The award also recognizes her philanthropic work and immense contributions to youth empowerment in the non-formal education sector in Ghana through her contribution to the Head of State Award Scheme (HOSA).

The groundbreaking moment took place at the Jubilee House in Accra on Friday, December 15, 2023.

Presenting the awards, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo praised all the other awardees for their dedication to the cause of empowering the youth and presented the first award to Dr. Asomaning, who has been his representative on the board since 2018.

Interacting with the media after the ceremony, Dr. Asomaning expressed gratitude for the award, saying, “It’s a great honour to be recognized for my humanitarian work in Ghana.”

She added that “I set out to help other people without a thought for any public acknowledgement.”

She observed that her passion kept her through all her endeavours. “I’m very passionate about giving back to society,” she added.

She encouraged others to support efforts in reaching out to the vulnerable in society.

“There are many more lives to touch, and our governments cannot do it all. Citizens must get involved,” she urged.

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global non-formal education framework that operates in more than 130 countries and territories, helping to inspire 14-24-year-olds to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world.

Although the Award’s framework remains the same wherever it is delivered, no two Awards are the same.

In 2018, Dr. Asomaning was appointed a Trustee of the Head of State Awards Scheme (a charity responsible for the non-formal education of the youth in Ghana and an affiliate of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, UK).

Angel-Zoe Foundation

Established in 2007, the ‘Angel-Zoe Foundation’ provides a range of innovative rehabilitation services, including vocational training and support to women and juvenile prison inmates and ex-offenders.

The economic empowerment they achieve also helps to achieve the targets within SDG1.

Profile Dr. Abena Asomaning is an award-winning humanitarian and prolific writer with a number of publications to her credit. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Lille (France).

She is currently the MD for a research company called the Africa Environmental Sanitation Consult and an academic with affiliations with the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) focused on leadership, international business and entrepreneurship.

For her outstanding humanitarian work with women and contributions toward development in Ghana, she received the ‘MTN Heroes of Change Award for Social Protection’ in 2014 and the ‘Points of Light Award’ from the Queen of England in 2018. In addition, the President of France recognized her contributions at the ‘Femme de Jour’ for women achievers in Africa in 2019.