Foundation invests in youth development
Since it started operating in November 2011, the Osei-Kusi Foundation (OKF), a non-profit making organisation concerned with the welfare of the youth, had over the years, invested in the youth to help them discover and maximise their potential.
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To achieve its goals, the foundation with Dr Kofi Osei-Kusi as the Executive President and Mrs Kakra Benefo Asante as the Vice President, had invested in the lives of a number of young people in schools, prisons and rural areas, and provided them with leadership, coaching and mentoring programmes, as well as volunteerism and awards schemes.
Youth welfare
The foundation’s programmes are being implemented through various activities, including mentoring, leadership development seminars, rural outreach programmes, prison support and scholarship schemes for the blind and deaf.
The OKF’s 2015 annual report made available to the Daily Graphic indicated that during the year under review, the foundation undertook a number of activities as part of efforts to invest in the lives of young people in Ghana. These ranged from rural missions to leadership seminars, granting of scholarships to students, support to prisoners, coaching and mentoring programmes, as well as donations to deprived institutions and corporate training sessions.
Rural mission
According to the report, the foundation presented items worth GH¢5,000 to Amonkrom, near Nsawam, in the Eastern Region.
The items included machetes, used clothes, Bibles, wheelchairs, walking aids, medication, shoes and stationery for children of school age.
Aside the donation, medical experts from West African AIDS Foundation (WAAF) were present to give out the right dosage of medication to the people to solve their health problems after screening them.
The team gave the youth words of inspiration to guide them in their life.
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In July last year, the OKF hosted four of its beneficiaries, who are visually impaired students benefiting from its scholarship scheme, by taking them through leadership and motivational sessions and taking them out to visit parts of the city of Accra.
Currently, 10 children are on the scheme. Five are at the Akropong School for the Blind, three at the Mampong School for the Deaf, one visually impaired boy at Mawuli Senior High School and one visually impaired young lady at the University of Cape Coast.
Support to orphanages
The OKF, in partnership with Chosen Generation team, visited Volta Home Orphanage at Ve Deme near Hohoe. During the outreach, the team threw a party for the inmates and donated items including three 50kg bags of rice, three boxes of Indomie noodles, five cartons of Coca Cola and American Cola, a box of soap, cooking oil, exercise books and pencils and a cash of GH¢200.00 to put smiles on the faces of about 50 children; some blind and other physically challenged children.
The foundation also celebrated the International Youth Day with a focus on young girls and held the maiden edition of the Leadership Awards Scheme for girls in Ho in the Volta Region.
The award scheme is an initiative of OKF in partnership with the Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High Schools (FOHGSHS) to provide leadership development, encourage selflessness and innovation among young girls. The students were engaged in a competition to propose solutions to problems facing their schools.
About 30 applications were received from girls in senior high schools across the country. Out of these, Ahantaman SHS, St Monica’s SHS and St Roses SHS were shortlisted to present their proposal at a grand finale. Ahantaman SHS was adjudged winners and presented with GH¢5,000 to renovate the school’s washroom by changing toilet bowls and roofing sheets.
Awards
The report said following its hard work and for its immense contribution towards youth development over the years, OKF was rewarded as the 2015 Young Professional Role Model in Youth Development and Empowerment.
Dr Kofi Osei-Kusi, Executive President of OKF, was adjudged the Young Professional Role Model in 2015 for Youth Development and Empowerment and for the award, he received a citation, a plaque and a sash.
The report said the Young Professional Role Model award comes to further challenge the Osei-Kusi Foundation to continue to give its best to national development by way of investing in the youth through programmes and scholarships for needy youth.
Appreciation
The report expressed OKF’s appreciation to all individual and corporate partners who support its work.
“We deeply appreciate your efforts and donations to make our work successful. You are very important to us. Thank you all for your commitment,” it said.
It also expressed appreciation to its staff and volunteer teams for their hard work and dedication, adding that ‟it is great to know that we can count on you to go the extra mile. Thank you for all you do.”
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