EARLYFEST 2025 draws thousands to Efua Sutherland Park, celebrates early childhood talent and creativity

More than 2,000 children, educators, parents, and industry stakeholders gathered at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park on Saturday, November 22, 2025, for EARLYFEST 2025, an annual festival dedicated to discovering and nurturing children’s talents.

This year’s celebration, held under the theme “Discovering Gifts and Talents at Early Years,” was organised in partnership with Stanbic Bank Ghana.

The park came alive with vibrant displays of creativity and experiential learning as children participated in choreography, poetry recitals, drama presentations, Earlympics activities, talent exhibitions, and interactive learning corners.

Thirty (30) business vendors were also present, with many reporting strong sales throughout the event.

A key highlight of the festival was the Africa Early Childhood Education Awards (AECEA) 2025, which honoured schools and educators for their excellence in choreography, drama, poetry, and Earlympics competitions.

The program climaxed with an energetic dance competition and sack race.

Geraldine Hannah Kankam of Mount Olives School, Achimota (Basic 2), emerged as the overall winner of the dancing competition, while Hagar Mohammed Seidu, a JHS 3 student from Seed After the Order of Christ (SATOC) Academy, placed second.

In his keynote address, Otumfuo Owusu Ntiamoah, US Marine Corps Ambassador, for Ghana encouraged participants to embrace and promote Ghanaian culture through music, traditional clothing, and education.

He highlighted unity and cultural pride as essential tools for shaping confident young citizens.

Mrs. Mavis Leonards, CEO of Genescis and Executive Director of Mavis Inspires, emphasized the transformative impact of early mentorship and talent detection.

She called for stronger government investment in early childhood development and national programs that identify gifted children in arts, science, innovation, and leadership.

Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor in his speech emphasized the power of individual initiative and the need for collective support in nurturing children’s talents.

While commenting on the success of this year’ EARLYFEST event, he commended TERIA Foundation’s founder Mr. Walter Mawuli Gli, who is the initiator of EARLYFEST, describing him as “the indefatigable backbone of this remarkable initiative whose commitment, consistency, and perseverance have transformed a simple idea into a movement touching hundreds of young lives.”

He urged the crowd to give Mr. Gli a resounding applause, stressing that initiatives like EARLYFEST succeed because of visionaries who refuse to give up.

He reminded attendees that the theme “Discovering Gifts and Talents at Early Years” aligns with the nation’s broader developmental agenda, noting that leadership, creativity, innovation, and excellence begin in childhood—not adulthood.

“Never underestimate the contribution of anyone—whether small, medium, or big,” he said. “Every effort counts. Every idea has the potential to transform lives.”

The HRRG boss further appealed to parents, teachers, sponsors, and community actors to continue supporting EARLYFEST, saying the initiative thrives because each stakeholder believes in the vision.

He reaffirmed HRRG’s continuous partnership and commitment to support future editions.

Addressing the children directly, Dr. Wemakor delivered a passionate motivational message:

“Dear children, whatever dreams you have, never give up. Start small. Stay focused. Be committed. Be consistent. Persevere. And above all, work hard. If you do these things, success will surely follow you.”

His remarks earned applause from parents and educators who described his message as both timely and empowering.

This year’s festival received strong backing from key government institutions, including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts; the UNESCO Ghana Commission; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The festival further benefited from the support of several organizations and corporate partners such as DKA Accounting & Atwells Services, Leumas Games, Minerva Stationeries, Bamimo Enterprise, Bridging Histories UK, Mavis Inspires, Zenzele Foundation, Reclaim and Others Textiles Network, Babulsa TV (Kenya), Human Rights Reporters Ghana, Muna Kalati, and Multipro Ltd, producers of Indomie and Minimie Ashomo.

Twenty-five small businesses also participated, adding vibrancy and marketplace diversity to the event.

The 5th edition of the Africa Early Childhood Education Awards (AECEA) celebrated outstanding educators and institutions from Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya for their significant contributions to early childhood development.

Honorees included Mavis Palesa Fugah (Ghana) — Nursery Teacher of the Year; Gentile Mukandayisenga (Rwanda) — Caregiver of the Year; Laurel Adaletey (Ghana) — Best Teacher, Upper Primary; Mercy Karikari (Ghana) — Proprietress of the Year; Gregoire Rucamumihigo (Rwanda) — Proprietor of the Year; Mayllos Academy (Rwanda) — Outstanding Innovation in Education; Muna Kalati (Ghana) — Excellence in Digital Learning and Education; and ADEPE (Rwanda) — NGO of the Year.

Special honors were also presented to individuals championing early childhood development across Africa: Peter Hillary Mainga (Kenya) for promoting children’s rights and digital learning; Dr. Hamisi Babulsa (Kenya) for advancing early childhood development; David Lukoye (Kenya) for his work as a child journalist advocating early childhood education; and Iddrissa Bangura (Sierra Leone) for contributions to ECD through the Kids Happiness Foundation.

EARLYFEST 2025 strengthened community engagement, empowered young learners, provided market visibility for small businesses, and celebrated excellence in early childhood education across Africa.

The festival concluded with renewed calls for stronger national and continental support for children’s creativity, talent development, and inclusive learning.

As families departed the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, one powerful message echoed across the grounds: every child has a gift—and society must nurture those gifts from the earliest years.