Kpone-Bawaleshie, Aug. 31, GNA - An United States of American development volunteer, was on Sunday installed development queenmother at a traditional ceremony at Kpone Bawaleshie near Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region.

The installation was performed by Naa Osantro Awei Okpoti, Queenmother of Frafraha near Adenta.

Mrs Lindsey Smith Kaufman, the new development queenmother, assumes the title of Naa Korkor Amen, II.

Nene Marteh Kanor II, chief of the village, who accepted the new Queen mother into the royalty, impressed upon her to educate her people back in the United States that her new role exacted certain demands and she must therefore, be available to her subjects anytime the need arose. Accepting the offer, Naa Korkor Amen, dressed in full queenmother's regalia, promised to use her new role to advance development in the village to make it "a place worth living by us all".

"This is beyond my wildest dreams", she confided to the GNA after the ceremony. more In a welcoming address, Nene Kanor had justified the installation, saying, "it is to honour and show our appreciation and recognition of the good works of one of our international friends." It is estimated that over 100 foreign visitors, notably Americans, Germans, Swedes, Canadians, Norwegians, Japanese and British have made the village (a.k.a. Small London), their second home.

"Naa Korkor Amen has shown practical interest in the area of health care delivery by donating medical supplies and educational materials to our community", the chief confirmed. He said, the new Queenmother would be expected to work hand-in-hand with the Town Development Council to improve the standard of living of the people by raising resources from both home and abroad to speed up the development process in the community. The village, he announced, has in place a five-year development plan to cater for the construction of a community clinic, library, teachers' quarters, day nursery and a permanent water storage facility and completion of a community centre. Anunyam Traditional music and dance and Abonya Cultural Group entertained the crowd. Mr. Victor Nortey an educationist, rendered a special recital in honour of the newly installed development Queenmother.