By Isaac FRIMPONG (Ph.D.)
For a long time, and still today in many parts of Ghana, people turn first to their extended family or community when they need help. That is the informal support system. You do not need to apply, explain much, or meet conditions. You are helped because you belong. This kind of support still exists, but something has changed.
Across Ghana and much of Africa, a new kind of network has quietly emerged: alumni associations. These old students’ groups have grown beyond reunions and school events. Today, they are active players in school development, community support, and personal welfare.
They often move more quickly and efficiently than formal institutions. While alumni groups exist across all levels of education, this article focuses on old students of Ghana’s secondary schools, especially those with strong boarding traditions.
It Started With Community and Kin
Before colonisation, mutual aid came from families, clans, and hometown groups. Whether through susu, nnoboa, or communal farming, people pooled resources to help one another. These systems were built on trust, reciprocity and shared responsibility.
Colonial and mission schools changed that structure. They opened paths to literacy, jobs, and social mobility. Students, especially those in boarding schools, built lasting bonds through shared struggles and victories. School became more than a place of learning; it became identity.
The show of solidarity
This bond is most visible during the National Science and Maths Quiz. It is more than a competition. It is a national moment. Alumni tune in, wearing school colours, flooding social media, and proudly cheering for their schools. A few decades ago, only elite schools such as Presec, Achimota, Prempeh, and Wesley Girls dominated the conversation. Today, people from all backgrounds take pride in saying, “That is my school.”
Alumni Networks: United by Experience
These associations are not exclusive or elitist. They cut across occupation, income, and region. From traders in Madina to engineers in Canada, what binds them is not wealth but a shared memory: water queues, dorm inspections, Sunday white uniforms, lights-out at 10 pm, and inter-house competitions.
Technology gives them an edge. WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom, and Mobile Money allow quick mobilisation and response. They have modernised the kind of support families and community groups have offered for generations, but with greater speed, scale, and sometimes more resources.
Old Students, New Power
These groups now:
- Fund school infrastructure: laboratories, dormitories, libraries
- Support students through scholarships, mentorship, or supplies
- Assist classmates with health bills, weddings, or funerals
- Influence who gets appointed as head or admitted
Take a public senior high school in the Ashanti Region. A year group discovered that the school’s fire extinguishers had expired. An alumnus, a fire officer, now inspects and services them annually, free of charge. The group has also begun work on a new classroom block to reduce overcrowding. They did not wait for government support. They acted through their alumni WhatsApp platform.
“Alumni Power: Classmates Forever”
Beyond school projects, these networks support each other directly. When a member loses a parent, falls ill, or passes away, help is swift, no paperwork, no delays. In one case, a group took over the education of a deceased member’s three children. In another, they helped his widow start a small business. These are not charity cases. This is informal insurance: effective, emotional, and fast.
In some cases, alumni influence reaches school governance. The high-profile case of two Rastafarian students and Achimota School raised issues not just of policy but of alumni involvement. It showed how powerful these associations have become, not just in support, but in shaping public conversations about education.
A New Kind of Family
As more people live far from home and trust in public service declines, these networks offer both emotional and practical security. Some wonder if alumni groups are replacing older structures, such as hometown or trade associations. They are not; instead, they are adapting.
Most people belong to multiple networks: alumni groups, hometown unions, and churches. But school ties are unique. They cross ethnic, geographic, and class lines. These groups have become today’s village, built not on bloodlines but on shared experience.
My Final Thoughts
Alumni associations are doing what families have always done: show up when it counts. But they are doing it with more speed, reach, and organisation. They are building a modern, self-organised support system based on trust and shared history.
In a country where government services often fall short, these networks keep people afloat. They are not donor-funded or imposed from outside. They are local, self-driven, and deeply rooted in Ghanaian life.
If Ghana is serious about building a welfare system that works, it does not have to look far. These alumni groups are already showing the way. After all, we were the first to gain independence in sub-Saharan Africa. Why not be the first to build a welfare state rooted in our realities?
Isaac is a Researcher and Consultant
