Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey picks global champion award

From once being unable to read until 17 to now standing on a global stage for an award in education, Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey, Founder and Executive Director of Africa Dyslexia Organisation, has come full circle. 

At the 2025 Black Literacy Matters Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, she was presented with the esteemed Global Champion Award, an accolade recognising her tireless advocacy for dyslexia and inclusive education across Africa.

Ms Kyere-Nartey received the award under the Literacy Empowerment and Innovation category, a tribute to her trailblazing work in advocating dyslexia awareness, early screening, teacher training and inclusive education policies across Africa. 

Advocacy

The Global Champion Award honours individuals whose literacy advocacy extends far beyond borders and touches lives at a global scale.

Ms Kyere-Nartey, a passionate voice for the millions of undiagnosed and unsupported learners across the African continent, embodies the very essence of this award.

The YOU Matter Excellence in Education Awards ceremony took place on March 20, 2025, honouring 27 exceptional recipients making significant contributions in literacy justice, culturally relevant education, tech innovation and educational equity.

The evening brought together changemakers, educators, advocates and community leaders, each united by a shared commitment to closing literacy gaps and advancing inclusive learning opportunities worldwide.

Ms Kyere-Nartey’s journey is one of courage, transformation and purpose. After struggling to read and write well into her teenage years, and finally being diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 30, she chose not to remain silent. Instead, she turned her personal experience into a mission. 

Initiatives

Through the Africa Dyslexia Organisation, Ms Kyere-Nartey has led impactful initiatives that have reached thousands of teachers, parents and policymakers across Ghana and beyond.

Her work continues to reshape conversations around learning differences, making it possible for more children to be identified early and supported effectively both in school and at home.

In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Ms Kyere-Nartey said: "This moment is not just about me.

I dedicate this award to every child across Africa whose story mirrors mine.

I want you to know, hope is here. As long as I live, and with the support of our partners, we will keep working to ensure you receive the understanding, opportunities and support you deserve."

Now in its second year, the Black Literacy Matters Conference powered by the Black Literacy Institute has become a powerful annual convening that centres Black voices, stories, and solutions in the pursuit of educational equity.

The 2025 conference featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and the highly anticipated YOU Matter! Awards. 

Honourees

Ms Kyere-Nartey stood proudly among other distinguished honourees, including Dr Tracy Weeden, Zaretta Hammond, Mike Jones and Tiffany James of Nessy Learning, Dr Julie Washington, Winifred Winston and LeDerick Horne of The Black and Dyslexic Podcast, Ameer Baraka, and many others who are all advancing the future of literacy through innovation, research and lived experience.

In addition to receiving the Global Champion Award, Ms Kyere-Nartey was recognised for her powerful role as a global bridge-builder—a leader who is not only advocating literacy and inclusion across Africa but also connecting communities across continents through a shared mission: to ensure that no child is left behind because of how they learn.

During the conference, she was also featured on a live panel recording of the Black and Dyslexic Podcast, where she shared insights into the landscape of dyslexia support in Ghana and across Africa.

Rosalin spoke passionately about the ongoing work of the Africa Dyslexia Organisation, highlighting the urgent need for teacher training and policy reform to support learners with dyslexia and related learning differences.

Her recognition as a Global Champion affirms that learning differences are not just local challenges, they are global human rights issues.

Addressing them demands bold leadership, deep empathy, lived experience and unwavering advocacy.