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Nana Afrakoma II, empowering needy young women with employable skills
Nana Afrakoma II
Dreams do come true and it is even more fulfilling and gratifying when the reality of the dream impacts lives positively.
That is the case of Nana Afrakoma II, Queen Mother of Akwamu Traditional Area, who has served her people in this capacity since 1964.
She was only 18 when the huge crown of Queen Mother of the revered ‘Akwamu State’ in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region was placed on her head.
It was a huge responsibility which the young Queen Mother took while looking out for opportunities to realise her dream of empowering needy young people in the area through skills development and training.
In pursuance of her dream after 59 years of various strides, Nana Afrakoma II, through the Ohemea Afrakoma II Foundation, established a vocational training centre to provide educational space for the people.
The Nana Afrakoma II Vocational Training Institute, officially opened in 2021, is targeted at providing employable skills to the needy young people, especially women, in the area.
The skills being tutored at the Institute range from hairdressing to fashion and beads making.
The Institute currently has a student population of 30, with the first batch scheduled for graduation on November 25 this year.
In an interview with The Spectator, Nana Afrakoma II said the Institute was also established with the intents to tackle the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy in the area.
The consequence of rising cases of teenage pregnancy in the area, she explained, was a corresponding increase in school dropouts, hence the decision to train the beneficiaries to be able to care for their wards.
“Our interest now is providing young men and women who had dropped out of school due to pregnancy with employable skills and a means to improve their livelihood.
We have, within the past two years, enrolled 30 students in the Institute at no cost. The 12 who have completed the training would be graduating on November 25,” Nana Afrakoma II noted.
She said although the Institute was initially established for the indigenes of Akwamu, it was currently providing skills training to young people from the whole of the Asuogyaman District, including Senchi, Atimpoku and other neighbouring communities.
In addition to the training, she noted, the graduates are supported with start-up capital to enable them commence their business operations.
“We don’t want to train and leave them to their fate. We want to see them flourish and able to care for themselves and their offsprings.
For those in fashion, we will give them sewing machines while those who trained in hairdressing will be supported with hair dryers. Those in beads making will also receive support to be able to start their business,” Nana Afrakoma II said.
Although free for the students, she said, the running of the Institute had come at a huge financial cost to the Paramountcy, which has continuously provided financial support, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also deploying its resources to help the Institute meet it objectives, the Asuogyaman District Assembly and other voluntary donors.
“We are grateful to the Akwamu Paramountcy for the continuous support as well as the UNFPA which has taken a genuine interest in what we do here.
The Assembly has also donated a four-classroom block to be used as one of our training centres. So yes, despite the financial burden, the support from everyone, including voluntary donors, has made it possible for the school’s survival,” Nana Afrakoma II added.
She said in addition to providing the young people with training on employable skills, sensitisation on the dangers of teenage pregnancy has been heightened to prevent others from going through similar experiences.
The Queen Mother called for increased support to enable the Institute develop its 30-acre land to be able to expand and admit more young people who hold an interest in pursuing any of the skills development programmes.
By Claude Nyarko Adams
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
