Features
Dr Emmanuel Quarshie: Retired dentist and well-respected
Dr Quarshie
Today, I start with Dr Emmanuel Quarshie in my focus on personalities in order to highlight their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
Dr Quarshie is a retired dentist in Finland and a well-respected member/ elder in the Ghanaian community in Finland. He studied dentistry finishing with a doctorate degree in dentistry, which he got in 1979 from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany and worked at the University Clinic in the department of Kariology and Parodontology.
Dr Quarshie moved to Finland with his family in 1980, and went to the University of Turku to do a three-month course, to be eligible for a license in dentistry and to be able to practise dentistry in Finland.
He also took a course in social medicine at the University of Tampere (Finland). These were mandatory courses before he got the license to practise dentistry until his retirement from the City of Vantaa (Finland) dental health services in 2014.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A DENTIST
It is only fair to give to readers Dr Quarshie’s accomplishments, as I wrote the last time, as part of the success stories of various personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland and to highlight their exploits both in the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
During his working life, Dr Quarshie was an accomplished dental surgeon. He got a number of awards and honours. At a point, he was the only Black or African dentist in Finland. He felt the pressure on him to perform well in his field in order not to attract any negative criticism, especially from his superiors.
When Dr Quarshie finished his doctorate degree, he initially worked as a dentist assistant in Germany where he met his Finnish wife who was also a medical student. Dr Quarshie excelled in his short time work as assistant dentist after his studies in Germany.
They worked in Germany from 1982 to 1987. Dr Quarshie’s professors were actually impressed with his work output, and he was willing to stay except that in those days in the 1980s, things were simply not easy.
Therefore, after his wife completed her own studies, they moved to Finland (his wife’s country) where Dr Quarshie took two courses in order to secure the license to practise as a dentist. He worked for almost two years in the western part of Finland.
After that, he moved to the south with his family and worked at the Terveyskeskus Health Centre.
In all, Dr Quarshie worked for 28 years in Vantaa and other places in Finland. He worked with many top dentists in Finland and successfully performed complicated dental surgeries.
Dr Quarshie advises people to go for medical and dental check-ups as often as recommended in Finland. “Even if you think you do not feel any pain, you still have to check it and seek attention from the expert”, he says.
LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT
March 2024 will be 11 years since Dr Quarshie retired as a dentist. Initially, he was consulted even immediately after his retirement.
He now lives in Vantaa with his wife. Born in Accra (Otublohum), he moved to Germany to pursue further studies and married his Finnish wife whom he met in Germany. Now in his late 70s, Dr Quarshie devotes most of his time to his two grown-up children, and his grandchildren.
He also engages in farming during the summer periods in order to keep active and have organic farm produce.
ACTIVE IN THE GHANAIAN COMMUNITY
Dr Quarshie has been very active in the Ghanaian community. He is very active in the larger Ghana Union Finland, and has chaired many functions organised by the Union, which is a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He has also been an active member of the Suomen-Ghana-Seurary (Finnish-Ghana-Friendship Association), another non-governmental organisation for the welfare of Ghanaian migrants in Finland.
Dr Quarshie has been a counsellor and mentor, and has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths.
By Perpetual Crentsil
Email: perpetualcrentsil@yahoo.com
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
