Hajia Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana and a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, has been named the
first of seven global honourees awarded at the ‘Seven For 7′ event by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), in partnership with Ashden.
This is in recognition of her significant contribution towards mobilising action
for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7; the call for
universal access to modern reliable, renewable and affordable energy for all
by 2030.
The Seven For 7 is an annual event hosted by SEforAll, an international
organization launched by former UN Secretary-General,Ban Ki-moon, to
drive action toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7
(SDG7), and the Paris Agreement; together with Ashden, a London-based
charity focused on improving lives, through sustainable energy and
development.
The event was hosted after the 2019 Climate Action Summit and a high-level
meeting on Universal Health Coverage at the United Nations General
Assembly.
This year, the Seven For 7 event looked at the interlinkage between health and
energy, while bringing into focus, individuals and initiatives that are making
headway in the areas of clean fuels for all, cooling for all, powering health
care and outdoor air quality.
It is estimated that, in Ghana, eight out of ten people cook with solid fuels
such as wood and charcoal, leading to significant impacts on health, gender
equality and the environment. The toxic emissions from cooking this way
lead to about 18,000 premature deaths per year.
As a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, the Second Lady is
championing the adoption of clean cooking solutions, particularly among
women and girls, in Ghana, Africa and across the world.
The Clean Cooking Alliance is a non-profit organisation hosted by the United Nations Foundation to spearhead the adoption of clean and efficient cooking solutions in households and institutions across the world.
Mrs. Bawumia, through her NGO ‘Samira Empowerment
and Humanitarian Projects’ (SEHP) has also provided critical interventions in
the areas of health, education and women’s empowerment. Her organization
aims to reduce the high rates of maternal and child mortality in Ghana by
distributing birth kits to underprivileged expectant mothers and providing
medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to selected health facilities across
Ghana.
Receiving her award, the Second Lady commended the organisers of the event for
acknowledging her contribution to global climate action. She indicated that
the issue of access to clean cooking solutions is an environmental, health and
development issue. As such, it should be given all the attention it deserves.
The other honourees were Sistema.bio, Chhattisgarh State Renewable
Energy Development Agency (CREDA), Philips Community Life Centers,
NYC CoolRoofs Initiative, Medellín Green Corridors Projects, and
Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan, all from across the world.