An adopted son of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area in the Eastern Region from the diaspora, Teye Kofi Guy Chambers, has handed over a refurbished Somanya Polyclinic and its maternity ward to the administration of the health facility at Somanya.
The benefactor also provided a borehole for the Yilo State School and donated 10 laptops to support effective computer education as part of the school's curriculum. Additionally, two laptops were given to the Somanya Polyclinic.
The donations, renovation projects, extension of the polyclinic, borehole and laptops, totaling GH¢200,000, were facilitated by TEAM CSR, a local non-governmental organisation that works with members of the diaspora to impact the lives of Ghanaians positively.
The support was also offered through the initiative of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area “Swapo Manye”, a Queen Mother, Manye Awo Kosi Otino, who also played a role in the project and donations.
The occasion, which was well attended by chiefs, queen mothers, the Yilo Krobo Municipal Chief Executive, Francis Akumatey Addo; health workers, parents, staff and students of the Yilo State Municipal Assembly Basic School, as well as the general public, was used to adopt the benefactor as a son of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area by the Paramount Queen Mother, Maanana Korlekuor Adjado III, with the new name Teye Kofi Guy Chambers.
The adoption ceremony was performed by Asafoatse Nakorle on behalf of the paramount queen mother. Teye Kofi Guy Chambers was adorned with kente and beads on his neck and wrist, signifying his adoption as a son into the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area.
Maanana Korlekuor Adjado urged Teye Kofi Guy Chambers to identify the needy communities and support them more, as he had done to the Somanya Polyclinic and the Somanya Yilo State Municipal Assembly Basic School, adding, your partnership for development would always be appreciated by Yilo State as a development partner.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, who witnessed the inauguration, described the two facilities as projects and lasting investments in human capital and social welfare.
She said expanding and renovating the Somanya Polyclinic was a life-saving intervention that would provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and bring about dignity, comfort and efficiency in healthcare delivery in the community.
In the same way, providing a borehole to the Yilo State Municipal Assembly Basic School would ensure that the students had access to safe drinking water, as water is life, she said.
Teye Kofi Guy Chambers expressed his gratitude for being adopted as a son of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area, stating, “I accept this not as a title of pride, but as a call to service to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, the people of Somanya, to build, to uplift, and to leave a legacy that will outlive us all.”
“I am committed to my community's social responsibility to use every gift, connection and every part of my strength to bring sustainable development to this land. This is not my journey alone; it is our journey together,” he stated.
He, however, dedicated the borehole in loving memory of Joannia Hoyt Johnson and Lawrence Fenell Johnson, and similarly, the healthcare centre was dedicated to the memory of Verdell Chambers, a sacred place of healing and restoration in his home country.
The Medical Officer in charge of the Somanya Polyclinic, Dr Patience Dzikunu Opata, and the Headmistress of the Yilo State Municipal Assembly Basic School, Rebecca Enyonam Sottie, jointly expressed their deep gratitude to their benefactor for his kind gesture.
The headmistress, who promised on behalf of management to safeguard the borehole, also appealed to more benefactors for support in finishing the school canteen.
