What began in 2014 as a personal passion to help people in need has grown into more than a decade of humanitarian service, touching lives across communities in Ghana. For Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nhyiramma Foundation, that journey reached another significant milestone when she was honoured as Global Humanitarian of the Year 2026 at the 5th Global Women Leadership Summit & Awards.The recognition, presented by renowned broadcaster and women’s rights advocate Akumaa Mama Zimbi, celebrates a humanitarian journey built around compassion, personal sacrifice, and a sustained commitment to vulnerable people and underserved communities.But for Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa, the award is not simply about recognition. It represents years of quietly doing the work.“What started as a passion project has grown into something I never imagined. I give God all the glory,” she said.A Decade of ServiceEstablished in 2014, Nhyiramma Foundation has undertaken a range of humanitarian interventions, particularly in deprived communities in Ghana’s Eastern Region.Among its interventions are the provision of boreholes to communities with limited access to potable water, educational support for children, healthcare assistance, and economic empowerment programmes for women.The foundation says it has supported children by paying their school fees and helping them remain in school, while also providing microloans to 250 women engaged in petty trading, enabling them to strengthen their businesses and provide for their children.In healthcare, the foundation donated hospital items valued at approximately GH¢50,000 to Tetteh Quashie Memorial Hospital and has supported less privileged mothers by paying hospital bills.The foundation has also facilitated two major surgeries for children living with hydrocephalus, interventions that Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa describes as among the many experiences that have deepened her commitment to humanitarian work.A Personal Commitment to PhilanthropyOne of the distinctive aspects of Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa’s humanitarian journey is the extent to which she says she has personally financed the work.According to her, approximately 85 per cent of the projects undertaken by Nhyiramma Foundation over the years have been funded from her personal resources. She explains that proceeds from her businesses have often been channelled into charitable interventions.Her commitment has also taken her beyond conventional office-based philanthropy. She recounts occasions when she has personally travelled to remote communities, sometimes even renting vehicles to reach areas that are difficult to access, to spend time with vulnerable families and understand their circumstances.For her, humanitarianism is therefore not merely about making donations. It is about being present.“It takes someone with a deep passion to continue doing this. I have always had a love for humanity, and when it comes to vulnerable people, I am selfless,” she said.Empowering Widows and Single MothersNhyiramma Foundation has also begun placing greater emphasis on economic empowerment.In 2025, the foundation launched the Widows and Single Mothers Association in Akuapem North, with the aim of creating a structured platform through which vulnerable women can receive support, empowerment, and opportunities to improve their livelihoods.The initiative has already provided seed capital to 20 women, with plans to expand the programme across the Eastern Region and eventually to other parts of Ghana.The long-term vision is to move beyond one-time charitable assistance and create sustainable pathways through which vulnerable women can become economically stronger and better positioned to care for their families.A Growing List of RecognitionThe Global Humanitarian of the Year 2026 award adds to a growing list of recognitions received by Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa for her humanitarian and philanthropic work.Her previous honours include:• Shero of the Year, 2019• Woman in Philanthropy Award, 2019• Best Humanitarian Award, 2020• Africa Peace Advocate Award, 2024• Triumph Change Maker Award, 2025• Global Humanitarian of the Year, 2026The latest honour, she says, is particularly humbling because it reflects a journey that began without a grand institutional plan. It began with a desire to help.From Individual Passion to Institutional ImpactWith Nhyiramma Foundation now entering a new phase, Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa says her ambition is to build a more structured and sustainable organisation capable of reaching many more vulnerable people.The foundation’s growing focus on widows, single mothers, children, and deprived communities is expected to form part of that expansion.The goal is to move from interventions largely funded personally to building partnerships with individuals, organisations, corporations, and other stakeholders who share the foundation’s vision.For Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa, the journey of the past 12 years is therefore not an ending, but a foundation for something bigger.From travelling to remote villages to support families, to helping women start small businesses, supporting children in school, assisting mothers with medical bills, and providing life-changing medical interventions, her story reflects a simple belief: humanitarian work begins with a willingness to care.And as she receives her sixth major recognition, she remains focused on the same purpose that started it all in 2014: to serve humanity, empower the vulnerable, and give hope where it is needed most.For Nana Adwoa Tutuwaa, the recognition may belong to her name, but the purpose belongs to every life touched through Nhyiramma Foundation.And for all that has been achieved, she gives God all the glory.British Council supports two Ghanaian creatives for UK cultural exchange opportunitiesThe British Council Ghana supported two Ghanaian creatives to participate in prestigious international fashion and literature opportunities in the United Kingdom in August 2026.The beneficiaries were Awura Abena Agyeman, Co-founder and CEO of WEAR Ghana and Republic of Africa, and Emma Ofosua Donkor, writer, cultural curator and Founder of the All-African Women Poetry Festival.The opportunities formed part of the British Council Ghana and the UK Government’s commitment to strengthening cultural relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom through investment in the creative economy, cultural exchange, market access and international collaboration. The delegates participated in programmes designed to create long-term partnerships, expand professional networks and showcase Ghana’s creative excellence on global platforms.Before their departure, the delegates engaged in a series of high-level engagements in Ghana, including courtesy visits to the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, as well as a range of media engagements aimed at highlighting the significance of the opportunities and the growing influence of Ghana’s creative sector internationally. Upon their return, the delegates are expected to pay a courtesy call on the British High Commissioner to Ghana.Showcasing Ghanaian fashion on a global stageThrough the British Council’s Creative Growth Programme, Awura Abena Agyeman participated in Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) 2026, which took place from 17 to 23 August 2026. The opportunity brought together selected fashion entrepreneurs from across Sub-Saharan Africa for industry networking, skills development, peer learning and market access opportunities. AFWL was recognised as the United Kingdom’s largest annual fashion event dedicated to African and African-inspired design.During the programme, Awura showcased her work to international buyers, media organisations, fashion influencers, investors and industry stakeholders, positioning Ghanaian fashion within global conversations around creativity, entrepreneurship and cultural innovation.Awura Abena Agyeman was a fashion entrepreneur and creative industry leader whose brand, Republic of Africa, had become an influential platform for celebrating African identity, creating jobs and promoting home-grown talent. A Mandela Washington Fellow and multiple award nominee, she had been recognised among Ghana’s Top 50 Young CEOs and had collaborated with institutions including Harvard Business School and New York University.Building international literary and cultural partnershipsEmma Ofosua Donkor was selected for Momentum 2026, an international literature delegate programme that took place in Edinburgh during Scotland’s world-renowned festival season. Anchored within the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Momentum brought together cultural leaders from around the world to develop lasting partnerships with Scotland’s literature sector and the wider international cultural community.The programme was designed to foster collaboration, strengthen professional networks and create opportunities for future partnerships between cultural institutions, festivals and creative practitioners across countries.Emma Ofosua was an acclaimed writer, cultural curator, performance poet and literacy advocate. She was the author of I Wish You Courage in the Night Season and Founder of the All-African Women Poetry Festival, a British Council and UNESCO-supported platform that amplifies the voices of women poets from across Africa and the diaspora. Through her work as Managing Editor of Hadithi Magazine and creative lead of Tuniq Africa, she continued to champion cultural entrepreneurship, literary development and African storytelling.Strengthening UK-Ghana creative collaborationThe British Council believed that international cultural exchange played a vital role in supporting the growth and sustainability of Ghana’s creative economy. Previous participants in similar programmes had secured international collaborations, funding opportunities, business partnerships, publishing relationships and expanded market access across the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.The participation of Awura Abena Agyeman and Emma Ofosua Donkor reflected the strength, diversity and global potential of Ghana’s creative sector. Their selection provided individual professional development opportunities and created pathways for wider knowledge exchange, industry collaboration and institutional partnerships that benefited Ghana’s fashion, literature and cultural ecosystems.This was the second time Ghanaian creatives attended these events. The first, under the Momentum delegation in 2023, was represented by Dr Martin Egglewogbe, the creative director of Pa Gya Festival and president of the Writers Project of Ghana, while Edna Asherlina Darkwaa, the founder of Ometsey, a fashion brand in Ghana, attended the 2025 edition of Africa Fashion Week London.As Ghana continued to position itself as a hub for creativity and cultural innovation in Africa, the opportunities demonstrated the value of sustained international collaboration in advancing the country’s creative industries and expanding global recognition for Ghanaian talent.