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 1st of July, 2008, a vision was being born by 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.
The following are the successes chalked by FOHA in the year 2009.
On the 22ndof March, 2009, FOHA had a church outreach on Diabetes, Hypertension and stroke in the following churches at Goaso in the Brong Ahafo Region. The churches were Victory Assemblies of God Church, Presbyterian Church, Christ Apostolic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. It was a very successful programme.
- On the 31st March, 2009, a health education programme was again organized with the Ghana Police Ladies Association (GPOLAS)- Goaso Branch also on Diabetes, Hypertension and Stroke.
- On the 1st of April 2009, a programme was again organized with the Pentecostal Pastors and Wives in Asunafo District-Goaso comprising of over hundred Pastors and wives including the area Apostle – Apostle Ampiadu. It was a programme that one could not afford to miss.
- On the 5th of April, 2009, a community outreach was organized in Yamfo, a town in the Tano North Constituency of Brong Ahafo Region. We were nine team members who made it to the programme. We first of all went to their information centre to speak about the programme after which we went to the churches to educate them on Diabetes, Hypertension and Stroke. From the churches, we came to the community centre where we mounted canopies and arranged chairs for blood pressure assessment and counseling to be done. We educated the public and those around through a public address system whiles the B/P check up was ongoing after which they were counseled either on their diet, lifestyle modification or advises to report to the nearest health centre for their condition to be confirmed. It was such a successful programme to watch. Thank God we had a video coverage of that programme available. We left the town at 5:00pm on this same day. The people of the town, particularly the opinion leaders congratulated us for bringing such a programme to them without cost and requested for more.
- In 2009, FOHA once again organized a health education programme with the retired Teachers’ Association Goaso Branch on Diabetes, Hypertension and Stroke. The number of the people was above sixty old men and women above the age of sixty. I think this maiden association is making a lot of impact in our society and deserves commendation. What do you think? Why don’t we support FOHA for its vision to be accomplished. Glory be to God for the great things He has done.
- On the 14th of November 2009, the association also saw the need to organize a mass blood donation to fill the blood bank of the Regional Hospital, Sunyani. The programme was named Friends of Health Association, Regional Hospital in collaboration with sky FM blood donation. The theme was “the youth in blood donation, crucial partners in saving lives, donate now”. It was really a hectic programme for us because it was involving a lot of inputs particularly, finances. We had one hundred and thirty eight people donating the blood and bulk of the donors were members of FOHA from Nursing and Midwifery Training College Berekum. We were also able to capture the programme on video. As a matter of fact, I am surprised myself and it looks like a dream, the impact this young N.G.O is exerting on the society. The success of this association had never been without a challenge but in the midst of all these, the Lord has being our strength. Can you imagine marrying academic work with this kind of work? One thing that we know that at the set time, God will bring in people, companies and the Government who will be willing to tailor some of their resources to fighting a good course such as this. In the year 2009, we again put in a lot of measures to get our association recognized at the national level as an accredited N.G.O. We had to go through a lot of processes before meeting the requirement for the registration ranging from getting an accredited auditing firm who will be our auditors and many more. We have gone through all the necessary processes and I am glad to announce to you that, the association received its certificate of registration and to commence business on the 10th January, 2010 under the companies’ code 1963 with registration number G-31, 189 as a recognized N.G.O. I thought you will clap for this N.G.O for its tremendous efforts. If students have been able to champion such a course to this stage, I believe it is time individuals, companies, the media and particularly the Government come in to help this maiden N.G.O.
- In September 2009, the association was launched at Ankaful Nursing Training College during our Psychiatry Affiliation programme. Eight schools were present from all over the country and after the launching, most of the schools approached us on how to have a branch in their schools. As I am speaking now, the association is striving hard to get branches in all the Nursing Training Colleges in Ghana and I hope very soon, FOHA will become an international organization. At the moment, the association is having Addis Medical Laboratory, Care Medical Laboratory, and HealthWay Diagnostic Services that is working with, all located in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region. The association has over two hundred and fifty memberships comprising of nurses, Doctors, Staff nurses, Pharmacists, business men and churches.
- On the 18th of July to 31stMay, 2010, the association had its mega launching at Berekum. Below was the programme outline.
- 18th July, 2010 – mass health education on anaemia and the need to donate blood in twenty churches in Berekum and Sunyani and some of the churches were: C.P.I.C, Presbyterian Church, Church of Pentecost, Liberty Assemblies of God.
- 24TH July, 2010 – mass blood donation exercise at the Omanhene Park for Holy Family Hospital, Berekum and the Regional Hospital Sunyani. In all, 62 People donated the blood. Out of these, 22 pints was given to the Holy Family Hospital and 40 pints of blood given to the Regional Hospital. Out of the sixty two pints of blood donated, only nine were disqualified as unsafe by laboratory investigations and 53 pints of blood declared as safe blood.
- 30th July, 2010 – a symposium at the College’s Auditorium on the theme “making an impact, the way forward”. The speaker was Mr. Hinneh Richard, Director of Health Services for Asutifi-Kenyasi in the Brong Ahafo Region. In his speech, he said, vision is the basis for ones’ success and that vision is essential for making an impact. He again said, vision is a comprehensive sense of where you are going, how you are going to get there and what one will do after getting there. We had above one hundred and fifty students in attendance. We were also privileged to have Dr. John Tengey, a medical officer and our patron, Mr. Baba Yimbil Joseph- a tutor at the college who is also our advisor.
- 31st July, 2010 – it was the mega launching of the association and the programme was again chaired by Mr. Hinneh Richard.
The association has now got the first local branch at the Nursing and Midwifery Training College- Berekum. We give credit to God for how far He has brought FOHA. It is great to have a vision and to dream big but the real test of accomplishment is not what you thought about but what you actually did. We as would be nurses and midwives believe it is not enough to have knowledge and certificate without making an impact.
The association has the following challenges.
- Lack of blood pressure apparatus for blood pressure assessment, glucometer for testing blood sugar level, weighing scale for assessing weight, screens for providing privacy.
- Lack of financial support to carry out programmes and incentives to motivate members.
- Lack of funds to host website created.
- Lack of laptop or computers for storage of data.
- Lack of office
- Lack of bus to go for outreach programmes.
- Lack of commitment from members.
Recommendations.
- We will appeal to government to recognize the contribution of this N.G.O and come to support this N.G.O. through the Ministry of Health, both at the Regional levels and at the National level.
- We will appeal to organizations, individuals and all stakeholders of health to come and support this association.
National Executives
- Agbotro Kwasi Jefferson – Director
- Appiah Kusi Daniel – Project Officer
- Patricia Yeboah – General Secretary
- Ampofo Yaw Adomako – Public Relations Officer
- Thomas Konjar – Coordinator
- Oduro Twumasi – Financial Secretary
- Vida Boahemaa – Treasurer
- Anthony Sarfo – Chaplain
- Kyereme Kwame Benjamin – Organizer (Main)
10. Addo Mary Dansowaa – Deputy Organizer
11. Hanna Takyiwaa – Deputy Organizer
Executive Members
12. Ankrah Twumasi Stephen
13. Oppong Kingsford Mathew
Advisers
- Mr. Benjamin Mereku – Tutor NMTC
- Mr. Baba Yinbil Joseph – Tutor NMTC
- Madam Martha Kyeremaa – Tutor and Academic Coordinator for Midwifery – NMTC
- Mr. Clement Theorozie – Tutor and Dean of Students – NMTC
- Mrs. Hajia Opoku Halima – Tutor NMTC
- Mr. Hinneh Richard – Director of Health Services, Asutifi District - Kenyasi
Pharmacist
- Pharm. Frank Bandoh - Pharmacist Goaso Government Hospital
Patrons
- Dr. John Tengey – Medical Officer at Holy Family Hospital – Berekum
- Mr. George Kumi Kyeremeh – Chief Nursing Officer for Ghana
Motto: FOHA – Your Health First