November 25, 2015 – Princess Umul Hatiyya Ibrahim Mahama visited Ashesi to speak on the benefits of being global citizens. She drew from experiences gathered from traveling and seeing 85 cities in 50 countries in 5 continents.
In her talk she challenged the audience to break the status quo and view traveling as a way to impact the world. “As a 21st century global citizens, we need to get out of the box,” she said. “The fact that we were not raised traveling does not mean we should remain that way, because we are here to affect the world. We are world-changers, so let us start to think like that. Let’s take it upon ourselves and learn something.”
From bungee jumping off the Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand to visiting the Flame of Hope in Rwanda, to climbing the Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Princess shared her passion, and stories of curiosity, fascinating architecture, respect for other people, overcoming fear, food and photography.
After the talk, she addressed questions from the audience and also shared a list of books that have inspired her. In conclusion, she shared insights into how travel is useful for national transformation.
“When you travel, you are exposed to things that work, and numerous possibilities. Your mind is also exposed to thinking outside the box, and what will work here [in Ghana], because if you just copy and paste, it may not work. Travel gives you a different way of thinking; more possibilities and also learning."