Ghanaian Women’s Association of Georgia Hosts Successful Fundraising Dinner in Support of Maternity Ward Project

Atlanta, GA (April 2016) – On March 26, 2016, the Ghanaian Women’s Association of Georgia (GWAG) hosted a successful fundraising dinner to support its maternity ward project in Ghana. The event took place at the Dorothy C. Benson Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with the theme “Bettering the Maternity Experience One Ward at A Time.”

The goal of this year’s fundraising event was to raise $25,000 to cover the cost of shipping medical supplies to the maternity ward at the Elmina Urban Health Center in Ghana. The ward, which was adopted by GWAG in mid-2015, has served the Komenda Eguafo Edina Abrem district since 1975, and sees about 100 maternity patients a day. Some of the supplies GWAG will be shipping in due course include delivery and post-delivery beds, mattresses, pillows, incubators, bed pans, catheters and gloves. Thanks to the generous donations of individual donors, local businesses and corporate sponsors, the organization was able to meet and exceed its fundraising goal.

The event was emceed by Ms. Linda Darko, a member of GWAG and its current sitting treasurer. The guest speaker for the night was Dr. William Oduro, a practicing OB/GYN at North Metro Women’s Health Care in Georgia. He stressed the need for community involvement in projects, such as the one GWAG supports, in order to help alleviate the suffering of Ghana’s citizens. He praised GWAG for taking up this huge task of minimizing the suffering of pregnant women in Elmina. Also in attendance was Hon. C. Jack Ellis, the former mayor of Macon, who, during his time as mayor, oversaw the passing of legislation to establish a sister-city relationship between Macon and Elmina. He voiced support for the project and encouraged those present to be proud of their contributions. Agnes Hayfron-Barnor, president of GWAG, delivered an impassioned welcome address. She informed the gathering of GWAG’s decision to become a part of the change they wish to see, by providing practical and tangible solutions to some of the country’s most common healthcare problems. She also laid out the association’s short and long-term goals. The long-term goal being to develop and implement strategies to further increase access to quality care and strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system.

Other guests in attendance were Ron Zirpoli, a successful Georgia businessman, representatives of various Ghanaian Associations in Georgia, such as Ghana Council and the Ewe Association of Georgia. Also present were representatives of MedShare, the medical supplies donor organization, and members and supporters of GWAG. Guests were treated to dinner and a lineup of activities, which included a fashion show and spoken-word performance by the children and youth of GWAG. There was also a live auction featuring highly sort after sports memorabilia and vacation packages. This year’s event was made possible by the generous contributions of GWAG’s members and supporters.

#
ABOUT GWAG: The Ghanaian Women’s Association of Georgia (GWAG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on bringing change and development to under-served communities in Ghana. GWAG achieves its goal by supporting healthcare and educational initiatives for women and children because it believes that women’s empowerment is the key to thriving communities.