Students Showcased Creativity at MOALFBE 2025 World Food Day Poster Competition Award Ceremony by Brent Simon & Carol-Faye Bynoe-George
Young minds took centre stage as the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy (MOALFBE) hosted its 2025 World Food Day (WFD) Poster Competition Awards Ceremony, celebrating students’ creativity, awareness, and engagement in agriculture, food security, and the blue economy. The ceremony was held on Tuesday 30th December at the Fisheries Conference room with Mr. Tyreke Thomas-Horsford/Communications Officer was Master of Ceremonies.
Delivering the opening address was Mrs. Denise Matthias-Thomas/Principal Assistant Secretary (PAS) who delivered the welcome and underscored the Ministry’s beliefs “…. education must begin early and that our young people are key partners in shaping a resilient and food-secure future for our nation,” Mrs. Matthias-Thomas said.
She emphasized the Ministry’s solid commitment to strengthening the link between agriculture, fisheries, the environment and education, noting that initiatives such as the poster competition allow students to engage with real-world issues in meaningful ways. “It is our hope that this initiative will become a staple on the national calendar, fostering greater awareness and appreciation for agriculture and food security across the education system,” she added.
The overview of the competition was delivered by Mrs. Carol-Faye Bynoe-George, Head of Communication Unit. She explained that the initiative was launched in observance of World Food Day 2025, annually celebrated in October under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”. According to Mrs. Bynoe-George the competition was open to government primary and secondary schools across Antigua and Barbuda, and was designed to raise awareness about food security, healthy eating, sustainable agriculture, fisheries and the blue economy.
“The students were invited to visually interpret the theme through original artwork that highlighted the role of agriculture, land use, fisheries, and the blue economy in shaping a sustainable future,” she explained.
Although participation was limited in this inaugural year, with three schools – two secondary and one primary – taking part, Mrs. Bynoe-George commended the students for their effort and their interpretations of the theme. “Most of you truly grasped the concept of the theme and what we were looking for. The level of creativity displayed was impressive, and we are confident participation will grow in future years.” she said.
Entries were judged on theme alignment, creativity and originality, clarity of message, relevance to Antigua and Barbuda, visual impact, accuracy, and overall presentation. The participants were then awarded with certificates of participation by Mr. Gregory Bailey / Director of Agriculture. Each participant received a certificate and commemorative gifts in recognition of their contribution.
The Certificates of Placement were presented to the winners by Mrs. Denise Matthias-Thomas.
Winners: Primary School Category – First Place:
Shaniyah Francis, T.N. Kirnon Primary School
Secondary School Category – First Place:
Gabriella Eusebe, All Saints Secondary School
Secondary School Category – Second Place:
Keairra Smith, All Saints Secondary School
Secondary School Category – Third Place
J’Shorna Appleton – Sir Novelle Richards Academy
Winning students also received gift certificates along with additional prizes.
Participating Schools – All Saints Secondary School, Sir Novelle Richards Academy, and Simon Bolivar Primary School – were also recognized and received certificates. Mrs. Nicolette Francis/Agricultural Science Education Officer at the Ministry of Education (MOE) collected those certificates on behalf of the schools. The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ms. Emerald David/SRI and Communications Officer, who expressed appreciation to the Ministry’s leadership, educators, parents, judges, and organizers for their collective support.
“Our students are at the heart of this initiative. Their creativity and thoughtful interpretations of the theme remind us why engaging our youth is essential to building a stronger, more sustainable future,” Ms. David added. The event ended with a photo session of the participants and their artworks.
