Beauty queen celebrates birthday with orphans

Former Miss Ghana contestant, lawyer, philanthropist, women and children’s rights activist, Princess Penelope Mawulolo Jones-Mensah celebrated her 50th birthday with widows, orphans and socio-economically disadvantaged children at Dzelukope, Keta in the Volta region of Ghana.

The celebration which took place at Keta Beach Hotel saw 50 widows and hundreds of children in a queue to take food, drinks and school materials from the former beauty queen.

Apart from the food and drinks, patrons were also thrilled with exciting activities including a bouncy castle, a trampoline, face painting and dancing competitions.

The celebrant said the event dubbed “Princess Penelope’s Golden Jubilee Celebration and Inter-generational Mentoring Event” was part of a year-long celebration to commemorate her Golden Jubilee.

In a heartfelt speech at the birthday celebration, Ms. Jones-Mensah described the charity event as particularly dear to her heart.

She spoke of her deep passion for empowering the marginalised in society, particularly women and children and giving back to a society that has helped shape the woman that she is today.

She expressed gratitude to God, and some personalities including Torgbui Dzelu IV, Dufia of Dzelukope, family and friends and all those who supported the event.

Ms. Jones-Mensah channels her passion for philanthropy and humanitarian work through, among others, her 40 Roses Foundation, which she established 10 years ago when she turned forty.

The 40 Roses Foundation sponsors and mentors socio-economically disadvantaged girls who have demonstrated academic promise. The foundation has successfully supported the education of a number of girls from around the country from Junior Secondary School through university education.

One of the beneficiaries of the foundation’s sponsorship and mentorship graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon with a B.A Hons. Degree in Political Science and Theatre Arts last year and is currently doing her National Service. Another is a final year B.A Hons Sociology student at KNUST.

The beneficiaries of Penelope’s 40 Roses Foundation are the first in their families to attend university and are expected to break the chain of poverty and change their lives' trajectories.

Ms. Penelope Jones-Mensah presented a brand-new laptop computer to one of the beneficiaries of her foundation, Princess Adevu, for being an outstanding student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).