Rugby worker Joseph hopes to follow the stars to help poor people living in Ghana

A Rugby worker who goes the extra mile for his community has been nominated for a national Amazon Star award.

Joseph Takyi, who works at the fulfilment centre, was nominated for the award by his colleagues.

His support of the community means he could win one of three Dream Boxes – the top prize awarded as part of the Amazon Stars programme. A Dream Box, worth up to £1,500, is a personalised prize to honour the business’s community heroes.

In 2016, Joseph founded The Naada Foundation in the Bono East Region of Ghana to provide deprived communities with essential support and resources. Having grown up in a deprived area in Ghana, Joseph saw the community’s struggles first-hand and took the opportunity to help in any way he could, leading to the creation of The Naada Foundation.

Joseph now manages the foundation from the UK, supporting children and members of his hometown community by providing essentials such as food, water, clothing and educational resources to improve their quality of life.

Joseph said: “I came from a poor family and know the issues many Ghanaians face trying to feed, clothe and look after their families. I founded The Naada Foundation with just £15 and it has now grown to become something much bigger. It’s amazing to see all that we have achieved so far.

“My friends, colleagues and family are hugely supportive of my work with the foundation and are very proud. Now I’m in the UK, the opportunities for work are much better and I’m able to continue fundraising and spreading the word about The Naada Foundation to more people.”

Joseph hopes to expand the foundation in the future.

He added: “Every year, we help over 200 people, and we plan to expand this to 300 next year and eventually to 400. It’s so important to support those less fortunate when you can, and I‘d love to eventually expand the reach of the foundation to other communities in Ghana. I am thankful to my colleagues at Amazon for recognising my efforts and nominating me for an Amazon Star award.”