Queen Elizabeth II honours Ghanaian Librarian
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has recognised a Ghanaian, Mr Hayford Siaw, as the 15th Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of his exceptional voluntary service in combating illiteracy rates in Ghana.
In the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April this year, Her Majesty The Queen - as Head of the Commonwealth - was thanking inspirational volunteers across the 52 Commonwealth nations for the difference they were making in their communities and beyond.
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Mr Siaw serves over 20,000 children annually in Ghana through varied library modules he has developed.
Each Commonwealth Point of Light will receive a personalised certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth.
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Iain Walker, who presented the award to Mr Siaw at a ceremony at the High Commissioner’s residence, said he was delighted to present the award and to have the opportunity to honour Mr Siaw for his exceptional voluntary service.
He said his prevailing sense from the award was that at the heart of every endeavour was a commitment to learning.
“My own father was a teacher and I’m passionate that education is integral to our personal development and is the key to unlocking potential,” the high commissioner stated.
Mr Siaw said he was delighted to be awarded a Commonwealth Point of Light by Her Majesty The Queen and will continue to work to advocate and advance literacy levels in Ghana.
The Commonwealth is a diverse community of 52 nations that work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace.
Heads of Government meeting
The High Commission later stated that the Heads of Government meeting would bring together leaders from all the 52 member countries to reaffirm common values, address shared global challenges and agree on how to work to create a better future for all citizens, especially young people.
Voluntary service was a vital part of this agenda, which was why Her Majesty The Queen had chosen to recognise outstanding volunteers across the Commonwealth in this special way.
The Point of Light awards recognises outstanding volunteers every day of the week – people whose service was making a difference in their communities and whose stories could inspire others to creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.
Points of Light began in America under President George H. W. Bush and today over 6,000 US Points of Light have been recognised. The scheme has the support of all living US Presidents.."