Portia Dzifa Dzilah, a teacher at Pakro Anglican Basic School in the Eastern Region, has been mentioned as the Sub-Saharan Africa regional winner of the 2025 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.
Portia Dzifa Dzilah is the first Ghanaian to earn this acknowledgement since the formation of the global award system seven years ago.
Her nomination was centered on her exceptional dedication to improving the lives of students in Pakro, a rural farming community within the Akwapem South Municipal Assembly. Pakro faces difficulties like, low school enrolment, and high rates of teenage pregnancy, truancy— challenges that Portia has taken directly through guidance and counseling programmes and measures promoting girl child education and hygiene.
Portia spoke with regards to her win, and she said, “this acknowledgement is not just about me; it’s about the children of Pakro and every girl who’s ever been told her dreams can be achieved”. I became a teacher to do more than provides lessons to these girls— I became a teacher to transform lives.
Portia, who teaches different subjects at the basic level, has introduced a gender club and led measures centered on sanitary health and food to kindle girls in the community. Her selection stood out among more than 5,000 entries from 101 countries around the world, spotlighting the global significance and influence of her work.
Portia will receive £500 worth of Cambridge educational books for her classroom, a commemorative trophy, and international recognition through Cambridge’s global platforms as a regional winner. She will also appear on the ‘Thank you’ page of new Cambridge textbooks, to be release in November 2025.
Rod Smith, The Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, applauded her works.Technology, no matter how advanced, cannot reproduce the creativity, togetherness, sheer inspiration and social guidance that a great teacher like Portia can provide.” he said. “The awards are annual reminder that teachers remain the most important and crucial part of delivering a rounded education”. he added.
Rod Smith also said, “In an industry where Artificial Intelligence is making all the headlines, it’s elevating to see the affability and compassion that Portia have brought to their classrooms.”
Dzifa’s achievement positioned her as a global applicant for the overall 2025 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Award. And has also brought honour to Ghana. The public now has the chance to vote for her as the global winner by visiting dedicatedteacher.cambridge.org/vote before the 30 April 2025 which is the deadline. The overall winner will be announced on May 21.
The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards, organised by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, acknowledge educators who go the extreme end surpassing the classroom activities to shape the future of their communities.
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