By this perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion from him, how dwells the LOVE of God in him? 1 John 3:16–17
On the 1stof July, 2008, a vision was being born by Rev. Agbotro Kwasi Jefferson about reaching to our societies with the message of health education in order to broaden the mind of the society on living healthy and longer. This vision was shared with other students of Nursing and Midwifery Training Collage – Berekum particularly those residents in Sunyani. They lauded the idea and promise to stand by it so that we can also contribute our quota to the development of the society in which we live as student Nurses and Midwives. The idea was shared with one Mr Benjamin Mereku, a tutor in the Nursing and Midwifery Training Collage – Berekum. He encouraged us and promised to give us his maximum support. The association started with a membership of Twenty two (22) and it was then called Sunyani Residents of Nursing and Midwifery Training Collage – Berekum.
A health educational outreach was planned in our first meeting in July 2008. It was agreed on to go for health education in some selected churches in the Sunyani Municipality after our short semester break. We decided to present on Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Accident (CVA) or Stroke. We did a lot of research into these conditions since we had not been taught by then and through the help of one Senior Nursing Student, Ansu Gyan David, we really understood the conditions very well and planned to go for the outreach on the 24th August, 2008 after our short break from school. On the said date, we met in front of the National Investment Bank (NIB) Sunyani Branch and started our journey to the churches. We were seven members who made it to the programme. We first went to Christian Praise International Center (C.P.I.C) whose overseer is Rev. Dr. Annor Yeboah, Christian Faith Centre Assemblies of God Church where their Regional Superintendent presides. We then continued to End Time Assemblies of God Church which is also presided over by Rev. Jacob Kwasi Yeboah. We left the church at 1:30pm to our houses.
At seven (7pm) on the same day we went to Church of Pentecost Central also at Sunyani and left this Church at 9pm. It was really a powerful programme to be hold. A lot of questions were asked and I was even surprised at the way we handled them professionally. We were really tired but God gave us the grace to run the course. What was really moving these young and energetic Nurse and Midwives is what I do not know yet. Some of the members volunteered to give their monies for the outreach and the cost of letters sent to the various churches. The churches that we went to were able to help us with their widow’s mite and we realized GH¢ 100.
The next semester, when we came to school and gave a report of the programme to the members, they were very glad to hear the progression of the programme. We also gave report to the Tutor whom we first informed, one Mr. Benjamin Mereku and he encouraged us to make it such a way that it will become a formal organization on campus and beyond.
Thereafter, a notification letter was given to the Dean of students, Mr. Clement Theorozie, who also lauded the idea but cautioned us to make it formal by going through all the necessary processes to make it a reality. After this segment, we had a formal meeting and had the name of the association to be Friends of Health Association (FOHA) through God’s direction. We went ahead to make a letterhead. We elected our executives and had our constitution drafted. A formal letter was sent to the management of the school through the Dean of students and we were asked to provide them with our mission, visions, constitution, names of executives and other necessary information. As I am speaking now, the school has given us the formal acceptance letter to operate on campus. FOHA is lifting high the flag of Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges in the nation and is determined to do great things by the grace of God.