In today’s social media-craze world, motivational stories are not in short supply but only a few of them tickle real emotions. Frederick Agaaya Adon­go’s story is one of the rare exceptions.

Last week, beneath the historic elm trees at Yale University’s graduation ceremony, the once cattle herder stood tall in his academic regalia, the same hardened hands that once held farm tools in rural Zorkor in the Upper East Region now clutching a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from one of the world’s most prestigious institutions.

“This is nothing short of exhilarat­ing,” the cheerful graduand said in an interview, recalling his emergence from a humble background – the dusty paths of his remote village, where dreams often wither under the harsh sun – to becoming the first Ghanaian in almost four decades to graduate with LL.M from the prestigious Yale Law School.

“I had no professional ambitions growing up. I would say my journey to law school was divinely orchestrated,” he said.

A key part of that divine orches­tration is the unwavering support of renowned businessman and philanthro­pist, Alhaji Seidu Agongo, whose gen­erosity transformed the cattle herder’s dream into an extraordinary reality.

Between farm, cattle and classroom

Growing up in rural Ghana, Freder­ick said his early life revolved around farming and animal husbandry.

He recalled dividing his time be­tween school, herding cattle, and going to the farm, costing him precious learning time.

Despite these challenging circum­stances, he persevered through basic education, eventually stopping cattle herding in his final year in Junior High School (JHS) to focus on the Basic Edu­cation Certificate Examination (BECE).

Predictably, funding his education was a constant struggle. “With contri­butions from family and other benevo­lent people, I managed to meet all my financial obligations to complete high school,” he said, though that meant a bigger hurdle was ahead.

At the University of Ghana, he said relied heavily on support from chap­lains and members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

The Agongo factor

Frederick’s life changed dramatically when a senior at the University of Gha­na recognised his potential and recom­mended him to Alhaji Seidu Agongo – a moment he describes as “a significant turning point in my life.”

“Since knowing Alhaji Agongo, he has paid my school fees and provided for my needs throughout my education­al journey,” Frederick explained. “I didn’t have to worry about the burdens that otherwise would have made it dif­ficult for me to focus on my studies,” he said.

The result is an improbable Yale Law School star, now a symbol of possibility and a beacon of hope for rural youth across the nation.

The story of Frederick, who Alhaji Agongo neither knows nor has ever met, is one of many by a philanthropist who believes in sharing himself to help make society better.

He has sponsored hundreds of children across the country through various levels of education, paid the bills of hundred more people and constructed and furnished a state-of-the-art block for the Children’s Depart­ment of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

Alhaji Agongo has also funded several females, widows and single mothers through vocational training and entre­preneurships as part of his commit­ment to helping create an equitable society.

“Frederick is an exceptional talent and the least I can do is to support him shine,” he said. “Through that support, he will make his family and society better and the world will be the bigger beneficiary,” he added.

Making history at Yale

For Frederick, Alhaji Agongo’s pres­ence in his life led him into a land of possibilities.

After successfully completing his law degree in Ghana, he said he was faced with offers from both Yale and Harvard Law Schools but settled for Yale for its intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes.

“My checks also strongly suggest that since 1987, we have not had a Ghanaian in the programme,” he notes proudly.

As the only African in his cohort, Frederick decided to “take the road less traveled,” breaking a 38-year absence of Ghanaian representation in Yale’s prestigious LL.M. programme, a journey smoothen by constant financial and moral support from Alhaji Agongo.

For him, the LL.M. holds immense personal significance, more so from Yale.

“Yale Law School not only imparts profound legal knowledge but also instills in us the responsibility to use that knowledge to address society’s most pressing challenges. Coming from a background where higher education seemed like an unlikely dream, the op­portunity to now be part of a commu­nity that strives to create meaningful change in the world is nothing short of exhilarating,” he said.

Genuine philanthropist

For Frederick, Alhaji Agongo’s suc­cess story highlights the transformative impact of a man’s philanthropy that extends far beyond his personal.

“Alhaji Agongo is a genuine philan­thropist,” Frederick said, noting the distant nature of their relationship.

“Since knowing him, we have only spoken on the phone; he has never met me and has nothing to gain from me for helping me. Yet he constantly checks up on me to ensure that I am comfortable and provides whatever I need,” he said.

Frederick revealed that Alhaji Agongo has similarly supported numerous other students whose educational journeys might have been “prematurely truncat­ed but for his benevolence.”

Message to the youth

For Frederick, his situation is a pow­erful testament of how one’s back­ground means less to his/her future.

“One is not defined by their circum­stances,” he said.

“We need to only push ourselves to our elastic limits in the pursuit of our goals,” he said.

He stressed the importance of mentorship and humility, noting that the youth needed to get mentors who can guide them in whatever field they choose to pursue.

“We just need to humble ourselves and be ready to learn from mentors, friends, and colleagues. And we will attain greater heights,” he said.

On what next, he said he return home to work while exploring opportu­nities for further studies.

While at it, his story stands as a pow­erful testament to perseverance, the impact of philanthropy, and the heights that determined Ghanaians can reach with proper support.

By Spectator Reporter

It has long been the passion of Dr Mrs Christiana Konamah Okai-Men­sah to contribute meaningfully to national development, particularly through Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

This goal emphasises the importance of efficient resource use, waste reduc­tion, and the promotion of sustainable practices.

Inspired by a heartfelt birthday message from Rev. David Aboagye Danquah, a Presbyterian Minister, Dr Okai-Mensah, was further encouraged to turn her vision into action—trans­forming textile waste into valuable products to benefit society and the environment.

The beginning of a vision

Dr Okai-Mensah’s journey began with a simple but impactful initiative at Accra Technical Universi­ty (ATU), where she works as a lec­tur­er.

She founded a student club that focused on incorpo­rating waste textiles into fashion projects. This laid the foundation for what would become the Reclaim Tex­tile Network (RTN) Ghana, a non-gov­ernmental organisation dedicated to combating textile waste through upcy­cling, sustainable fashion education, and inclusive community innovation.

In an interview with The Specta­tor, Dr Okai-Mensah said with over 92 million tons of textile waste generated globally each year, much of it is off­loaded onto developing nations.

She said Ghana, and its cities, par­ticularly Accra, has become a major dumping ground for discarded sec­ond-hand clothing—putting immense pressure on landfills sites and govern­ments as a whole.

The Reclaim Textile

Network (RTN)

Established as a response to this growing crisis, she said RTN Ghana aims to divert textile waste from landfills and instead channel it into creative reuse programmes.

According to her the organisa­tion empowers youth, artisans, students, women, and underserved communities to transform fabric cut-offs into eco-conscious products with both social and economic value.

Dr Okai-Mensah who is a lecturer at Accra Technical University said RTN’s objective was to showcase up-cycled products, highlight stu­dent creations, launch the Textile Waste-to- Product challenge, and promote commu­nity training and advocacy

“In just one year, RTN has reached over 1,500 stu­dents across 11 institu­tions, including five senior high schools, tertiary insti­tutions, two churches, and a rehabilitation centre,” she said.

These engage­ments, she said have built practical skills and raised awareness about sustainable practices.

Challenges and call for support Despite the significant impact RTN has made, Dr Okai-Mensah notes that the organisa­tion faces serious challenges, primarily due to limited resources.

Currently, RTN operates with only one full-time staff member and three part-time assistants, with fabric waste collected manually using her private vehicle.

“So far, funding has come entire­ly from my personal resources, with support from my husband, Mr Kwasi Okai-Mensah,” she revealed. “We need stakeholders to come on board to scale this impact.”

Dr Okai-Mensah advocates the inte­gration of textile upcycling into school curricula, citing its affordability and environmental benefits. She calls on the government, private sector, and corporate organisations to support RTN’s initiatives.

Academic and

Professional contributions

Dr Okai-Mensah is a distinguished ac­ademic and leader in textiles and fash­ion design technology. Her research spans sustainable textile practices, design innovation, and the technolog­ical advancement of Ghana’s textile and fashion industry.

She has published extensively and participated in numerous international conferences.

Educational Background

Dr Okai-Mensah has an MPhil in Art Education, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), 2013–2015, MA in Adult Education, University of Ghana, Legon, 2011–2012, BA in Art (Textiles), KNUST, 1996–2000, Teacher’s Certificate A, 1989–1992

Global recognition

In 2007, she proudly represented Ghana in the Thread Project – One World, One Cloth (Lienzo Luminoso – Cloth of Light), a global initiative promoting unity through textiles.

Her leadership and experience continue to earn her recognition as a valuable advisor and thought leader in sustainability and education.

Personal Life

Born in Berekum in the Bono Region, Dr. Okai-Mensah is married to Mr Kwesi Okai-Mensah and blessed with three sons. Her hobbies include singing and mentoring young minds. Her favourite dish is fufu with chicken light soup.

By Linda Abrefi Wadie