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School Feeding Programme ensuring quality, transparency – Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah
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With expertise in food production, processing, preservation and packaging, Mrs. Gertrude Esi Quashigah continues to set remarkable standards as one of the torchbearers in the food and beverage industry.
She had contributed her quota and excelled as founder and manager of a successful family business for about two decades and is determined to do more as the leader of the Ghana National School Feeding Programme (GNSFP).
The appointment of Mrs. Quashigah as National Coordinator of the GNSFP in 2017 made her the first female National Coordinator of the programme.
Although the programme which seeks to provide children in public primary schools with one hot meal every school day has recorded some successes, Mrs. Quashigah says she would resolve existing challenges and transform the programme to provide the best to beneficiaries.
In a recent interaction with The Spectator, she touched on aspects of her life and career, indicating a clear plan of maintaining quality and transparency under her leadership.
Background
Mrs. Quashigah is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ambar Quality Foods Limited.
Born February 1, 1960, at Dzelukope in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, she was married to the late Major Courage E. K. Quashigah, a former Minister of Health and Agriculture in the Kufour administration.
She attended Dzelukope Roman Catholic School before proceeding to Keta Secondary School where she studied Literature in English, Food Science and Nutrition.
Prior to settling on her food production and packaging business, she took up other professional courses in food production and management at different institutions, including the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Empretec Ghana, Pegados Cakes & Pastries Catering School, among others.
Experience
The 61-year-old is also the Founder and Executive Director of Healthy Living Foundation and once worked with Unilever and Nestle Ghana Limited as a distributor.
She had provided quality catering and auxiliary services at events hosted by private and public institutions in the country. As an advocate of healthy living, she had trained women in the food industry on Effective Management and Hygienic Handling of Food while managing her own business.
These and other track record, she believes, have provided a solid foundation for bringing the needed transformation and innovation to her current position as Head of the School Feeding Programme.
“I believe in managerial ethics and working hard to serve my country with purpose. My vision is to enhance the school feeding programme and I am working hard to continue the legacy of a principled man who had diligently served his country in all aspects of his life,” she noted.
Operations
Touching on some progress and achievements, the National Coordinator said that the GNSFP continued to provide jobs for thousands of caterers and cooks working in over 10,000 basic schools in all 260 districts of the country and was on course to digitise its records and operations.
She said that the institution, in addition to building the capacity of personnel, was collaborating with development partners and stakeholders to ensure more transparency in key target areas.
Mrs. Quashigah admitted that the programme had, over the years, relied on manual payment systems and was, therefore, taking steps to introduce new systems that could “address about 90 per cent of the challenges of the programme.”
“There are huge numbers under the programme hence the need to police the system more effectively to enable the programme to operate satisfactorily within its limited budget,” she stressed and maintained that food, just like medicine, was essential for human survival hence the need to make essential nutrients available in every diet.
She said it was her contribution to create conducive and hygienic spaces for cooks and kitchen staff under the programme, adding that the programme had provided training to caterers on alternative sources of protein such as soya and eggs to improve the quality of food served in schools.
Leadership
Soft-spoken Mrs. Quashigah said her leadership was receptive of constructive criticism, open to new ideas, and would continue to maintain cordial relationship with stakeholders, irrespective of challenges which may arise.
She called for support from individuals, private and corporate bodies and urged the public to continue providing relevant feedback and offer productive ideas.
“The School Feeding programme supports the overall development of children of school going age and it is important that all hands are on deck to help attain the objectives of the programme.
“Our doors are opened and we will continue to work to ensure that school children are well catered for while we provide the needed support for women and introduce a new phase of the programme,” she said.
Recognition
Mrs. Quashigah had received the Ghana Star Award for Packaging Excellence and was recognised by the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs for her women empowerment efforts.
She is the patron of Ghana Chefs Associations and had travelled across the country to promote made in Ghana dishes. She won gold when she led a team of Ghanaian Chefs to Info Chef Competition in South Africa in 2005.
She played a significant role during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Accra, and catered for the Ghana National Supporters Union during the World Cup in South Africa and Brazil in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
Advice
As a staunch Catholic, she listens to gospel music and spends time with her children and grandchildren. She is, therefore, advising young people to continue to acquire knowledge and take up responsibility when duty calls.
By Ernest Nutsugah
Entertainment
Dierre Doors names King Promise as Brand Ambassador for Ghana campaign

Italian premium security door manufacturer Dierre S.p.A. has named award-winning Ghanaian Afrobeats and Highlife artiste King Promise (Gregory Bortey Newman) as the face of its new Ghana and West Africa marketing campaign.
The partnership, managed by Regiments Management Company Limited, forms part of Dierre’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the West African market.
The two-week campaign, themed “Secure What Matters,” will run across digital, outdoor and influencer platforms, with King Promise featuring in a campaign film showcasing Dierre’s Prestige and Synergy security door ranges.



“Home is everything. It is where you protect the people and things that matter most. Dierre builds doors that reflect exactly that security, quality and style without compromise. I am proud to represent a brand that stands for those values,” King Promise said.
Founded in Italy, Dierre is a global manufacturer of armoured security doors, interior doors and fire-protection systems. Its products carry international anti-burglary certifications across Classes 3, 4 and 5, with the company producing hundreds of thousands of doors, locks and safes annually.
King Promise is one of Ghana’s leading Afrobeats and Highlife artistes, known for his distinctive sound, international collaborations and growing global audience.
The partnership combines Dierre’s security and design expertise with King Promise’s influence in contemporary African music and culture, as the brand expands its consumer engagement in Ghana and across West Africa.
Profile
From a room to a global enterprise: The Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye story

From humble beginnings to building an enterprise with global ambitions, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye’s journey is a story of discipline, independence, resilience and the belief that businesses should be built to outlive their founders.
Long before he became the Group Chairman of M&C Group, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye was building from modest beginnings.
His entrepreneurial journey did not start in a sophisticated corporate office or with a large team behind him.
At one stage, he was working from his room with limited resources, focused on turning an idea into a viable business.
That beginning became an important part of his philosophy: build the business first, then let the infrastructure grow with it.

Michael’s early experiences shaped his determination to become an entrepreneur. After university and periods of professional employment, including banking, accounting, marketing, packaging and logistics, he developed a deeper understanding of how businesses operate and how different industries connect.
His exposure to mining advisory work, property and other commercial opportunities broadened his perspective and helped him identify opportunities beyond a single sector.
But the journey was far from easy.
He recalls the uncertainty of sending proposal after proposal without knowing which one would eventually open a door.
Even after establishing an office in East Legon, some people assumed he was working for someone else because they could not imagine that the business belonged to him.
The confidence and corporate presence associated with success today were built through years of uncertainty, rejection, experimentation and persistence.
His evolution from working out of a room to leading M&C Group reflects a broader philosophy that has guided his business life: do not build an image before you build the substance.
For Michael, entrepreneurship is not simply about owning a company. It is about learning how to turn knowledge, relationships, opportunities and resources into sustainable value.
He believes professionals in every field can develop an entrepreneurial mindset by creating assets, building networks, investing in opportunities and developing additional sources of value alongside their careers.
That philosophy has influenced the way he approaches business expansion. Rather than viewing companies as isolated entities, Michael sees opportunities to create connections between industries, people and services.
Strategic partnerships, in his view, can create greater value than treating every other business as a competitor.
His approach has also been shaped by research and international exposure. He argues that entrepreneurs must understand the markets they enter rather than simply copy businesses they see succeeding elsewhere.
Behind every successful enterprise, he believes, are structures, regulations, relationships, research and decisions that may not be immediately visible from the outside.
As his business interests have grown, so has his ambition. M&C Group represents a significant chapter in that evolution, reflecting his drive to build an enterprise that extends beyond a single venture.
His vision is rooted not merely in personal wealth, but in creating businesses capable of generating employment, developing people, building partnerships and contributing to the wider economy.
Michael is particularly concerned about the role of the private sector in addressing unemployment and creating sustainable opportunities. For him, a successful business should ultimately do more than enrich its owner. It should employ people, develop skills, support suppliers and create opportunities that extend beyond the founder.
That long-term perspective is central to his understanding of success.
He is cautious about equating visibility with achievement. In an age where social media can make a business appear larger than it is, Michael believes the real measure of an enterprise lies in its systems, customers, assets, operations and results. The brand should be supported by substance.
His personal journey has therefore become a lesson in patience and discipline. The man who once had to convince people that the business was actually his now speaks about building systems, protecting capital, understanding markets and thinking beyond the immediate reward.
And his ambitions do not stop with the present generation.
Michael describes legacy as something that should extend beyond his children to future generations. His objective is to build something sustainable-something that can continue creating value after he is no longer at the centre of it.
From a modest room and limited resources to the boardroom and the development of a growing business group, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye’s story is ultimately about building before displaying, learning before expanding and creating something designed to last.
His journey is a reminder that global ambition does not necessarily begin with global resources. Sometimes, it begins with little more than an idea, discipline, persistence and the willingness to start where you are. – MyStoryMagazine




