Amanfoo 98-year group
The 3-day homecoming held between 7th and 9th of December, 2018 was mainly to commemorate 20 years since the old boys completed the College that has produced several prominent and influential Ghanaians such as the Ex-President J.A Kufuor.
Dozens of Amanfoo ’98 old boys participated in addition to representatives from Amanfoo ’97 year-group and the ‘98 year groups of other schools like Yaa Asantewaa Girls Secondary School (YAGSS) - which is generally acknowledged as the College’s female “alliance” school. The event which turned out to be arguably the biggest homecoming in the college’s history involved a series of activities on campus over the 3-day period. This is broadly classified into official ones involving the students and/or school authorities and non-official ones by way of merry-making and networking among the old boys.
On the first day, Friday, 7th December the “seniors” (as the old boys of Prempeh College are affectionately called) held with the student body, a mentoring session which saw selected “seniors” with backgrounds in Science, Business and Arts share their inspiring, insightful and eye-opening experiences to guide the students in their academic and general-life decisions. The second day opened with sports and funfair at the College stadium where both indoor and outdoor games were held.
The highlight of it all was a 3-team football tournament which was won by Amanfo ’97 Year Group that participated alongside Prempeh College tutors and Amanfo ’98 Year Group as the host team. The water distribution facility was later on Saturday inaugurated under the patronage of the immediate past Diocesan Bishop of the Methodist Church, Afigyaase, Rev. Moses Quayson.
As part of the unofficial activities, the “seniors” hanged out in the evenings to unwind and network at MaCalean Joint at Nyiaeso and Sapphire Gardens at Atasomanso also owned by an Amanfoo.
The homecoming was climaxed with a thanksgiving service on campus on Sunday. The service saw the old boys lead many activities such as Bible reading and announcements among others. Gospel Musician, Minister OJ, a proud member of Amanfoo ‘98 year-group led the congregation in a powerful song-ministration which many described as the high point of the service.
This was by way of reggae and pop renditions of his inspirational gospel hit tracks which by way of relevance smoothly dovetailed into the sermon delivered by Rev Joshua Ahiaba, another proud member of Amanfoo ‘98 year group who heads the Christ Apostolic Church, Bantama, Kumasi. Before departing, the old boys unofficially crowned it all with a Special Omotuo and Tuo Zaafi party at MaClean Joint where they also honoured one of their tutors, Mr. Thomas Osei Tutu who coincidentally turned 73 that same day. Long Live Prempeh College, Long Live Amanfoo ’98.
Water distribution system
Water they say is life. This implies, no living creature including human beings can survive without water. For humans in particular, this cuts across all spheres of life as it is that needed for drinking, cooking and bathing among others – which make up critical aspects of everyday life.
Against this backdrop, the 1998 batch of Prempeh College in Kumasi has provided the school with state-of-the-art water distribution system - in a bid to mitigate the perennial water-supply challenges on campus. The initiative expected to significantly boost teaching and learning in the College formed part of major activities to mark the group’s 20th-anniversary homecoming held between 7th and 9th of December, 2018.
The facility wholly financed by the Amanfoo ’98 year group comprises a mechanized borehole and a 7,000-litre reservoir to supply potable water to various dormitories on campus. It was inaugurated on Saturday, 8th December 2018 as the major highlight of the group’s 3-day homecoming. President of Amanfoo ‘98 year group, Dr. Ernest Opoku noted the project only reaffirms the group’s commitment to contribute to the development of the College especially after donating a complete Public Address Sound System in 2016.
“We didn’t just come back home but giving back to our alma-mater towards its development. This, we deem a crucial stepping-stone to our Silver-Jubilee celebrations in 2023 expected to be marked with a much bigger project in terms of impact” he noted.
Timely Intervention
For the school authorities and the student-body, the project couldn’t have come at a better time given how erratic water supply by the Ghana Water Company Limited unduly affect academic work as well as social and general school activities. According to the Headmaster (Academics) of the College, Mr Ernest Wiafe, the challenges with water supply had reached the crisis stage, the reason the intervention is deemed timely.
“Whenever there is a problem with water from the Ghana Water Company Limited, we suffer unduly. Students have to go round looking for water here - sometimes affecting classes. So with this intervention by the 1998 year group, it has taken that burden virtually off. Four houses out of the nine are going to depend entirely on this mechanized borehole and we hope that in the near future other year groups will also come over and provide additional ones so that we can have our own internal water system without depending on Ghana Water Company Limited.”
The Assistant School Prefect, Dennis Kofi Neizer on behalf of the students expressed their gratitude to the old boys and impressed on other stakeholders the need to continue supporting the school in times of need. “As you started with our sound system and now a mechanized borehole, I know that better things are coming that will help the entire college to make the school a beacon of hope and a light unto the path of other schools” he noted.
Project Planning and Execution
As part of preliminary activities towards the homecoming, executives of the group consulted the College management to among other issues ascertain the pressing development needs of the college towards giving back to the College.
Dr. Ernest Opoku revealed water supply challenges emerged the top-most priority which the group deemed expedient to tackle by way of the water distribution project.
“We chose this particular project because water is life as they say. Some of the students were skipping classes just because there was lack of water. Others were not taking their bath at all. As a result skin infections were the order of the day in the school and so quite prudent to do this” he explained.
The financial estimates for the project were established after the requisite feasibility studies were carried out. Members of the group both within and outside Ghana subsequently made voluntary contributions to finance the project which was jointly executed by Messrs. Boapokas Company Limited and Trezihaus Limited – both of which are owned and managed by-products of Prempeh College.
