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Kuukua Eshun breaks new ground …seals $1 billion partnership deal with Rise Foundation
● Kuukua Eshun
In July last year, our profiling lenses fell on Ghanaian Filmmaker, Kuukua Eshun, whose works had gained international recognition. She had released “Artist, Act of Love”, in 2019, and won an award at the Worldwide Women’s Film Festival for ‘Best Visual Effect’.
She was selected by the European Union for the 2020 European Film Festival and in 2022, she had her film, ‘Born of the Earth’ premiered at Norwest Gallery in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
All of these recognitions notwithstanding, the young filmmaker continues to break new grounds as she aspires to rope in more youth to the creative industry.
In a recent interaction with The Spectator, the multiple award winning film director delved into details of her new partnership deal with Rise Foundation, as she becomes the first Ghanaian to seal the partnership which seeks to support brilliant but needy young people.
Kuukua, expressing excitement about the latest recognition disclosed all there is to know about the programme, and encouraged young people to sign up to the initiative as soon as possible.
“Rise, is looking for 15-17 year-olds who are working to solve difficult problems in society. It does not matter what country you live in, background or your academic experience,” she explained.
About Rise
Rise is a programme that funds brilliant people who need opportunity and support them for life as they work to serve others. It operates as an initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust.
In 2019, Eric and Wendy Schmidt, co-founders of the organisation made a $1 billion philanthropic commitment to identify and support global talent.
The programme offers scholarships, mentorship, funding for winners as they work towards solving humanity’s most pressing problems.
According to the Foundation, “the world’s most important problems will be solved by the next generation of leaders. Yet, too often the most brilliant people never realise their full potential for global impact,” hence the move to identify talented people, connect them to one another, and provide them with the opportunities they need to solve hard problems in society.
The opportunity is for young people interested in science, innovation, technology, art, policy, community organising, or any other interest.
“Everyone who applies to Rise, from anywhere in the world, gains access to free online courses, a network of peers, and a specially curated offering of opportunities from Rise’s partners around the world.
“The specific benefits will vary from year to year as new opportunities become available. Rise finalists will receive access to resources for career development, and will have the opportunity over time to compete for additional support offered by Schmidt Futures and its partner,” it indicated.
In 2021, 500 Rise finalists selected courses on leadership, youth advocacy, entrepreneurship, networking, critical thinking, among others.
Target
Considered one of the largest award programmes for individuals in the world, the Foundation hunts for “hidden brilliance, in whatever form it takes, wherever it is in the world.”
“From high school classrooms, to refugee camps, to science fairs, we believe that brilliance is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. We’re on a mission to change the odds for the world’s most brilliant people from a young age and throughout their lives,” Kukua explained referring to documents from the foundation.
The benefactors added that young people were “full of creative ideas and more willing to work collaboratively hence the age limit of 15-17.
“We need a new generation of leaders that can deal with the growing complexity of the world—and that can use the power of new tools and technologies to solve our greatest challenges.”
“We believe Rise can find exceptional people at this critical moment in their lives and empower them to build a better world. But we don’t just give them support once—we offer it over time, throughout their careers,” it says.
Selection
The application process is in three stages: Applicants introduce themselves through videos, create an individual project that demonstrates their talents and how it benefits their communities.
The programme selects 500 Finalists to advance to the final stage where they demonstrate their motivations, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills in an innovative interview format. From the 500 finalists, 100 Global Winners are selected to receive a lifetime of benefits as they work to serve others.
Rise Global Winners hail from around the world and demonstrate brilliance in a range of disciplines. Some may excel in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields. Some may show outstanding artistic ability while others may have a gift for community service and other interests.
Applications are open until January 25, 2022 at www.risefortheworld.org.
Benefits
Winners receive access to benefits such as invitation to attend fully-funded, three-week residential summit with other members of the Rise Global Winner cohort.
It again comes with mentorship and career services where mentors are paired with each Global Winner to provide personal, academic, or professional guidance, and specialised career services for internships and jobs.
Beneficiaries also get a four-year, post-secondary scholarship at any accredited university, including tuition and a living stipend, based on their need.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
