the soil using compost and climate-smart farming practices.

Today, the same land once scarred by “galamsey” is producing food, creating opportunity, and inspiring a new generation.

For her outstanding leadership, Abigail received a laptop, certificate, and plaque, but beyond the awards, she gained something even more powerful, confidence and purpose.

Executive Director of Kosmos Innovation Center, Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, says Abigail’s story represents exactly what KIC stands for.

“When young people are given the right skills and opportunities, they don’t just change their own lives, they transform their communities. Abigail and her school have shown that innovation and determination can restore hope for agriculture, even in places affected by galamsey.”

Abigail’s journey is proof that young people are not just the future, they are the now.

Through the KIC School Farm Program, students are learning to solve real problems, build leadership skills, and turn challenges into opportunities.

This is more than farming. This is winning over galamsey.

(Galamsey is a Ghanaian term used to describe illegal small-scale gold mining, typically carried out without a license and often without regard for environmental regulations)