NCOGA Hosts Spectacular Independence Celebration

A diverse group of Ghanaians and friends of the Ghanaian community were treated to two (2) weekends of activities commemorating the 54th Anniversary of Ghana’s independence on March 5 & 12, 2011. Under the auspices of the dynamic National Council of Ghanaian Associations in NY (NCOGA), there was a health expo at the Ghana Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and an awards and gala night at the Armenian Church Hall.

The health expo took place on Saturday March 5, 2011 at the Ghana Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and was generally sponsored by the Office of Minority Health Resource Center (National African Immigrant Project). The expo brought together a group of dedicated health care professionals of Ghanaian origin and within the Ghanaian community, who gave of their time and resources to provide health screenings and workshops on some of the major health problems in the Ghanaian community. There were screening for High Blood Pressure, Glucose, Glaucoma and Cholesterol. This offered a rare chance for those in our community who, either do not have health insurance or take the time to consult their physicians on a regular basis unless they are ill, to get a free reading of their health status.


Some of the workshops on health issues include a presentation on Fibroids and women’s health, by Dr. Alex Twum Boafo and the impacts of high blood pressure on our overall health by Dr. Benjamin Dodoo. On the Nutrition front, Mrs. Uva did a presentation on the problems with the African diet and how it can be modified to become healthier while still retaining its cultural identity and taste. Mrs. Margaret Korto, spoke at length on the scourge of AIDS in the Ghanaian as well as the African community, the stigma and the shame that is associated with it and how this only exacerbates the situation further and consequently destroy lives unnecessarily. AIDS, according to her should not be a death sentence, and she provided information on resources out there for people to get tested and where infected, ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Also on hand to provide pamphlets and literature on sickle cell anemia was the Queens Chapter of the Sickle Cell Anemia society. Overall, the expo was well attended and feedback from participants indicated that they would welcome more of such screenings in the future.


The independence activities were crowned with an awards and benefits gala the next Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the Armenia Hall. As usual this formal banquet was a fundraiser for scholarships for youth who have excelled academically and are going on to further their education in colleges here in the US, as well as, an awards night recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations whose life and work have served to advance the interest of Ghana and Africa. Amid the merriment and sampling of the diverse culinary repertoire from Ghana, attendees were delighted to have once again come together in a spirit of collegiality to put aside their tedious professional demands to have fun, and fun they had indeed! In a statement read on his behalf by Mr. William Awinnador-Kanyirige, the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, the incoming Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Ken Kanda, sent his warmest regards to the gathering and expressed his optimism for the future of Ghana and the community at large. The highlight of the evening, the awards ceremony saw six (6) scholarships awarded to the following students: Kofi Manu (St John’s University),, Ruby Abaka Yankson (University of Maryland), Amadu Haruna (Art Center College of Design in California), Joana Amoyaw (University of Hartford, CT) and Shannon Mensah (Sage College of Albany).

A special recognition award was presented to Mr. Lionel Balmir of Unlimited Events & Marketing for his continuous support of NCOGA’s initiatives, while Service awards were presented to four (4) former NCOGA members (Nana Anane Amponsah, former New York Asantefuohene, Eric Quartey, Alhaji Adamu Musah and Evangelina Adom), a Citation from the New York City Council was read on behalf of the Honorable Helen Diane Foster, from the 16th CD in the Bronx. There were auctions of a pair of airline tickets to, and from Ghana, courtesy of Delta Airlines, designer ladies handbags, courtesy of Jul Collections and a DVD recorder, courtesy of Dish Network.


A Special thank you to Mr. William Awinnador-Kanyirige, the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN at the Ghana Mission and his staff in New York and the following sponsors who made this year’s event a success: Delta Air Lines, Western Union, National Africa Immigrant Project, Atadika & Atadika, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, AMIP, ADF, Ambassadorway Travel, Prestige Travel, Dr. Yao Kaledzi, Ellite Shipping, Ghana Supply company, Dr. Anukware Ketosugbo, Trinity Travel, Dr. Sanni Adam, MoneyGram, Dish Network, Dr. Benjamin Dodoo, Dr. Samuel Mensah, 3G Magazine, Kuwait Shipping and Packaging, Accra Restaurant, Jul Collections, Royal Pacific Shipping, Africa Photo Communications and the Law offices of Akpalu and Associates. Music was provided by the legendary New York DJ, Katabo Soundz. The DVD for the event is available for a donation of $10. Those interested in obtaining the DVD should send an email to _rquarshie23@yahoo.com_ (mailto:rquarshie23@yahoo.com) .


For more pictures of the celebration, visit _www.NCOGA_ (http://www.ncoga/) .org. Source : NCOGA