Necessary Aid Alliance honours Board Chairman for stellar leadership, commitment to organization

Necessary Aid Alliance (NAA), a youth-led Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in the Upper West Region of Ghana, has its honored its Board Chairman, Mr Rudolph Donald Lee, for his stellar leadership and selfless commitment towards the organization.

The short ceremony to honour Mr Lee was marked with pomp and pageantry and was graced by the leadership and members of the NAA at the Upper West Regional Directorate of the National Youth Authority (NYA) on April 10, 2024.

Mr Lee is a Canadian of African descent who first came to Ghana in 2019 on the Year of Return which was declared by the Government of Ghana to welcome all Africans in the diaspora home 400 years post slave trade, when he met and facilitated the foundation of the NAA.

Speaking at the short ceremony, the Executive Director of NAA, Mr. Mulumba Songsore said the honor was to appreciate the board chairman for all the sacrifices he has committed and still committing to the organization since its inception about five years ago.

He said the board chairman was in the Upper West Region to monitor the progress of works and projects undertaken by the NAA over the past five years. In consonance with the hospitable custom of the people, the organization deemed it necessary to appreciate him.

“He has been here for almost a month. …We are here today to honour him; we are here today to show him to the Regional leadership [NYA], we are here today to appreciate him as a team,” he said.

Mr. Songsore described Mr Lee, “the board chair and big financier,” as resilient and committed to task who has “been around and remained strong in the disappointments and the ups and downs” of the organization.

In appreciation of his works, Mr. Lee was awarded a citation honour jointly signed by the Executive Director of NAA and the Regional Director of the NYA.

The citation, in parts, read: “You epitomize every essence of compassion and generosity as you have dedicated yourself to service and the betterment of humanity.

“Your commitment to supporting vulnerable groups, empowering women, nurturing youth, and safeguarding children by financing activities of the organization is not merely a duty but a calling that you have embraced with unmatched fervor and passion.”

He was also presented with a complete set of “woori”, a hand-woven and stitched royal attire also known as “fugu”, common with the people of Northern Ghana and now worn everywhere in Ghana and across the globe.

In his remarks, the Regional Director of NYA, Mr Amankona Ampofo said the programs championed by the NAA were yielding positive results as they translated into transforming the lives of children, young people, and communities.

He applauded the efforts of Mr. Lee and said the honour done him was to serve as a reminder that he [Mr. Lee] has a duty in the region to help address concerns of child marriages, girl-child education, and women and youth empowerment among others.

On his part, Mr. Lee, who was rather taken aback by the gesture of honour, said it was humbling and fulfilling that the support he has thrown to the organization was yielding great impacts in people's lives.

“I am really happy to see that we have progressed this far. It’s beyond my dreams, I have no idea that we would’ve reached where we are today. And I have learned a very valuable lesson throughout all of this, in that one but two persons can make a difference.

“It’s humbling that I can sit here and experience what has been done and what I have contributed towards,” he said.

He expressed optimism that, on his return to Canada, he would be able to mobilize more support towards the organization given its track record of activities and their impacts on society.

Necessary Aid Alliance has over the years implemented several projects across the region including Calendar for Change, Calendar Push, Skills Drive Project, Setting Up Library Spaces, Research on Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Entrepreneurial Skills training amongst others.