August 20, 2015
Two Ashesi alumni – Yawa Hansen-Quao ’08 and Adul-Latif Issahaku ’05 – were part of a group of six that represented Ghana at the Global Shapers Annual Curators Meeting (ACM) held in Geneva in August of 2015. The six, also including Gary-Al Smith, Daniel Owusu, Rosalin Kyere-Nartey and Tsonam Akpaloo, joined 450 curators that gathered for the meeting, hosted annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The ACM aims to energise and strengthen the Global Shapers community, by bring the network of curators together to exchange ideas, interact with WEF staff on pressing global issues, and strengthen cross-hub links.
The Global Shapers Hubs in Ghana have been involved in several projects, including bringing clean drinking water to rural communities, starting literacy projects, mentorship programmes for young people and providing support for girls to stay in school.
Curators at the ACM presented the projects run in their local communities and held a series of workshops on their impact and sustainability. The meeting also offered an opportunity for feedback and advice on these projects by a global community of peers as well as Forum experts.
“I am on the Global Shapers Foundation Board, so I was in Geneva to also attend our board meeting,” says Yawa, who is the only African on the Board. “It’s been such an honour serving the Global Shapers community in this capacity, and it’s exciting that we now have five hubs in Ghana.”
The Accra Shapers Hub, currently has four Ashesi alumni – Regina Agyare ‘05, Fred Deegbe ’06, Obinna Chuku ’06 and Yawa. “Each Shaper Hub is responsible for implementing projects at the local level that bring social impact,” says Yawa.
In addition to the Accra Hub, Ghana also has a Cape Coast Hub, a Kumasi Hub, a Ho Hub and now a Tamale Hub, started by Abdul-Latif.
“At the Tamale Hub, we will be focusing on impact projects around education, health and citizen participation,” says Abdul-Latif. “We intend to position Tamale as one of the most attractive cities to live and work. The network of Global Shapers converging at Geneva provided a perfect opportunity to share experiences from different countries on how to run community-based impact projects, fund raising, recruitment, stakeholder engagement and media relations for the Hubs.”
“Ashesi alumni fit perfectly into the Global Shapers community, because for four years of our undergraduate experience, we have been taught to ponder on what makes a good society, and given the tools to build it,” says Yawa. “It’s been powerful to see us make such an impact in the Global Shapers community.”