Colincia Ayifa, a student at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Cape Coast, has been acknowledged for her groundbreaking investigative report on the presence of E. coli contamination in the popular millet and milk smoothie, “Brukina.” Ayifa’s exceptional work was honored at the 27th
Ghana Journalists Asoociation (GJA) Awards held at the Accra International Conference Centre, (AICC) where she was awarded the Best Student Journalist of the Year. Ayifa’s citation at the awards ceremony stated, “Your ability to bring scientific discoveries about the ‘E. coli’ contamination of the popular millet and milk smoothie, ‘Brukina,’ to the forefront of a public narrative and make the findings accessible to readers in plain language, is very admirable.”
In her award-winning interactive feature titled “Brukina: A Nutritious Food Contaminated with E. coli,” Ayifa shed light on the critical health issue surrounding the beloved beverage. Through her meticulous analysis of research data from the renowned Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the esteemed Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana, Ayifa exposed the alarming presence of escherichia coli bacteria in nearly all the examined “Brukina” samples.
The citation praised Ayifa’s work, stating, “Your own investigation also revealed that all the products on the market lacked FDA approval. You were on the ground to witness how the smoothie is produced and that, together with the available scientific data, provided very important public health information that can save lives.”
In response to receiving the award, Ayifa expressed her gratitude and emphasized the importance of raising awareness about public health issues.
By: Deborah Appiah
Congratulations! Keep it up!