From Receiving Recognition to Recognising Others: My 10-Year Transformation
There are moments in life that seem ordinary when they happen, but years later you realise they quietly changed the direction of your future. For me, one of those moments happened on April 1, 2016. I was a journalism student at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), now the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), when I was recognised as the ‘Most Influential Student Media Personnel’ at the maiden Campus Clique Awards. At the time, I saw it as an encouragement. Looking back ten years later, I now see it as the beginning of a much bigger journey. Today, in 2026, I am no longer only receiving recognition for my own work. I have become the Founder and Convener of the HRRG Global RightsShield Awards—a platform created to recognise individuals and institutions advancing human rights, democracy, peace, justice and social development across Africa and beyond. This is the story of how one award became part of the inspiration for creating a platform that now celebr...