Four Ashesi students have been selected as Ashesi’s Melton Fellows for 2016. The four students, Kwabena Twumasi Ankrah '19 (Ghana), Pearl Gemegah '19 (Ghana), Henrika Amoafo '19 (Kenya & Ghana) and Cynthia Muhonja '19 (Kenya) are part of a team of 20 fellows from around the world selected from a pool of over 200 applicants globally. The four also form the second group from Ashesi to join the programme, bringing the total number of fellows at Ashesi to nine.
The Melton Foundation is a leading proponent of global citizenship as a way to encourage people and institutions to collaborate on shared global challenges. It works to empower students to address seven key issues, including conflict reduction, empowering change-makers, improving education and promoting equality. In 2014, the Melton Foundation partnered with Ashesi as part of their expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. The four Ashesi students will join other change-makers from Chile, Germany, India, China and the U.S.A to drive conversations on global citizenship and collaboration.
A chance to experience new cultures
“I applied to be a part of the Melton network because I believe that before being a citizen of Ghana, I am a citizen of the earth and hence strongly share in the common goals of humanity; liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness,” said Kwabena Twumasi. “Instinctively, I feel a strong connection to others around the world and a sense of duty to protect other humans regardless of race or background. I am looking forward to having a massive opportunity to experience new cultures, expanding my knowledge, learning new skills and connecting with some of the world's brightest minds to fully unleash my potential and sharpening me to solve global issues.
Contributing to global action
In January next year, the four new Fellows will attend the Melton Fellows Orientation in Germany to interact with other fellows from around the world to share ideas, learn skills and forge partnerships. “I thought it would be pretty fantastic to be part of a community of forward thinking global citizens who wanted to somehow solve the world's issues,” said Henrika. “Now that I'm a fellow, which I am both humbled and excited about, I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow 2016 Fellows, and making friends from all over the world. I am also excited about learning how to be a good global citizen, playing a small role in global change and learning about the world's cultures from those I meet when I travel.”