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Grace Tivlyn Adomako Asamoah …professional truck driver rubbing shoulders with men
Truck driving is a profession many people regard as a man’s job and for that reason women are not easily accepted and sometimes they are castigated for taking up such a career.
But thirty-two year old Ms Grace Tivlyn Adomako Asamoah has defied the taunts of her family and friends to become what she had admired men do since her infancy.
She is currently a heavy duty truck driver with C.A. Logistics, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies with more than 20 men in the yard.
The ever smiling and courteous lady who speaks good English Language could not further her education due to financial difficulties.
At age 24, she obtained her Private Vehicle Licence and became a commercial driver four years later.
She became a heavy duty vehicle driver after completing a training organised by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with GIZ, Ghana Technical Training Centre (GTTC), Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) and Scania, a company which deals in trucks, buses, engines, in Accra.
This gave her the opportunity to train as a driver with other 60 females.
According to Grace, her passion for driving does not kill her desire to become a pilot. Though age is catching up with her, she still dreams of making it into the Ghana Air Force one day.
Education
Ms Grace Adomako is a product of Bantama Presby Basic School and Serwaa Nyarko Girls’ Senior High School, all in the Ashanti Region. She is an old student of G-Health Consult also.
Work Schedule
Grace begins her day with Preventive Maintaince Checks and Services (PMCS) on her truck to ensure the safety and ‘operationalbility’ of the truck.
“I check tyre pressure, level of engine oil, mirrors, lights, wipers, brakes among others,” she said.
She takes orders from her office which can take her to and from the Compost and Recycling Plant in Accra to landfill site at Techiman in the Bono East Region.
“I have worked on projects at Agogbloshie demolition, construction of Adjen Kotoku market and Akomadan local government project,” she said.
Challenges
All this progress did not come on silver platter as friends and family members were heavily against her choice to become a truck driver because their understanding was that heavy truck driving was the preserve of men.
He mother, who is one of the great cheerleaders, was not spared the name calling and embarrassment either.
“On several occasions I have been castigated for being a truck driver even to the extent that people chastised my mother for encouraging me to become a truck driver,” she recalled.
Her colleague male drivers also tried to intimidate her with some of them asking her how she felt rubbing shoulders with them on the road.
Asked how she felt whenever she encountered such situations, the well read truck driver, paraphrasing the words of a Chinese surgeon, Tian Wei, said, “any society that fails to harness the energy of its women is at a huge disadvantage in the modern world.”
Grace is married to Mr. Dickson Berko-Aikins an Accra-based business owner with two boys aged 11 and three.
She said that her husband initially doubted her ability due to the risky nature of the job but it was now “all praises and encouragement from my darling Dickson.”
“Massa Dickson, Mama and all those who have kept my dreams alive, thank you, but this is just the beginning,” The jovial truck driver said with giggle.
Advice
The energetic young woman who likes dancing, swimming and travelling, tells other females to follow their passion and dreams.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
AUTISM Awareness Care and Training (AACT) is Ghana’s first autism-focused centre, playing a pioneering role in the care, education, and advocacy for children on the autism spectrum and their families.
Established in 1998, AACT began as a parent-support and training initiative at a time when autism was poorly understood in Ghana. Many families raising autistic children faced stigma, isolation, and limited access to information or professional assistance.
Over the years, the organisation has evolved into a full-fledged autism care and training centre, responding to the growing demand for specialised services and sustained nationwide awareness.
AACT is currently located in Haatso, Accra, where it operates a structured day programme serving about 25 learners daily. The centre provides a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where children with autism are guided to develop essential life, social, and functional skills.
Programmes at the centre focus on independent living skills, vocational and pre-vocational training, functional academic skills, and therapeutic interventions. These activities are tailored to the individual needs of each learner, recognising that children on the autism spectrum learn and develop at different paces.
According to Abeiku Grant, Head of Programmes at AACT, the centre’s philosophy is centred on ability rather than limitation.
“Every autistic child is different,” he said. “Our work is to support them at their own pace and help them discover what they can do, not to focus on what they cannot do.”
Beyond centre-based services, AACT places strong emphasis on autism awareness and advocacy, particularly within schools and communities. Many children with autism in Ghana continue to face rejection and exclusion due to stigma, misinformation, and the lack of trained personnel in educational institutions.
In 2025, AACT reached over 20 schools across the country, providing autism education to teachers, students, and school administrators.
The organisation also runs free teacher training programmes, equipping educators with practical knowledge and basic tools to support autistic learners in inclusive classroom settings.
“Many schools tell us they are not resourced or trained to handle autistic learners,” Mr Grant explained. “Instead of waiting for change, we decided to go to them and train teachers for free.”
AACT also engages learners directly, addressing widespread misconceptions about autism, including the false belief that autism is contagious or caused by bad parenting. These outreach programmes aim to build empathy among students and promote peer support for autistic learners in mainstream schools.
Another major challenge confronting families is limited access to autism services, especially outside Accra. With most autism centres concentrated in the capital, many families from other regions are forced to travel long distances or keep their children at home due to cost, stigma, or lack of support.
“Education is not meant only for typical children,” Mr Grant stressed. “Children with autism also have the right to education and care. No child should be hidden because of lack of understanding or opportunity.”
As part of its outreach work, AACT supports parents to overcome stigma and encourages social interaction for children with autism, believing that community engagement is essential for development and confidence building.
In December 2025, the centre received what it described as its largest donation of the year, raised by children from the Unmasked Mentoring initiative. According to the organisation, the donation was particularly significant as it demonstrated empathy and social responsibility among young people.
As a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, AACT depends largely on donations, partnerships, and goodwill to sustain and expand its work. Current needs include a minibus for community-based social activities, expansion of its facility to accommodate more learners, sponsorship support for children from financially challenged families, and funding to scale autism awareness programmes nationwide.
Looking ahead, AACT envisions a Ghanaian society that is inclusive, informed, and supportive of persons with autism.
“Our goal is a Ghana where children with autism are accepted and supported,” Mr Grant said. “Every child has potential. All they need is understanding, opportunity, and care.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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If you found yourself in Tamale last weekend, you would have stepped into an atmosphere alive with colour, rhythm and memory. The maiden Northern Ghana FOTO Festival did not feel like a typical exhibition; it felt like a cultural awakening.
Between rows of tall white panels displaying hundreds of striking images, a cultural troupe danced their way through the space, their drumming rolling through the hall like a heartbeat. The dancers’ movements fluid, bold, traditional, created a living bridge between the past and the photographs surrounding them.
Not far from the performers, chiefs in their elegant traditional regalia paused thoughtfully before portraits capturing festivals, rituals and everyday life. This immersive scene set the tone for the Northern Ghana FOTO Festival, which opened in Tamale with a resounding call for cultural preservation through visual storytelling.
The event gathered photographers, cultural advocates, scholars and traditional leaders to celebrate the narratives, traditions and identities that shaped northern Ghana. Originally launched with a call for just 30 photographic entries, organisers were overwhelmed with more than 600 images submitted by over 60 contributors from across the five northern regions.
The range of submissions from seasoned photographers and emerging artists to passionate hobbyists formed a vivid collective portrait of the region’s past and present. The opening ceremony amplified the festival’s cultural spirit with traditional drumming, dancing and performances that reflected the rich heritage the exhibition sought to highlight.
Chairperson for the event, Prof. Elliot Haruna Alhassan, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), described photography as a crucial tool for documenting Ghana’s cultural evolution. He emphasised that visual storytelling is becoming indispensable in safeguarding customs, values and community memory.
The Guest of Honour and former Rector of Tamale Technical University, Prof. Salifu Asuro, praised the organisers for creating a platform that elevates the cultural identity of northern Ghana. He encouraged public and private institutions to support creative arts initiatives, noting their significant role in national development.
Traditional authorities played a central part in the ceremony. Representatives from the Gukpe Naa and Dakpemaa palaces including Naa Prof. Abdul-Rahaman Issahaku, Chief of Gbanyamle and senior faculty member at UDS, as well as the Chief of Bunbong, Uborr Wumbe Dawuni—commended the festival for fostering cultural continuity and encouraging younger generations to reconnect with their roots.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Owusu-Boakye Frank, Senior Standard and quality assurance officer assured the Authority’s commitment to supporting cultural tourism. He stressed that visual storytelling, when harnessed effectively, has the potential to attract visitors, preserve cultural assets and strengthen community identity. He pledged the Authority’s collaboration in future editions to position northern Ghana as a vibrant hub for creativity and heritage.
One of the festival’s major highlights was a panel discussion on the theme: “Preserving Culture, History and Community through Visual Storytelling.” Chiefs, scholars and cultural experts explored the importance of visual documentation as a tool for intergenerational education, emphasising photography’s ability to create a timeless cultural archive.
Team Lead of Foto4Change and convener of the festival, Mr Geoffrey Buta, said the initiative seeks to strengthen cultural conservation efforts through photography. “Our forebears relied on oral tradition to preserve history,” he noted. “Today, visual storytelling enables us to continue that work in a more permanent and accessible form.”
Mr Buta announced plans to transform the festival into a rotational exhibition that will travel across northern Ghana, giving more communities access to the growing visual archive. He added that the event would be institutionalised as an annual celebration of culture, research and artistic dialogue.
The displayed photographs captured festivals, landscapes, portraits, rituals and everyday life offering a colourful, honest and layered view of northern Ghana’s cultural richness. Organisers expressed optimism that with sustained institutional support, the Northern Ghana FOTO Festival could evolve into a major cultural event capable of attracting both national and international attention, while preserving the heritage and stories that make the region unique.
By Spectator Reporter
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