Mama Zimbi Sweeps Multiple Awards

The Montreal Community Contact monthly newspaper, the most authoritative news provider for the Black and Caribbean community in Canada, has described Akumaa Mama Zimbi in its September 29 publication as “Oprah Winfrey of Ghana”.

This international endorsement did not come as a surprise as the most romantic voice on radio, Mama Zimbi, is steadily becoming a cultural icon in Africa.

Known in private life as Mrs. Joyce Akumaa Dongotey-Padi, Mama has been awarded two coveted international awards in a day.

The first prestigious award she received was ‘The Defender of the Vulnerable Award 2011’ from the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), a non-governmental organization with an overriding vision to empower the vulnerable in achieving full potential. The organisiation has its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

The award was given to her during a dinner organised by CELD, in collaboration with ECOWAS Female Parliamentarian Association (ECOFEPA), at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on October 27, 2011.

Interestingly, on the same day, Thursday October 27, Mama Zimbi was awarded the ‘TIAW World of Difference 100 Awards 2011’ by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW).

Along with fellow award recipients and achievers from 27 countries from all over the world, Akumaa Mama Zimbi, the Executive Director of Mama Zimbi Foundation, was recognized at the TIAW Global Forum at the Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington DC.

Recipients were selected from leaders of communities, organizations, corporations, regions or countries who have taken action to support women’s economic empowerment and advancement in society and in business.

She was honoured and celebrated by these two international organizations for her role in supporting the vulnerable in the society, especially women and children through her Widows Alliance Network (WANE) project.

Launched by the Mama Zimbi Foundation (MZF), the Widows Alliance Network (WANE) project aims at emancipating Ghanaian widows from the social, cultural and economic deprivation brought about by the prejudices they face because of their status.

The project was introduced to equip widows in Ghana with the prerequisite employable skills, human rights education, reproductive health and social integration programmes to create a paradigm shift in how Ghana’s communities perceive and treat widows.