Accra, July 26, GNA – Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a Ghanaian media and human rights advocacy NGO is the winner of the 5th UN Global Entreps Awards by the Secretary-General of Entreps-International Board of Global Actors and Business for Sustainability Raquel Torres, and the 1,000 Global Jurors of Entreps in partnership with the UN75.
HRRG clinched it through its compelling Nationwide Sensitization Campaign on Kidnapping, Teenage Pregnancy and Tramadol/Drug Abuse (‘KTT Project’) declared as the ‘Best International Practice Award on Sustainability’.
The award conferred on the HRRG and its founder Joseph Kobla Wemakor was confirmed in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica (Central America) by the Raquel Torres, Secretary-General of Entreps-International Board of Global Actors and Business for Sustainability.
The initiative was chosen out of 1,912 projects and enterprises from 126 countries shortlisted as better implementers of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, so far, in each geographical area of the world through a rigorous, long-standing global contest assessment spanning two years period.
The Global Jurors are committed diplomats, public figures, associations, researchers and influential citizens working towards sustainability and governance.
The Global Entreps Awards honor individuals, outstanding initiatives, successful policies, institutions, start-ups, and other entities from all over the world, who creat and grow sustainably in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
The Global #EntrepsAwards, like the ‘Oscar Awards’ to Sustainability, reward the best practices worldwide giving birth, promoting and implementing any of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a sustainable business or industry, breakthrough digital solutions respectful Nature and human beings, good governance and engaged citizenship as well as entrepreneurship and Science respectful to Nature and human beings.
There are all 30 awards, 30 different chapters for 126 countries, 17 of which are entirely devoted to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The KTT Project focused on addressing kidnapping, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse but equally set about creating a deeper education on human rights to bring about cultural change.
In response to the increasing incidents of kidnappings in Ghana in 2019, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana launched the ‘saviour’ KTT Project to raise awareness of three key issues: kidnapping, teenage pregnancies, and tramadol/drug abuse.
The intervention complemented government’s effort to end the country’s rising abductions including protecting lives and promotion of human rights
Since the roll out of the programme in July 2019, the campaign team managed to reach over 60,000 beneficiaries particularly schoolchildren, parents and youth groups in the communities and religious settings within three regions of Ghana.
The positive feedback received barely a year after staging the campaign demonstrated the success of the initiative in saving lives and contributing towards the advancement of the SDGs.
It also inspired the HRRG team of passionate volunteers to go above and beyond to expand the campaign to include all 16 regions of Ghana.
The group’s dedication towards its activism laurels in helping address human rights abuses in Ghana and beyond has received wide commendation from various individuals, organizations and institutions both within and outside Ghana.
It equally paved the way for it to be nominated among the (10) organizations from across Africa that were named finalists for the 2020 Africans Rising Activism Award in the category of Movement of the Year.
Human Rights Reporters Ghana is an initiative of young Ghanaian journalists, editors, lawyers and human rights activists who have come together to address human rights violations in Ghana to bring the country closer to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063.
HRRG’s ED, Joseph Kobla Wemakor in his appreciation of the award observed that the award recognizes the significant strides the NGO had made towards advancing societal safety and combating international crimes.
He said the award was a testament to their dedicated team passionate about uprooting societal menaces and believed it would spur them to further their benevolent pursuits.
He added that: “for HRRG to be acknowledged by the 1,000 Global Jurors of Entreps, Joaquin Boston, the Chairman of Entreps and its Secretary-General, Raquel Torres in collaboration with the United Nations as an awardee from Ghana, West Africa to receive the revered global honor is a noteworthy accomplishment confirming Ghana’s position in global sustainable practice and setting precedence for other NGOs and stakeholders in the region to emulate”.
Mr Wisdom Eli Kojo Hammond, the KTT Project Coordinator at HRRG was proud of the project’s success: “It feels amazing to see our work recognized globally. But the real victory is witnessing the change and progress these communities make as a result of our constant efforts,” he stated.
GNA