Okor Waves, a non-governmental community development oriented group, in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region, organised a Christmas party and Health screening for the island community of Aflive in the Ada-East district.

The event was dubbed, “HELP Feed a Child and Health screening campaign”, came off on Saturday 23rd December, 2017.

Aflive is one of the around 32 island communities in the Ada East District. It is a deprived island community which lacks basic amenities such as clinic and electricity.

In the bid to share the joy of Christmas, and usher the New Year with the less privileged in its area, Okor Waves decided to share in the joy and of Aflive. The event targeted the children in the community, and ended up being a community party as adults could not resist the sumptuous meals, drinks and other ‘goodies’ given out to the children.

The group in collaboration with the Korle Bu Chapter of Ghana Methodist Students’ Union (GHAMSU), and support from Tobinco Pharmaceutical Company, also concurrently organised a health screening and drug distribution exercise for the community.

Catherine Dela Dzivenu, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and a high ranking member of the group, said one major thing the group seeks to do is to promote healthy living, and to stand in unity with the youth of the community and its environs, and to help generate ideas to promote the tourism potential of the islands.

Assembly Member for the area, Daniel Ajakpa, and the elders of the community, were grateful to the team and they used the opportunity to seek assistance from benevolent organisations for the community.

Since its inception in 2015, Okor Waves has been organising community and human centred projects for various communities in the Ada East District.

A leading member of Okor Waves, Gideon Nene Agu, expressed joy at the group’s ability to bring smiles to the faces of the community members. He also called on all well-meaning inhabitants of Ada to support Okor Waves’ project.

In some activities for 2017, on Miss Catherine’s birthday on 10th July, smiles were added to the patients and health workers of the Ada East District Hospital at Faith Korpey, Ada.

Catherine and few group members and her friends, donated some items to the Ada East District Hospital to help care for the numerous patients who visit the hospital. The items donated included toilet roll, liquid soap, floor detergents, mops, brooms and boxes of bottled spring water.

The group also gave hampers to each of the admitted patients of the hospital, starting from the maternity ward through the female and children’s ward, to the male ward.

Receiving the items on behalf of the hospital, the senior medical officer of the hospital, Dr. Narh, was very grateful to Catherine and the group, and asked of God’s blessing for the kind heartedness. He promised the items shall be put to good use to the benefit of all patients.

In the year 2018, Okor Waves is looking forward to stakeholders and industry players, and youths of the Ada Traditional Area to render their support to such worthy course the group is putting in place.

After waiting, networking, and having an alcoholic cocktail at the forefront of the State House Banquet Hall in Accra to keep the body and soul while enjoying some fine live tunes from an unknown band, with some carols music playing; here arrived some dignitaries, stakeholders, musicians and the President; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his fine adopted African print, purplish in colour and full of smiles.

The programme which was held by the Musicians’ Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), has over the years been put together to raise funds for the Aging Musician’s Welfare Fund, as well as the MUSIGA Academy.

The Presidential MUSIGA Grand Ball is classy with good arrangements to honour legends, old and new with live music performance.

Also present to grace the occasion, just to mention a few, were; the reigning GJA Journalist of The Year award winner; Peace FM’s radio chairman, Kwame Sefa Kayi (MC for the occasion), former First Lady; Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. She happens to be a regular guest since time immemorial of the MUSIGA Grand Balls. National Petroleum Authority (NPA) boss; Hassan Tampuli, and a host of other officials.

Speaking at the event on the 29th December last year, President of MUSIGA, Bice Osei Kuffour; Obour, who earlier was furious during a phone call; privately and later got refreshed, touched on the importance of instituting an Aging Musicians’ Welfare Fund, and also pointed out some projects the union is putting in place during his administration, such as the ‘Play More Campaign’, as well as the ‘Future Project’ to make life better for musicians.

President Akufo-Addo delivered a speech, commending musicians and promised to cater to the creative arts industry, as captured in NPP’s manifesto, and hailed the efforts of musicians both old and new; reassuring them of his support for the creative arts industry, and also purchased special souvenirs at an undisclosed amount to assist fund-raising efforts.

In his address, the President paid special tribute to the awardees, saying they and those before them, had put Ghana on the world map through their music.

He added by saying, the current generation of musicians, mentioning names of a few – Sarkodie, Becca, Samini, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Kuami Eugene, amongst others – were playing their part in giving Ghana global recognition through the art of music.

Lifetime Achievement Honours were presented to five deserving recipients: Nana Ampadu (credited with over 100 albums), Jewel Ackah (27 albums), Obuoba J.A Adofo, Fante vocal legend CK Mann, and A.B Crentsil, the “Moses” song fame. They all took home GHc10,000 plus a plaque, and to add to the occasion, to put smiles on their faces was businessman, philanthropist, and politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, promised to give each of them a monthly donation of GHc 5,000 for the rest of their lives!

His pledge received a tremendous applause from the guests who included President Akufo-Addo, Nana Konadu Agyeman, Chief of Staff; Frema Osei Opare, Information Minister; Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and many other officials and stakeholders and revellers.

Hassan Tampuli who was the chairman for the MUSIGA Grand Ball 2017, in his address, lauded his predecessors for their foresight and sacrifices and the leadership of MUSIGA for the strides being made to develop the music industry.

Starting with a very impressed musical performance for the event came from the Vodafone Ghana Music Award (VGMA) Artist of the Year winner; Joe Mettle. There were other splendid performances on the night that came from Becca, who rendered a touching tribute to Awurama Badu before submitting her own lovely tunes, the “Bronya” boys, Wutah, also did a tribute to late highlife great; Paapa Yankson, Nana Ampadu, AB Crentsil, Daddy Lumba, and the megastar Freddy Meiway of the “Zoblazo” fame from Ivory Coast, crowned it all with an energetic performance that pulled many to the dancing floor and made the night a memorable one.

Some key items were also auctioned to support the Aging Musicians Welfare Fund, such as Paapa Yankson’s trumpet and flute as well as a painting of his portrait, Awurama Badu’s acoustic guitar, and Agya Koo Nimo’s pentatonic xylophone.

Finally, comedian DKB, setting everyone laughing their head off including Nana Konadu who once said the comedian is not funny, this time, laughed so hard, clapped so joyously and among others, gave him a standing ovation.