The Centre for Ageing Studies (CFAS), College of Humanities, during an event held on Tuesday, 28th February 2023, distributed various healthcare items in collaboration with a donor partner to selected foundations, agencies and units active in geriatric care in Ghana. In her welcome address, Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke, the Director of the Centre for Ageing Studies, welcomed and acknowledged all the guests and observers present and expressed her sincerest gratitude to all who support the Centre in carrying out its mandate within the University and to the nation.

Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke, Director, Centre for Ageing Studies (CFAS).

The Chairperson for the ceremony, Mr. Charles Amo Tobbin, founder of Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation, Accra, thanked the University of Ghana, the Centre for Ageing Studies and all its donor partners for considering the various needs of the aged in society. He also expressed his delight at being given the opportunity to chair such a laudable and all-important ceremony. 

Mr. Charles Amo Tobbin, Founder, Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation.

In his remarks, the Provost of the College of Humanities, Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, deemed it a great honour to be present at such a meaningful ceremony. He reiterated the University of Ghana’s mission to create an enabling environment that makes it increasingly relevant to national and global development, stating that undertaking such activities to support the elderly and the less privileged in society played a pivotal role in cementing this relevance. Therefore, on behalf of the University of Ghana and the College of Humanities, Prof. Ofori expressed his gratitude to the donor, Prof. Sylvester Jim Bowie from the Sacramento State University in California, USA, for supporting the Centre in delivering its mandate. He further appealed to the donor and other civic-minded philanthropists for their continued support to enable the Centre to expand the reach of its community outreach programmes.

Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost, College of Humanities

Dr. Akosua Agyemang, a Management Committee member of the Centre on behalf of Prof. Charles Mate-Kole, the founding director of CFAS, introduced the recently launched maiden book published by the Centre for Ageing Studies, titled “Contemporary Issues in Ageing in Ghana”. She mentioned that the book was ready in print and that copies were available for purchase at the Centre. Dr. Agyemang also expressed her gratitude and acknowledged the donor Prof. Sylvester Jim Bowie as a donor partner of the Centre for Ageing Studies and further appealed for his continuous support to the Centre in delivering its mandate.

Dr. Akosua Agyemang, Management Committee Member, Centre for Ageing Studies.

The donor and sponsor of the ceremony, Prof. Sylvester Jim Bowie, in his remarks, indicated that he sees the opportunity to donate to the aged in society as an avenue to contribute to the most crucial stage in the life cycle of humanity – old age. He stated that having read the University’s mission statement, he found it appropriate to channel the resources through the Centre so that the University’s mission could be seen and felt by society. He further thanked the University of Ghana and the Centre for Ageing Studies for allowing him to partner with them to help the aged in society. The items donated including adult diapers, board games, wheelchairs, clothing and walking aids, were then presented to the beneficiaries by Prof. Bowie.

Prof. Sylvester Jim Bowie, Sacramento State University, California, USA (seated in the middle).

The beneficiary foundations, agencies and units included the Tobinco Foundation, Larteh Aged Welfare Foundation, Naro Aged Care Agency, the Physiotherapy Unit of the University of Ghana Hospital,  and the Geriatric Centre of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital. Representing the beneficiary and stakeholder institutions, Mr. Daniel Opoku, Head of the Physiotherapy Unit of University of Ghana Hospital, expressed his gratitude to Prof. Bowie and the Centre for Ageing Studies for the timely response to their request for support for the aged in their care. He stated that the items donated would go a long way to comfort several of the aged at the various beneficiary institutions in Ghana. 

Mr. Daniel Opoku, Head, Physiotherapy Unit of the University of Ghana Hospital.

Delivering his closing remarks, Mr. Charles Amo Tobbin thanked Prof. Bowie and the Centre for Ageing Studies for the initiative to go beyond their academic mandate to improve the lives of the aged in society. However, he lamented the neglect and rejection faced by the aged in some societies due to Ghana's lack of systems and policies targeting the care of the aged. He therefore appealed to individuals and institutions like the Centre for Ageing Studies to continue to support the aged and asked for God’s blessings upon the Centre and the donor for the kind gesture. 

Participants after the ceremony.

Present at the donation ceremony were Rev. Samuel Ayete-Nyampong of the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, and Prof. Elsie Kaufmann, Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, both members of the CFAS Management Committee, Dr. Delali Dovie a Senior Research Fellow at CFAS and Ms. Beatrice Awotwi-Pratt, Assistant Registrar at the College of Humanities and Secretary to the CFAS Management Committee. The ceremony was held at the conference room of the Centre for Ageing Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.