Applications for 4th Cohort of the UNFPA GHANA Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Program Opened
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana, one of the agencies of the United Nations that supports the Government of Ghana and NGOs and CSOs to implement programmes for sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, population and developement has opened applications for its 4th Cohort of the UNFPA GHANA Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Program. Designed for young people aged between 18 to 26 years, the year-long programme aimed at empowering Fellows to be ICPD ambassadors for UNFPA’s mandate will provide Fellows with numerous professional and career development opportunities including one-on-one high-level mentorship from high achieving personalities within different sectors. Successful applicants will be admitted into the 4th Cohort of the YoLe Fellowship from June 2022 to May 2023. Apply for the 4th Cohort of the UNFPA GHANA Youth Leaders (YoLe) Fellowship Program at
Ghana’s Most Beautiful 2020 Winner, Naa Dedei Botchwey sponsors 20 ladies in Engineering Education
Inclusive Education Champion and TV3 Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) 2020 Winner, Naa Dedei Botchwey has sponsored 20 ladies to acquire a certificate in Engineering. The scholarship programme jointly sponsored by NDB Foundation, Regional Maritime University and the Ga Mantse, provided 20 young ladies an intensive training in the Marine Engine Mechanic programme at the Regional Maritime University, Accra. This comes as great news as many more females are encouraged to join Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Congratulations to Queen Nana Dedei Botchwey who is also the Founding Director of NDB Foundation for this huge impact. Big congratulations to all 20 ladies for successfully completing and graduating from this STEM programme. In 2020, Naa Dedei Botchwey represented the Greater Accra Region in the Ghana’s Most Beautiful pageant and was crowned winner after competing with 15 other ladies. She is also the author of the book titled Sweet, Sour Or Whatever.
Mamokgethi Phakeng: Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town & first black female South African to earn a PhD in Mathematics Education
March is dedicated to highlight contributions of women to society. Globally, women continue to make an impact worth celebrating. One of such women is 55-year old Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng who was inducted as the first female Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town in July 2018, years after she made history as the first black female South African to earn a PhD in Mathematics Education. Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng is a passionate advocate for quality education who founded the Adopt-a-Learner Foundation (www.adopt-a-learner.com ) in 2004. The Adopt-a-Learner Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on giving financial and educational support to students from township and rural areas to acquire higher education qualifications. Mamokgethi Phakeng holds a BSc Pure Mathematics from the University of North-West, an MSc in Mathematics Education from the University of Witwatersrand. She is also the first black South African researcher to co-chair a study commissioned by the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction. Mamokgethi Phakeng is blessed with a brilliant son and married to Lucky Phakeng.
Namibia celebrates 32 years of independence
“A People United For Prosperity” is the theme for this year’s Namibia independence celebrations. In 1884, when the country became a German colony, the area was called the German South-West Africa, it was later named South-West Africa after World War I. Although South Africa occupied the region in 1915 after defeating the German colonial rulers, it was not until 1988 that South Africa finally gave up their control of Namibia in agreement with a UN peace plan. As it is located in the same area as the oldest desert in the world; the Namib Desert, the country was named Namibia. A year later in 1989, Namibia organized its first one-person one vote elections with the official slogan, “Free and Fair Elections”. It was 32 years ago on this day 21st March 1990, that Namibia was granted independence with Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma becoming its first President. We wish our brothers and sisters from Namibia a Happy Independence Day!
Prof. Francis Allotey: the first Ghanaian to Earn a PhD in Mathematics
Professor Francis Kofi Ampenyin Allotey was a Ghanaian mathematical physicist who rose to become the first Ghanaian to obtain a doctorate in mathematical sciences in 1966. Known for the “Allotey Formalism”, which won him the Prince Philip Gold Prize discovery in 1973, Prof Allotey is also recognised as the first to introduce Computer education in Ghana. His groundbreaking technique, the “Allotey Formalism” is a technique used to determine matter moves in outer space. Born in Saltpond in August 1932, Prof Allotey had his academic qualifications from Ghana National College, University Tutorial College, London Borough Polytechnic and London Imperial College of Science and Technology. In 1974, he became a founding fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, and later emerged the first Ghanaian full Professor of Mathematics and Head of the Department of Mathematics and later Dean of the Faculty of Science at the KNUST. Prof. Allotey was the President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of a number of international scientific organizations including the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics Scientific Council since 1996. He also consulted for many international organizations including the United Nations Organization, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Industrial and Development Organization. Professor Francis Kofi Ampenyin Allotey was indeed a stellar leader and mathematical physicist who made Ghana proud. He passed away in November 2017. May his soul have eternal rest.
Kwame Brako Asante, a member of the PRESEC Legon NSMQ team adjudged best student in Ghana & 2nd in West Africa.
Kwame Brako Asante, a member of the PRESEC Legon team at the just ended 2021 National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ) has emerged as the overall best Ghanaian student in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). In a ceremony of double celebrations, Kwame who is now a student of Ashesi University was also named the overall second-best student in West Africa, while Nweze Isabella Chinasa and Eleanor Godswill both from Nigeria, emerged the first and third best respectively. At a ceremony to honor these brilliant students were the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, together with other dignitaries including Nigeria’s Youth and Sports Minister and officials from the Ghana Education Service, PRESEC-Legon and old students from PRESEC Legon. Kwame Brako Asante, along with the first and the third-best received prizes for topping the over two million candidates across West Africa who sat for the 2021 WASSCE.
Monica Amekoafia, winner of the first edition of the Miss Ghana contest in 1957
Meet Monica Amekoafia, winner of the first ever Miss Ghana contest on 4th March, 1957. Monica represented the Trans-Volta Togoland as contestant Number 9. This is why people from the Volta Region are called Number 9. Born on June 30, 1934 at Alavanyo, a town in the Volta Region of Ghana, beautiful Monica later married a Ghanaian diplomat, Henry Kofi Marrah. Monica and her husband lived in various countries including the United Kingdom, Czechoslovakia and Hungary before finally returning to Ghana in February 1966. Her parents were Augustus Amekoafia and Anastasia Apau. Out of the five contestants from Western Province, Eastern Province, Ashanti and the Northern territories, 22-year old Monica Amekoafia was named Miss Ghana 1957. In addition to numerous travels for her winning prize as Miss Ghana 1957, Monica had the privilege to visit London where she met the mayor. In her honour, a statue was unveiled at Hohoe in the Volta Region during Ghana’s golden jubilee celebrations. Monica died on 4th June 1990, 5 years after she lost her husband. In 1957, by the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah started The Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant to offer “Independent” Ghanaian women a platform to impact society positively.
Meet Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, the Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat
Ghanaian Teacher and Education Management professional, Nana Afrah Sika Mensah, has been named the Deputy Coordinator of the Free SHS Secretariat. Nana Afrah joins the Secretariat alongside Mr. Darkwah who is Coordinator of the secretariat. In an upclose interview with Sika Afrah after her announcement, she said: “I look forward to using my experience to increase quality and access to secondary school education in Ghana through the Free SHS programme.” Sika Afrah takes up this position with more than 5 years of extensive work in the education sector. She has worked in various units in the Education Ministry including the then TVET Directorate. Sika Afrah is an alumna of the North-East Normal University, China, where she studied for a Master of Arts degree in Educational Management, Leadership and Policy. She started as a teacher with training from both the Holy Child College of Education, Cape Coast, and the University of Education, Winneba. Under the Free SHS programme, every child in Ghana who qualifies for, and is placed in a public Senior High School for his/her secondary education has his/her fees absorbed by the government. The Free SHS Secretariat sets standards for effective Management and implementation guidelines. The Secretariat also manages the funding for secondary schools including budget and disbursement according to the approved implementation guidelines. Introduced in 2017, the Free SHS programme has recorded a massive increase in secondary school enrollment from 851,312 in 2016 to 1,261,495 in 2021.
Meet Elsie Addo Awadzi, the Second Deputy Governor at the Bank of Ghana
In the 62 years history of the Bank of Ghana, only two women have been appointed Deputy Governor of the central bank. In February 2018, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi became the first female Second Deputy Governor of Ghana’s central bank and the second female to be appointed to the governorship since the central bank was established. Together with Mrs. Theresa Owusu who served for 8 years (1989 -1997) as first woman to be appointed as deputy governor of the central bank, Mrs. Addo is inspiring many young girls to believe that they too can break the bias in male dominated sectors. Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi is a Ghanaian International economic and financial lawyer who was appointed as second Deputy Governor of the bank of Ghana in February 2018. She has rich experience in financial sector development and regulation, crisis management and financial safety nets, international finance, and public financial management. Despite coming from humble beginnings, Mrs. Addo has obtained a Law degree and an M.B.A in Finance from the University of Ghana. She holds a master of law degree in International Business and Economic Law from the Georgetown University Law Centre. In eulogising her former classmate, Lady Justice of the Supreme Court of Cameron, Lady Justice Vera Ngassa wrote this about Mrs. Elsie Awadzi Addo: “Elsie is a remarkable and strong woman. I had the privilege of studying with her at the Georgetown University Law Center. In spite of serious family commitments, Elsie commuted 1 hour 30 minutes to school but was often first in class. She is brilliant, studious, diligent and always brought new insight and energy into the classroom. She definitely earned her distinction. She works long hours often under pressure, yet remains cheerful and patient. Elsie is an uncommon and stellar leader”. Before she took office as Deputy Governor, Mrs. Addo was Senior Counsel of the Financial and Fiscal Law Unit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Legal Department, based in Washington, D.C. where she helped to design reforms to strengthen financial systems and manage financial crises in a variety of IMF member countries, as well as advised on legal and institutional aspects of public financial management. Elsie Addo Awadzi was reappointed Second Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana for a second term starting February 14, 2022.
“Mfantsefo Apem”: The Story of the Oldest Secondary School in Ghana.
Established by the Methodist Church on 3rd April 1876, Mfantsipim School is Ghana’s oldest secondary school located in Cape Coast, Ghana. The all-boys secondary school was started with 17 students, with 18 year old James Picot as the school’s first Headmaster. With the founding name as the Wesleyan High School, the school became known as High School and Training Instruction, and later Wesleyan Collegiate School, then Richmond College, Mfantsipim had several name changes before John Mensah-Sarbah, a pioneer student of the school who had become a popular lawyer finally coined the name ‘Mfantsipim’. Sarbah and his friends insisted that the name “Mfantsipim” was not to be broken into syllables to indicate “Mfantsefo Apem” (A thousand Fantes). Sarbah and his friends were more committed about how the school could serve the future education needs of Gold Coast. For them “Mfantsipim” meant the ‘Soul of the People’ because these young men believed that the “souls of the people of Ghana” would mature in this school. The motto of the school “Dwen Hwe Kan” which literally means “Think and look ahead” was suggested by Mensah Sarbah. The school did not only have several name changes, it changed locations several times too. From the Mission House to the former Colonial School on Saltpond Road, Acquah’s house, Coussey’s house at the foot of McCarthy Hill, Government buildings near the Isolation hospital, Sea View House, Mount Hope and eventually settled on the hill popularly called the Kwabotwe Hill. After 145 years of training young boys between the ages of 14 and 18, the award-winning school’s current enrollment is close to 3000 students. Wesley Girls School is Mfantsipim’s sister school while Adisadel College and St. Augustine’s College all located in Cape Coast are recognised as rival schools of Kwabotwe. Also known as The School, Mfantsipim’s colours are black and red, while old boys are called Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA). Image Source Link
