51-Year-Old Mother Walks 840 Km.....

...In 18 Days In Support Of Education

A 51 year old mother of two and old student of Achimota School, who volunteered to walk from Gambaga in the Northern Region to Accra in support of educating the Ghanaian child ended her 840 kilometres walk at the Achimota School in Accra on Saturday. Gytha Nunoo made the journey in 18 days and walked an average of 53 kilometres during the day and camped out in an army tent during the night.

Students from some schools in Accra and Old Students of Achimota School cheered her on through the final lap of the journey dubbed “Unity through Education.” During her walk, Gytha, nicknamed the ‘Chen Chen Naba’ (meaning the walking queen) by the Gambaga Naa, made donations to several education funds including that of the Asantehene and Okyehene. Looking sore and haggard, Gytha told JOY FM that there were times she nearly gave up because her feet were sore.

She recalled that after her first day, which took her from Gambaga to Walewale, she had six blisters under her feet and therefore decided to end the walk. However the cheers of the school children and the fact that she was undertaking the mission to fulfil a noble objective urged her on. The official reason for the walk is to raise 500 million Cedis to help educate the Ghanaian child.

People have doubted if the walk was not for fame since according to them, Gytha could have resorted to other less gruelling ways, but people close to her say she has no need of fame hence her 840 kilometre walk cannot be a cheap shot to gain popularity. She is described as a woman with few passions. One of them is Achimota School and the other is the environment.

Organisers of the “Unity Through Education Walk” expect to make their 500 million Cedi mark as contribution to the education of Ghanaian children, even though the exact amount of money the walk has generated is not immediately known.