Fourteen-year-old Freda Owusuaa Acheampong proved that perseverance pays off when she captured the 2025 Otumfuo Community Reading Challenge championship on October 10, exactly one year after finishing fourth in the same competition. This time, she left nothing to chance.
The Mensah Saahene M/A Junior High School student from Mampong scored 93.5 points at the Jubilee Auditorium of Manhyia Palace, edging out fierce competition to claim a trophy, full scholarship covering senior high and university education, and GHC10,000 in cash. For a teenager who spent the past year watching others celebrate while she contemplated what went wrong, the victory must taste especially sweet.
Rose Korkor, 14, from Kunsu Camp D/A JHS, came heartbreakingly close with 93.2 points, earning second place and GHC6,000. That 0.3 point margin represents the difference between a scholarship that could change a life trajectory and a consolation prize, however generous. Third place went to 15-year-old Afia Henewah Annin of Obuasi SDA JHS with 92.5 points and GHC4,000.
The top five was rounded out by Magdalene Duodu Akwabang, 13, of Manuel International School in Twedie, and Josephine Afrifa Kuffour, 13, of Prempeh Experimental Basic ‘B’ JHS. All five finalists demonstrated reading comprehension and literacy skills that would impress students years older, suggesting the competition is achieving exactly what it set out to do.
Acheampong didn’t take her victory for granted, immediately acknowledging the man whose vision created the platform for her triumph. She expressed gratitude to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for initiating the reading challenge to promote literacy among students. It’s the kind of gracious recognition that suggests her teachers have been preparing her not just to win competitions but to succeed in life.
The Otumfuo Community Reading Challenge represents one of the Asante monarch’s signature educational initiatives, designed to build literacy skills among junior high students across the Ashanti Region. Unlike many academic competitions that test rote memorization, this challenge emphasizes genuine reading comprehension, critical thinking, and the ability to engage meaningfully with texts. Those skills matter far more in the real world than knowing which year a particular treaty was signed.
Nana Prof. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei Woahene II, Hiahene and Board Chairman of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, praised all the contestants while positioning the initiative within the broader context of the Asante monarch’s development agenda. He described it as one of His Majesty’s visionary programs that continues to build the next generation of leaders through literacy, the kind of statement that sounds like public relations until you consider what GHC10,000 and a full scholarship means to a 14-year-old from a mission school in Mampong.
Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, added his voice to the chorus of praise, calling the competition a brilliant program that encourages children to realize their potential. Politicians say such things at education events all the time, but in this case, the results speak louder than the rhetoric. Five teenagers just demonstrated literacy skills that position them for success regardless of which career paths they eventually choose.
This year’s edition carried additional emotional weight, having been dedicated to the late Queen Mother of Asanteman, Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III, who passed away earlier this year. Her lifelong commitment to children’s welfare and education made the dedication particularly appropriate. The Queen Mother understood something that sometimes gets lost in policy debates: investing in children’s literacy isn’t just about test scores, it’s about giving young people tools to shape their own destinies.
The scholarship Acheampong won extends through university, meaning she now has educational security until at least her early twenties. That’s transformative for any family, but especially for those without the resources to comfortably afford senior high school fees, let alone university tuition. She can focus on learning rather than worrying about whether school fees will materialize next term.
What makes her story compelling isn’t just the rags to riches narrative, though that element certainly exists. It’s the comeback angle. Fourth place last year meant she was good enough to reach the finals but not quite good enough to win. Many students would have been discouraged, convinced they’d reached their ceiling. Acheampong apparently decided fourth place was her floor, not her ceiling, and spent the next year working to prove it.
The competition’s structure, which brings together students from mission schools, public schools, and private institutions, ensures that talent gets recognized regardless of institutional pedigree. Acheampong attends a mission school, not one of the prestigious private academies that often dominate academic competitions. Her victory suggests the playing field is relatively level when the competition tests genuine reading ability rather than access to expensive prep courses.
For the runners up, particularly Rose Korkor who came within a whisker of winning, the experience still offers value beyond the cash prizes. They’ve proven they belong among the region’s best young readers. They’ve gained confidence that will serve them well in future academic challenges. And they’ve learned that losing by 0.3 points means you were almost good enough to win, which should motivate rather than discourage.
The Otumfuo Community Reading Challenge won’t solve all of Ghana’s education challenges. It won’t fix overcrowded classrooms, inadequate textbooks, or underpaid teachers. But it does something equally important: it celebrates academic excellence, rewards students who prioritize literacy, and demonstrates that traditional authorities can be powerful partners in educational development.
Acheampong’s journey from fourth place to champion suggests she took that lesson to heart. Whatever she does next, whether in senior high school or beyond, she’ll do it knowing that setbacks aren’t permanent and that persistence eventually pays off. That’s worth more than GHC10,000, though the money certainly doesn’t hurt.
