To mark Ghana’s 60th Independence anniversary, Coca-Cola launched a campaign labelled Ghana’s 60th that sought to celebrate 60 exceptional Ghanaian youth aged 18 to 35 who are trail blazers in unconventional fields.
The objective of the campaign was to celebrate young achievers and also to give them a platform to showcase their passion through what they do. To also remind Ghanaians that the country is full of opportunities for anyone who is willing to explore these opportunities.
From mid-February 2017, a call was made through mass media for the public to nominate youth whom they felt had succeeded against the odds in the areas of Education, Entrepreneurship, Entertainment/Media, Health, Sports and Technology.
The response from the public was overwhelming. Nevertheless only 60 participants (symbolizing Ghana’s 60 years of independence) were selected through a rigorous process conducted by a jury of 7 with the support of the public and unveiled.
The selected 60 youth received an opportunity to network and stand a chance to be voted the most outstanding individual in one of the six categories. The selected six known as the BIG SIX are symbolic of the six fathers of independence in Ghana.
Speaking at the event, Coca-Cola’s Regional Franchise Manager in Ghana Rodrigue Bila said, “As a company, we have joined Ghanaians in celebrating the last 60 years of independence. We now want to make a toast to the next 60 years by investing and empowering the youth who are the future of this country”
Coca-Cola has been part of Ghana’s history becoming an integral part of the culture and daily lives of Ghanaians. Some of the initiatives that Coca-Cola has piloted in the country is the 5BY20 programme; an initiatives that aims to empower and integrate 5 million women around the world into the company’s value chain by the year 2020. In Ghana over 5000 women in Accra, the 3 Northern Regions and the Eastern Region have been trained and economically enable.
In addition, through the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, the company along with other partners has invested over $2 million for the provision of safe, sustainable water supply in Ghana. Over 500,000 people living in various communities in Ghana have benefitted from this project.
We at Coca-Cola will continue to support the development of the youth of this country through our sustainable programs and it is our hope that our BIG SIX will continue to show their commitment to their work so together we can build an active and productive society.
The awards ceremony held at Ghana academy of art and science was graced by Hon. Isaac Asiamah, Minister for youth and sports.