Bismark Mborchie, a Visual Arts Tutor at Benkum Senior High School, is leading a creative initiative to enhance road safety education through the power of visual arts.
Mborchie employs concept drawings to visualize road safety education, providing a unique and engaging perspective for drivers and road users.
Recognizing the severity of the issue, he draws inspiration from World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, revealing that the African region accounts for 16% of global road traffic deaths despite having only 2% of registered vehicles in the world.
Despite a marginal reduction in road crashes in Ghana, a report by the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) disclosed that 1,086 people lost their lives in road crashes from January to June 2023.
In 2022, out of 14,960 reported road crashes, 2,373 lives were lost, emphasizing the urgent need for effective interventions.
Alarmed by these grim statistics, Mborchie advocates for a shift in approach, emphasizing the effectiveness of visual communication.
“Visuals are easily understood and stick in the mind more than words,” he explained to Starr News, highlighting the need for a more impactful means of conveying road safety messages.
“A lot of public education on road safety has been going on but it seems road crashes continue to rise killing thousands of people yearly and maiming many others affecting lots of families and deepening poverty. So I believe using visuals through arts to communicate road safety is something that will help because visuals are easily understood and sticks in the mind more than words”. Bismark Mborchie told Starr News Eastern Regional correspondent Kojo Ansah.
Mborchie’s vision for the year includes galvanizing support to create more drawings and paintings on road safety, with the intention of erecting them on major roads and lorry terminals across the country.
“As an artist I believe in the power of drawings so my vision this year is to get support to buy materials needed to do more drawings and paintings to be erected on major roads and lorry stations”
He believes this intervention will help Ghana meet target 3.6 of the sustainable development goals (SDG) which enjoins countries to halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
Bismark Mborchie ,a former science student at Senior High School turned artist, having followed his passion to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Education with a specialization in painting at University of Education, completing it in 2015.
The impact of Mborchie’s dedication to visual arts education extends beyond road safety.
The Benkum SHS Visual Art Department has transformed into an exhibition center, showcasing beautiful paintings on various themes, including climate change, water protection, community harmony, and depictions of popular Ghanaians.
Looking to the future, Mborchie aspires to secure a platform to showcase these works globally, placing them on the international stage of arts.
His commitment to shaping the dreams of visual students and addressing societal issues through art exemplifies the transformative power of creativity in education and public awareness.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
