Celebrated journalist and a staunch human rights activist, Joseph Wemakor has been conferred on the covetous Honorary Award for Peace, Security & Education of the Year at the Maiden Edition of the Africa Early Childhood Education (AECEA) 2021 which came off on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at the plush CIBT auditorium near Adabraka in Accra on Saturday, November 13, 2021.
The AECEA 2021 is an initiative of the Transformational Empowerment and Rural Integration Africa Foundation (TERIA), an NGO with support of hosts of partners including the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Alliance, and the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection among others which seeks to recognize, reward and motivate outstanding preschool teachers, institutions including some notable personalities whose tenacity, hard work and commitment to work have significantly contributed to shaping the early childhood education sector in Ghana.
Joseph Wemakor who doubles as a peace ambassador, a national SDGs champion (Co-convener of Youth Platform and the SDG 3 of the Ghana CSOs Platform on SDGs), youth leader and a trained climate change proponent has been honored for his efforts which contributed immensely towards the promotion of peace, security and education in Africa.
“This citation is in honor of Joseph Kobla Wemakor, Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) for your outstanding efforts which significantly contributed towards ensuring Peace and Security prevail among the Youth including the development of the Early Childhood Education Sector in Ghana.
It is with the utmost privilege that TERIA Foundation, organizers of the Africa Early Childhood Education Awards confers on you this honorary citation to motivate, inspire and urge you on to remain steadfast in your good deeds in order to become an agent of change and a beacon to many generations yet unborn, the citation complementing his honor reads.”
Mr. Wemakor, in line with his passion as a human rights activist, founded the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a non-governmental organization that is dedicated to protecting and ending human rights abuses in Ghana and beyond. HR brings together journalists, news editors, human rights activists, advocates, defenders, and lawyers together to advance the rights of women, girls, children, young people with disabilities, and other minority groups.
In 2019, he led the HRRG to launch a nationwide sensitization campaign on Kidnapping, Teenage Pregnancy, and Tramadol Abuse (KTT Project) as a response to the increasing incidents of kidnappings in Ghana.
The KTT campaign focused on addressing the issues of kidnapping, teenage pregnancy, and drug abuse but equally set about creating a deeper education on human rights to bring about a cultural change.
Since the rollout of the program in July 2019, the campaign team has managed to reach over 60,000 beneficiaries particularly school children, parents, and youth groups in the communities and religious settings within three regions of Ghana.
The positive feedback received from some beneficiaries a year after staging the campaign demonstrated the success of the initiative in saving lives and contributing significantly towards the advancement of the SDGs.
The gesture has won many hearts and attracted commendations towards the HRRG and its amazing team of volunteers both in and outside the borders of Ghana.
It equally paved the way for the HRRG to be nominated among ten (10) organizations across Africa that emerged as finalists for the 2020 Africans Rising Activism Award under the Movement of the Year category. Amazingly, the HRRG was the only activist group from Ghana to be chosen for this prestigious award.
Mr. Wemakor has been recognized on several platforms for his activism roles which endeared many hearts both at the local and the International level. In October 2020, he was featured in the ‘Business Woman Magazine’, a prestigious Ukrainian based glossy magazine that profiles influential men and women at the global level who have excelled in their various fields of endeavors including social issues, business, politics, governance, critical human rights issues, and diplomacy.
As a celebrated journalist, he has picked up multiple journalism awards for his dexterity and captivating news reporting with much focus on critical issues which always catch the attention of policymakers. This includes the enviable ‘Campus Clique Awards 2016’ of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (maiden edition), the Migration Media Awards 2018 (Winner) as well as the recipient of the “GIJ 60th Anniversary Media Contest” for producing an outstanding print report which sheds light on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Joseph Wemakor is equally the National Focal Person of the task force for the African Network of Young Leaders for Peace and Sustainable (ANYL4PSD) in Ghana as well as the newly elected 2nd Deputy Director of Communication for the Bureau of African Peace (BAP), a regional non-profit organization committed to the promotion of United Nations Peace Ideals.
The colorful ceremony which came under the theme: “Childcare & Security During & Post COVID-19 Era” also witnessed some excellent, hardworking, committed, and deserving preschool teachers, institutions, and notable personalities recognized for their immense contributions which brought about the desired change in the early childhood education sector across Africa.
Speaking at the event, Mad. Joyce Larnyoh, the Chair of the CSOs Platform on SDG 4 admonished the early childhood workers to be guided by the strategy of the 8 guidelines which underpin good interaction captured under emotional and comprehensive development of children in the discharge of their duties at all times.
While congratulating the winners for their efforts, she equally appealed to the preschool teachers to always endeavor to prioritize the needs of kids and be able to deal with their emotional faculty while sticking to the regulative components always to avoid causing them any discomfort.
Some other winners under various categories include Emammuella Ntow, the Educator of the year (female category), Derrick Ofori the Educator of the year (male category), Esther Delali Gbodui (Assistant of the year), Romay Christian Montessori (Early childhood centre of the year), Dorcas Daisy Doku (school head of the year), Charles Sam Crabb (personality of the year and the Great Mission International (NGO of the year).
The event was graced by hosts of dignitaries including some crème de la crème of the society, government appointees, educationists, students, and the hierarchy of the Ghana Civil Society Organization platform on SDGs, leaders from the various Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, and representatives of partnering organizations including some members of the general public.
Source: Ghana Web
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