The 2026 JoyNews Impact Awards, organised by the JoyNews Impact Makers Foundation of The Multimedia Group, returns with a renewed focus on recognising individuals and organisations driving meaningful change across Ghana.

This year’s edition highlights 12 outstanding impact makers whose work spans health, education, disability inclusion, girl child empowerment, water and sanitation, youth development, infrastructure, and community transformation.

New categories have been introduced to reflect evolving development priorities, including dedicated recognition for persons living with disabilities and Corporate/Institutional Impact Partners supporting sustainable development.

Partners supporting this year’s awards include Ghana CEO Summit, Labadi Beach Hotel, Ayuda (Ghana’s number one services app), New Crystal Hospital, Sulas Enterprise, WaterAid Ghana, and the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

Health & Community Care

Rev. Christian K. Vorleto has pioneered an Integrated Community Care Model for mentally ill street persons in the Volta Region, personally managing 69 cases and successfully reintegrating 55 individuals into society. His work restores dignity to people often neglected by formal systems.

Bless Lantam, a nurse in the Nkwanta South Municipality, has sustained healthcare delivery in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach communities. Despite insecurity and disrupted health systems, he has continued outreach services that provide immunisation, maternal care, and essential health interventions, becoming a lifeline for many rural residents.

Amos Andoh, who lives with sickle cell disease, has turned his lived experience into advocacy through the Focus on Sickle Cell Foundation. His work has contributed to national awareness, genotype education, and policy influence, including efforts that supported NHIS coverage for sickle cell treatment and proposals to include sickle cell education in the national curriculum.

Senyo Success Gbormittah, a medical doctor and development leader with Hope for Ghana, has delivered broad impact across health, education, and water access. His work includes building schools, drilling boreholes, expanding NHIS coverage to over 40,000 people, and leading mobile medical outreach programmes in remote communities.

Dr. Anthony Akunzule has focused on water, sanitation, and rural livelihoods. Through borehole provision, women’s economic empowerment initiatives, and community support programmes, he has improved access to clean water and strengthened household incomes in rural Ghana.

Education & Girl Child Empowerment

Faith Aku Dzakpasu is redefining classroom learning through inclusive, technology-driven teaching methods and social innovation. Her work spans literacy improvement, menstrual health advocacy, street children education, teacher development, and environmental awareness, with measurable improvements in student performance and engagement.

Alberta Seyram Adjoa Ananga Ayitey leads the ANEG Foundation, which has supported over 1,500 girls in the Shai Osudoku and Lower Manya Krobo Districts. Through mentorship, leadership training, menstrual hygiene education, and entrepreneurship programmes, she has helped many girls progress to higher levels of education, with some now serving as peer mentors.

Issabella Akwaboah has advanced menstrual equity through the Amazing Girls Foundation. In 2025 alone, her work reached over 6,000 girls and women with sanitary products and education. She has also established local production of eco-friendly reusable menstrual kits, creating both social impact and employment opportunities for women.

Disability & Social Inclusion

Valeria Adzo Adzatia, founder of the Smiles of Hope Foundation, supports amputees through counselling, rehabilitation, and peer mentorship. Her work has reached thousands of beneficiaries, helping many rebuild confidence and reintegrate into society with dignity.

Anthony Osei, a prosthetics and orthotics specialist living with disability, has dedicated his career to restoring mobility for others. Through clinical work, professional training, and nationwide outreach programmes, he ensures access to assistive devices and improved quality of life for persons with physical disabilities.

Education, Infrastructure & Sports Development

Felix Akonta Akakpo has personally built and donated a full KG–JHS school complex serving nearly 1,000 children in Lente Wute. He continues to support education by paying teacher salaries, sponsoring students, and funding infrastructure projects, while also investing in sports development across Ketu South.

The Cape Coast Youth Development Association (CCYDA) is a community-based organisation driving youth empowerment through education support, vocational training, health outreach, and cultural preservation. Its work has impacted thousands of young people and strengthened civic participation in Cape Coast.

The 2026 JoyNews Impact Awards present a powerful reflection of Ghana’s grassroots transformation. Across different regions and sectors, these 12 honourees demonstrate that sustainable development is not only driven by institutions but also by individuals and organisations who choose to act consistently, often with limited resources, but with deep commitment.

Their stories cut across healthcare, education, disability inclusion, gender equity, water access, and youth development. Together, they represent a growing movement of changemakers whose impact is reshaping communities and redefining what progress looks like in Ghana today.

The JoyNews Impact Markers Awards is organised by the JoyNews Impact Makers Foundation of The Multimedia Group and sponsored by the Ghana CEO Summit, Labadi Beach Hotel, Ayuda, New Crystal Hospital, Sulas Enterprise, Water Aid Ghana and Ghana Chamber of Mines.