The Chief Executive of the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, Rukayatu Sanusi, was recently invited to speak at the prestigious Toronto French School (TFS – Canada’s International School) in Ontario, facilitating a session with an economics class of 90 students on The Political Economy of Climate Change, in the school’s Learning Forum. She drew from her rich experience of work in the Ghanaian sustainability space, using the GCIC as a case study and touching on climate smart enterprises as well as driving Policy Alternative for a Greener Economy (PAGE).
Ruka hosted a second session, at a dinner for the Eco Prefects and Environmental Leaders, as well as alumni and their female parents, around her work with women entrepreneurs and women’s economic empowerment, both at the GCIC and in her personal capacity as a consultant. TFS’ Alumni Association (TFSAA) comprises of more than 3,100 alumni currently living in 31 countries around the world.
TFS’,Black Excellence Society also hosted Ruka for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with her. The society was founded in 2020 by Ed-Esther Kenga, a French teacher, and Aidan J., a Level IV (Grade 11) student, to offer a safe space for students of African Canadian descent, amongst others, to dialogue.
Prior to heading GCIC, Ruka worked for two decades in international consulting in both the UK and Africa for organizations such as Price Waterhouse Coopers. She offered business advisory services to small and growing businesses, especially those owned and run by women through her own advisory firm, Alldens Lane.
She captures her passion, which has driven her to support entrepreneurs, especially women, when she once said in an interview that, “When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re stretched on all sides. There are no creature comforts, you’re depending on a smaller team and therefore have greater responsibilities. It can really frustrate your ambitions.”
Toronto French School (TFS), founded in 1962, was the pioneer of French immersion education in Canada, and is an independent, bilingual, co-educational and non-denominational school. The intent behind the school’s forming, and the kind of education and values that were established at its beginning, remain at the core of their identity today. The mission of the school is to develop multilingual critical thinkers who celebrate difference, transcend borders, and strive for the betterment of humankind.
Sixty years after being founded, TFS has grown to become one of the largest independent schools in Canada, that continues to offer an exceptional education at its Toronto and Mississauga campuses and in this way helps to shape young learners into engaged bilingual citizens who are empowered to make an impact on the world. It is interesting to note that, until her death, Queen Elizabeth II was the royal patron of the school.
