User:Ibraadam/sandbox
Mac Sarbah
MacLean Sarbah MA, MPhil, MDes, is a Ghanaian philanthropist, Social Innovator and Entrepreneur. He was born and raised in Yeji, a rural town in Ghana’s Brong Ahafo region[1] to Tongu immigrant parents from Mepe, Battor in the Volta region[2]. He is currently serving as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leader and Project Manager within the Global Health Office of the President at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation[3]
Early life and education
Mac Sarbah, one of eight children, grew up without a mother figure in a small farming community lacking basic amenities. His father, a disciplinarian, was sometimes feared by Mac and his siblings[4] He had to walk three miles to Lake Volta for enough water to drink and bathe. He studied by kerosene lanterns, enduring smoke that often made his eyes red and teary[5]. His father suffered a severe stroke, requiring medical treatment away from Yeji. This hardship meant Mac attended an inadequate school, walked miles daily, worked to save money, bought books, and studied diligently[6].
Maclean Sarbah had his early education and Junior high in Yeji before moving to Adidome, a small farming town, to attend the Volta Region's Adidome Day Senior Secondary School [7]. He enrolled at the University of Ghana after passing his Secondary exams
Career
Mac Sarbah is a Ghanaian diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocate and social innovator. He obtains a Bachelor of Art in the University of Ghana. He also graduated from Harvard, Columbia and Cambridge University in May 2019.
He currently serves as a Senior DEI Project Manager at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Office of the President.
Before his current role, Sarbah founded and led EdAcme, an initiative focused on creating equitable access to higher education and career opportunities for underrepresented communities. With a strong international presence and recognition, Sarbah has been featured in numerous media outlets and has spoken at global events.
Awards and recognition
Early in his academic career, Sarbah was awarded the Best Student Award in North Tongu District, Ghana.
In 2019, Harvard University and Columbia University recognized Sarbah as an inspiring alumnus for his social impact and entrepreneurship efforts in Ghana and beyond.
- ^ Wundengba, Charles (2018-12-19). "From Rural Ghana to Harvard: A Young Man's Rise from Obscurity to the World's Best University". Wundef.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Taylor, Mildred Europa (2019-04-20). "Beginning in Ghana,this Harvard grad heads home to tackle unemployment". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Dadzie, Ebenezer Afanyi (11 November 2024). "Breaking Barriers: How this Ghanaian landed a lead role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "From studying with kerosene lanterns in Yeji to becoming a Harvard graduate, Mac Sarbah opens up". Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "From Adidome to Harvard: A young man's rise from obscurity to the world's best universities". The Ghana Guardian News. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "From Adidome to Harvard: A young man's rise from obscurity to the world's best universities". The Ghana Guardian News. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "Breaking Barriers: How Ghanaian Mac Sarbah landed a lead role at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 2024-11-04. Retrieved 2024-11-12.