Child rights activist wins 2011 Social Justice Prize

Executive Director of Challenging Heights, James Kofi Annan

The Executive Director of Challenging Heights, a child-centered non-governmental organization, Mr James Kofi Annan, has been adjudged winner of the first Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize.

He beat competition from more than 1,000 nominees from 66 countries, to win the prize.

Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize honours individuals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership in their fields and who show creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change. Each winning entry receives $100,000, half to the individual(s) and half to the winner's organization. This year, each of the 3 winners is receiving $100,000 in prize monies.

"The winners of the Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize are outstanding examples of people who saw a huge social need and then worked creatively to meet that need and make the world a better place," said Grinnell.

The President of Grinnell College, Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D. said, "Since its founding, Grinnell has encouraged students to use their knowledge and their abilities to serve the common good and James Kofi Annan exemplifies this core Grinnellian value, and his story and achievements will inspire students at Grinnell and around the world."

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Mr Annan said his own experiences as a victim of child labour on the Volta Lake spurred him on to leave a well paid job as a Manager at Barclays Bank, Ghana, to focus on rescuing and helping trafficked children.

He said he established Challenging Heights while working with Barclays Bank of Ghana, using over half of his personal income to provide education and support for children who have returned from forced labour. In April 2007, he resigned from the bank to devote full time to achieve the organisation's mission.

Cataloguing the achievements of his organisation, Mr Annan said “we are an organization that provides innovative educational support for children in the fishing districts of Ghana. In 2010 alone, Challenging Heights supported a total of 1,195 children, trained nearly 500 women, and provided micro-business assistance to 77 underserved mothers. In the same year, Challenging Heights carried out major community-wide sensitisation programmes in 45 communities, formed and trained 15 Community Child Protection Committees, and rescued 78 boys and girls who were caught up in forced labour on the Lake Volta.”

The Executive Director said Challenging Heights, since its inception in 2003, has directly impacted the lives of over 10,000 children in over 45 communities in the country.

On October 26 and 27, 2011, the winners will visit the campus in Iowa to participate in the Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize Symposium and awards ceremony. Through public lectures and interactions with students, they will share their experiences and perspectives in shaping innovative programmes that effect positive social change. Morris Dees, the founder of the Southern Poverty Law Centre and noted civil rights lawyer, will be the keynote speaker at the symposium.