Giving the Gift of Life and Health at Christmas (Nana Eyeson Akiwowo)

By: N. Amma Twum-Baah

Speculation has it that the current generation will be the ones to set the pace for positive change on the African continent – and already we are increasingly seeing signs of the truth in this assumption. When I set out to interview Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo, CEO of African Health Now (“AHN”), I wasn’t sure what to expect. Charities are ever increasingly present on the continent, and yet, not many are run by Africans. So, naturally, I had questions – was this just another “Charitable organization” seeking donations for projects with no end results?

Then I heard her story and I heard the passion and conviction in her voice, and I was convinced that AHN is not even a charitable organization. It is more than that! It is a labor of love and appreciation from one Ghanaian woman to another – a selfless act of giving and asking nothing in return. Her confidence and radiant personality are unmistaken and so utterly infectious. She speaks of her vision for African Health Now with such passion and zeal; it’s difficult not to be drawn in, to sit up and to pay attention, and take note of every word she speaks about a cause that is absolutely dear to her heart.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977 to parents of Ghanaian descent, Nana and her two siblings were raised in what she describes as a “characteristic Ghanaian atmosphere.” From her mother’s deliberate refusal to speak anything but her local Akan dialect inside and outside the home - to her parent’s involvement in the Ghanaian community within the Brooklyn area - Nana and her siblings were raised to understand the value and significance of their Ghanaian cultural background, to speak their mother’s native tongue, and to understand the importance of having ties with their ancestral home.

It would take years for Nana to understand the importance of the values her parents had instilled in her. In 2006, her father suffered a heart attack shortly after moving back home to Ghana. The attack left his family back in the United States living on edge. Information on the progress of her father’s recovery was scantily available, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing loved ones are in good hands came not from medical professionals, but from the people in the community – neighbors, friends and family – who had rallied behind the man who had given them so much. It turns out her father had unconsciously created a support system when he opened his home to those in need within his community. The community in turn repaid his kindness by offering their support and services when he needed it the most. Touched by the humanity of the people, Nana says she decided to do something nice to repay them for their love and care. Little did she know she was setting the foundation for a grassroots organization that would impact the lives of hundreds of people in a land she had only visited on occasion.

When Nana finally made it to Ghana for Christmas that same year, she decided to put together a health fair for the community. With the help of a few friends – some of whom happened to be vacationing in Ghana at the time, Nana would put together AHN’s first health fair with a focus on repaying the kindness of the community. Among the friends who volunteered precious hours of their vacationing time for a worthy cause were a few doctors, and a dentist, who currently sit on the board of directors at African Health Now. The fair included free blood pressure screenings, dental screenings and healthy living discussions and talks. There were about 340 attendants that first year.

They say big things always start off in small doses. One idea leads to another then another and before you know it one small idea is impacting the lives of thousands. Encouraged by the enthusiasm and support of those who attended the first health fair; and an awareness of the challenges Ghanaians faced in terms of their knowledge of basic healthcare prevention and care, a healthcare grassroots funding effort was formed on nothing more than the zeal and dedication of a few passionate individuals and professionals who have since devoted their time to the cause. That year, 2006, saw the birth of what is now termed the Annual Gift of Life @ Christmas Health Fair.

The health fair has been held every year since that first kick-off in 2006. Today, the fair attracts crowds of people seeking free basic healthcare screenings and information. It affords those who would otherwise not be able to afford yearly screenings an opportunity to have them done for free. Today, the mission of AHN is focused on the promotion of the health and well-being of Africans and people of African descent living both in the United States and abroad, and aims to provide information and accessibility to resources through the use of conferences, workshops, health fairs and on-going programs. To date, AHN has partnered with various organizations - Millennium Cities Initiative Village in Old Tafo Kumasi, the Enslavement Prevention Alliance West Africa, Reach 4 Recovery, and the Susan G. Komen Accra Breast Cancer Center - willing to assist in fulfilling AHN’s long-term goals.

This year, the health fair will be held on December 26, 2009 at the Tema Station in partnership with the Enslavement Prevention Alliance West Africa’s prevention of human trafficking. The fair will seek to address the health concerns of the women, men and children commonly known as “Kayayos” who live in the Tema Station under deplorable conditions. Kayayos are day-laborers who work long hours in the city usually carrying heavy loads from place to place for very little pay. Many of them have no place to call home and so they sleep wherever they can. Some of these workers are as young as 10 years-old, and many migrate from their original hometowns in the Northern part of Ghana; some come voluntarily in search of greener pastures. Others are brought under the guise of being offered better opportunities that never pan-out.

African Health Now also plans to provide 800 Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme cards in 2009. The cards are estimated at 300,000 cedis each.

Nana currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of African Health Now. Before taking on the leadership role at AHN, she worked in the publishing industry as an Assistant photo Editor for Vanguard Media, then later as a Bookings Editor for Essence Magazine. She attended City College New York where she studied journalism and communications. Nana is also a newly-wed. When it comes to handling her responsibilities as a new wife and running an organization that helps make the lives of hundreds of people living miles away better, Nana knows no greater joy; and she handles both with such superior charm, grace, excellence and self-sacrifice.

To learn more about the wonderful work that African Health Now is doing under the direction and leadership of Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo, visit the organization’s website at www.africanhealthnow.org. Should you happen to be in Ghana around the Christmas holidays, offer a few hours of your time to volunteer for a good cause. It is only a day out of your vacation and no time lost at all. Should time and distance not allow you to be physically present; you can offer a contribution to assist by donating to the cause.

(This profile feature has been edited from the original version published at Afrikan Goddess. N. Amma Twum-Baah is the publisher and editor of Afrikan Goddess Online.)