The United States (US) Embassy in Ghana on Friday congratulated Ms. Afi Azaratu Yakubu for winning the 2013 Martin Luther King Junior Award for Peace and Social Justice; saying it is in recognition of her unwavering commitment to promoting peace and security in the Northern Region of the country.

Ms. Yakubu was born in the Northern Region of Ghana which has one of the highest levels of illiteracy and poverty in the country. She is currently founder and head of the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), a local non-governmental organization that has implemented a variety of projects focused on reducing threats to human safety and security in Ghana and across the West African sub-region.

A statement from the US Embassy signed by Zainab Mahama, Information Specialist, and released to the Ghana News Agency indicated that the award winner also helped found Women United Against Conflict and the Savannah Women Development Foundation to bring together women from all ethnic groups in northern Ghana to mobilize resources to support victims of conflict, natural disasters and human trafficking.

The statement said since 1994, Ms. Yakubu had worked as a researcher, conflict prevention campaigner, women’s equality advocate and citizen empowerment organizer. She had also been an instrumental partner in a number of organizations striving to raise awareness on issues that affect women, youth and marginalized groups.

“We remember Dr. King’s call to service in this annual celebration of heroic Ghanaian efforts. As set forth in this year’s Presidential Proclamation, let us recall King’s teaching that ‘we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly’.”

Since 2008, the U.S. Embassy has presented the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice annually to a Ghanaian citizen who personifies the philosophy and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Its purpose is to honour activists who promote social justice, stability, human rights and peace through nonviolent methods.

The release paid tribute to previous award recipients including Bishop Vincent Boi-Nai and Alhaji Al-Hussein Zakaria for their efforts to promote peace and social justice (2008), Angela Dwamena-Aboagye for assisting abused women and children (2009), and Janet Adama Mohammad for her work in peace-building to address local and regional conflicts (2010).

Others were George Achibra for rescuing trafficked children working in the fishing industry in Lake Volta (2011) and Dr. Abdulai for his commitment to the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of Tamale (2012).