The 28th Annual Congress of Okwahu United North America was held from September 4th to 7th, 2015 at Edison, New Jersey under the theme, “Education: A tool for development”. This congress organized every year assembles all the umbrella Kwahu organizations across US and Canada to discuss previous year’s progress and plans for the year ahead among others including networking. Over 300 participants from North America attended this event.

This year’s event marked the election of a new national administration comprised of seven (7) executives drawn from the various states compared with three (3) outgoing executives. US states represented at the event in addition to Canada were; Connecticut, Illinois (Chicago), New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Washington DC, and delegates from Philadelphia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Atlanta and Texas. Outgoing executives three (3) were Nana Opoku Fosu (former president), Mr. Kwame Akuamoah Debra (former Secretary) and Yaw Dankyi Anyinam (former Treasurer). While the new seven (7) executives to run affairs of the union for the next 3 years are Mr. Frederick Ansong-Dwamena of New York (President), Dr. Akuamoah Boateng of Canada (Vice President), Dr. Alexander Anim-Mensah of Ohio (General Secretary), Mr. Kwame Akuamoah Debra of New York (Financial Secretary), Mr. Kofi Dankwa of New York (Fundraising), Mrs. Juana Akyemfour Yeboah of New Jersey (Treasurer), and Mr. Minta of Connecticut (Fundraising Assistant).

Mr. Frederick Ansong-Dwamena in his address called for unity and Kwahus’ being proactive than reactive to mount a common front to solve problems abroad as well as in Ghana. Moreover, Mr. Ansong-Dwamena presented the proposals of the new administration which he stressed, we must unite to move forward the agenda for 2016 and beyond. We are blessed to have come this far, but we need to sacrifice a little more for our underprivileged brothers and sisters in Kwahu Traditional Area as well as Ghana as a whole he added. Part of the 2016 proposal is an educational pilot projects where scholarships will be awarded to students in all four (4) Districts of the Kwahu Traditional Area under a foundation purposely for Educational assistance. Collectively, over $100,000.00 has been spent on projects in the Kwahu Traditional Area from 2014 to 2015. Mr. Ansong-Dwamena urged, this is not enough for a stronger union like ours. We must do more in the coming years, he emphasized
One keynote at the event was a resolution among the various US State Associations of an establishment a Federal Credit Union in 2016 to assist members in financial needs.

At the fundraising dinner dance, special awards were presented to outgoing executives for a wonderful work done. Mr. Adgyare Danquah, the CEO on Metalex Group of companies, received the 2014 Philanthropic Award; the highest award instituted by the union. Mrs. Willomena Adjare Dankwah graced the occasion to receive the award on behalf of her husband.
The climax of the event was the Family Reunion Picnic at Rahway River Park which drew a crowd of over 1000 people from all walks of lives.
The 2016 congress will be hosted in Chicago by Kwahuman Association of Chicago (Illinois).

Alexander Anim-Mensah, PhD
Dayton Ohio
alexraymonda@yahoo.com