Bokemei Foundation, an NGO founded by Annetey Abbey, a Ghanaian based in Holland, has started its number of projects in Accra.

The projects being established under the name ‘Knowledge Centers’ will include vocational schools and farms which will see to the training of orphans, school ‘drop outs’ and adults in the field of acquiring skills in PC programming, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, hair dressing and dress making among others. The first phase of the projects has been sited at Teshie, a suburb of Accra. When I visited the site at ‘Tebibiamli’ (locality of Teshie) work is feverishly in progress and was taken round by the founder of the Foundation to see some few machines that has arrived to be used in the production of ‘gari’, a local Ghanaian food made from semi granulated cassava.

The enclosed compound with the inscription, ‘BOKEMEI FOUNDATION’, boldly written on its front metal gate is also building offices within its perimeter. Speaking more about the projects, Annetey Abbey said it is to train people to help them build their future. “Right now we want to complete a Junior Secondary School (J.S.S) building. The Knowledge Centre’ is for both young and adults, especially women with children. We have lands at some villages in Dodowa, Nsawam, Pokuase and Amasaman all donated to us by the chiefs and we are using them for farms in cultivating tomatoes, pepper, onion and cassava. We are about to harvest our first crop of cassava for the production of ‘gari’”, he mentioned and added:”everything we produce will be sold by our own people hoping to generate some funds to help in running the schools.”

The projects he indicated is being sponsored by some few individuals and organisations in Holland, some who were in Accra recently to view what has been started by the Foundation. “They were impressed seeing what we are getting into and I took them to see our farms,” Abbey pointed out. He expressed his sincere thanks to Nii Akpo Adjei II and New England Estate, the company which offered the Foundation the land to start the first phase of the school projects saying he is optimistic his vision will be realised.

TV Africa, a TV Station based in Accra, has visited the site at Teshie and given some air time and interview on the project. The station host on ‘Ga’ News, Nii Ablorh, who spoke to me said the station will take time to visit farms the Foundation has begun to run a comprehensive feature on its activities. -