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3rd JoyNews Impact Makers Awards winner Geoffrey Kwame Buta shining a light through a lens of inclusion
It was a night of inspiration, resilience, and recognition at the third JoyNews Impact Makers Awards, held on Saturday, June 28, at the Ecobank Head Office in Accra Central.
Ten outstanding individuals from across Ghana were honoured for their extraordinary contributions to transforming vulnerable communities.
Among them stood Geoffrey Kwame Buta, a staff photojournalist with the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Spectator and The Ghanaian Times, whose work continues to break new ground in disability inclusion through visual storytelling.
Buta, a multiple award-winning photojournalist, was recognised for his pioneering initiative Foto4Change, which trains deaf students in visual storytelling.
His passion for empowering the marginalised took a transformative turn when he donated cameras and accessories and initiated a training programme at the Savelugu School for the Deaf in the Northern Region.
What began as a simple gesture of kindness blossomed into a powerful platform for amplifying unheard voices-giving students with hearing impairments the tools to tell their own stories, free from bias, and to pursue creative professions.
To date, Foto4Change has impacted students in five deaf institutions: Savelugu, Gbeogo, and Wa Schools for the deaf in Ghana; and at Harare Polytechnic and the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust in Zimbabwe, where two deaf students are currently studying Mass Communication.
“The deaf and hearing-impaired communities have powerful, emotional, and inspiring stories to tell. They only need the tools and the opportunity.
Foto4Change is a bridge to that future,” Geoffrey said after receiving his award.
He expressed profound gratitude to the team at Foto4Change and the Multimedia Group, particularly Joy FM, for creating a platform that recognises and uplifts changemakers whose work often goes unnoticed.
“This platform not only shines a light on our efforts but inspires us to keep going,” he noted. “It also sends a message to organisations and individuals that supporting people with disabilities is a responsibility we must all share.”
Buta also called for greater support both financial and technical for grassroots initiatives working with the deaf and visually impaired communities.
“With mentorship, access to tools, and consistent training, these young talents can grow into world-class professionals,” he added.
Surrounded by family, friends, and supporters, Buta encouraged fellow changemakers not to underestimate the ripple effects of their efforts.
“Whatever you’re doing in your small corner is contributing to something bigger,” he reminded the audience.
The JoyNews Impact Makers Awards, now in its third year, continues to be a beacon of hope and national celebration for unsung heroes who are quietly reshaping Ghana’s landscape in education, health, social welfare, and sanitation.
From life-saving initiatives in cancer care to Buta’s innovative work with the hearing-impaired, each awardee’s journey reminded the nation that true impact often begins where the spotlight rarely shines.
For Geoffrey Kwame Buta, the lens is a medium for justice, inclusion, and lasting change for people with disability.
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Prioritise affordable treatment of sickle cell treatment —Health Expert
Health experts have urged Ghana to prioritise affordable and accessible treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) as advanced, but costly curative therapies remain out of reach.
SCD, an inherited blood disorder, affects about three in every 100 newborns in Ghana.
Globally, around 1,000 babies are born with the condition daily, with three-quarters in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disease causes severe complications including chronic pain, anaemia, infections, strokes and organ damage, often leading to shortened life expectancy.
In recent years, gene therapy has been developed as a potential cure.
However, its cost—running into millions of dollars per patient—makes it financially and technically inaccessible in Ghana.
According to Dr Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a Sickle Cell and Childhood Cancer Expert at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, “the country must instead focus on practical, lower-cost interventions such as hydroxyurea”, a decades-old cancer drug proven to reduce painful episodes, hospitalisation and life- threatening complications in SCD patients”.
Taken orally, the medicine improves red blood cell function and is considered safe and effective.
“Hydroxyurea therapy is as good as the cure and a low-hanging fruit to pluck, we must bring a cure to our sickle cell warriors, but do so sustainably.” he urged.
In a chat with The Spectator here, he said to create awareness on the disease, the expert noted that despite its benefits, “hydroxyurea is not widely accessible in Ghana.”
Stressing that, “many patients either cannot afford it or struggle with irregular supply through the health system.”
Moreover, he argued that scaling up access would provide immediate relief while the country builds the infrastructure, trains specialists and secures funding needed to support curative therapies in the future.
With an estimated 15,000 babies born with sickle cell disease annually in Ghana, Dr Osei Tutu cautioned that “failure to improve access to effective treatment will leave many patients vulnerable to preventable complications and early death.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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Let’s reintroduce Cultural Studies to complement educational reforms — Tourism Minister
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, has emphasised the importance of reintroducing Cultural Studies in schools as part of Ghana’s broader educational reform agenda.
She said Cultural Studies would complement existing efforts to reposition Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital literacy and expand Creative Arts education.
Speaking at the 2025 Homowo Festival of the people of Ningo-Prampram, held on the theme: “Education: The Best Legacy for our Children,” Madam Gomashie said cultural education was critical to national identity and development.
She noted that the festival’s theme aligned with the Government’s vision to transform education in Ghana and encouraged the youth to embrace it not only as a means of personal development but also as a way of preserving traditional values.
These values, including patience, wisdom, and hard work, were at the core of the Homowo celebration, the Minister said.
“Cultural festivals like Homowo are vital instruments for strengthening cultural identity, preserving historical memory, and fostering national unity. Additionally, festivals serve as platforms for educating the youth through storytelling, music, dance, and other traditional practices, while also providing opportunities for community engagement.”
Madam Gomashie highlighted the strong foundation that Ghana’s tourism was built on, which included culture, traditions, and the creative industry, collectively contributing to over GH¢4.8 billion to the economy.
“Festivals give tourists reasons to visit our country. Therefore, with the right infrastructure and the development of all the domains, the sector can do more than what has been recorded,” she added.
Mr Sam Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, commended the community for their vibrant participation in the festival. He announced plans for the construction of a new nursing training school in Ningo, aimed at expanding access to healthcare education in the area.
Nene Osroagbo Djangmah XII, Paramount Chief of Great Ningo Traditional Area; King Dr Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse; Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Paramount Chief of the Prampram Traditional Area; Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area; Naana Dugbakuwor Dugba II, Paramount Queen Mother of Great Ningo; and Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Special Envoy on Religion and Inter-Faith Affairs, who represented the Chief of Staff, were among dignitaries at the festival. -GNA
