Citizens of Yamfo based in the United States of America are currently constructing a-four-unit classroom block at a cost of 242 million cedis for the Methodist cloister of schools, comprising Junior Secondary and Primary schools (J.S.S/ Primary) in the town. The project is estimated to cost the Association US$ 26,500, already members have spent US$5,500. In an appeal for funds aimed at executing the said project on time yielded $3,000.00 (three thousand US dollars). Members were full of praise for the contractor, Yaw Boakye who has been working hard to see to the early completion of the project and that slow flow of inputs to him is hindering this. This came to light during the annual general meeting of the Yamfoman Association that was held in Washington D C this year.
The Yamfoman Association which officially goes by the name Yamfo Citizens of North America INC., since it?s inception in 1988, members have pumped US$25,000 into various projects ranging from construction of classroom blocks to the provision of other social amenities like the construction of a public place of convenience. For instance the past decade witnessed the construction of a ?24-seater KVIP at Yoyookrom, a suburb of Yamfo for the township at a cost of US$8,000, other projects executed within the said period include the construction of two- three units classroom blocks for the Roman Catholic School Primary ?A? and ?B? valued at US$ 21,000. Members have also purchased and shipped 10 hospital beds from the United States with a total value of US$4,000 to be donated to theYamfo clinic.
At this year?s general meeting of the association held on 27th may 2005 in Washington DC, new executives were elected to lead the association for the next two years when their term of office will come to an end. The elected executives are as follow;
President----- Ben Achereko, resident in Washington D C. Vice President-- Bright Agyapong, resident in Boston, Massachusetts Secretary----- Joseph Boateng, operates from Memphis in the State of Tennessee Financial Secretary-- Owusu Agyemang is based in Boston, Massachusetts. Women Representative?Sister Adwoa Pinamang, she coordinates the activities of the women members from Washington D.C. Currently the association has membership numbering 110, who are the active members, and they are dotted all over the US. The new executives have taken advantage of the modern information technology to effect their operations, especially the use of the Internet for the dissemination of information to members. Currently the citizens of Yamfo are developing a website for the publishing of all the activities of the association. The website is (www.yamfocitizens.com). It is hoped that this trend will help rope in non-active citizens of Yamfo. Last year?s active and paid- members have had their names inscribed on a plaque which was presented at this year?s general meeting.
As part of the agenda of the Association, members have adopted a new strategy dubbed ?Home-Coming?, which is going to be an annual visit to Yamfo. This ?Home ?Coming? is to serve as a platform for members to annually meet with Nananom and the citizens of the town to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting the smooth growth of the town. The essence of this ?Home- Coming? drive in another vein is to give first hand information of the needs of the town to members of the association who will then dovetail these into their long and short-term action plans geared towards the development of Yamfo. Members of the Association are of the view that this will help them to initiate development projects that in the long run will give the township the much-needed facelift. The first of this forum is scheduled for 2007. To realize this goal the current executives have been tasked to workout the details of the maiden trip to Yamfo.
The president of the Association, Mr. Ben Achereko, in his concluding message appealed to all members to honor their financial obligations so that all projects that they are pursuing will be completed on schedule, and he also stressed that a solid financial base of the Association will enable them to initiate and execute all future projects.
FROM:
GEORGE KWAKU DOE
OHIO UNIVERSITY-USA
E-MAIL;1. (georgedoek@yahoo.com)
2. (gd209603@ohio.edu)
