Rotary Club of Accra-Labone

Ralph is a practicing architect and a former university professor. He is currently in consultancy practice in Accra, a city of three million inhabitants, and also serves as the Registrar of the Architects Council of Ghana. He is a Past President (2003-04) of the Rotary Club of Accra-Labone in the capital city of Ghana. He has been a Rotarian for 5 years and is a charter member of his Club, which was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Accra. The latter is the first Rotary Club in Anglophone West Africa and celebrated its forty-seventh anniversary in October 2005.

Ralph has served as chair of several club committees including Malaria, Polio-Plus, Public Relations and Fund-Raising. At the national level, he has also served as chair of the 2005 Rotary Centennial Projects Sub-Committee, member of the Roll-Back-Malaria, Ambassadorial Scholarship and Group Study Exchange Committees. His Rotary Club is currently pursuing various local community projects including one at Otsebleku, a community about a 30-minute drive outside Accra. The first phase of the project was the supply of school desks to the village primary school where some of the pupils used to sit and write on bare floors. In the current phase, the Club is seeking partners towards a pipe-borne potable water supply project to reduce diseases in the community arising from the drinking of contaminated water.

Ralph was born and grew up in Accra, Ghana. The eldest of 5 siblings, he attended boarding school at the Mfantsipim School for boys in Cape Coast, 90 miles east of Accra. Ralph later studied and graduated in Architecture at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, located about 200 miles north-west of Accra. In 1977, Ralph took up an appointment at the University of Ife, in Nigeria, as a pioneer staff in the establishment of a teaching programme in Architecture, becoming Head of Department in 1989 and Dean of the Faculty from 1995 to 1997. After twenty years of teaching at that University, he returned to Ghana and moved into architectural practice, maintaining contact with academic work through organization of conferences and seminars for the Ghana Institute of Architects, writing and publishing as well as honoring invitations as visiting lecturer and external examiner. He is a fellow of both the Ghana Institute of Architects and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Sponsor Club:  Accra-Labone

Irene is a tutor at St Augustine's College, a boy’s boarding school at Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana. The school is the first catholic and largest second cycle institution in Ghana. Irene was born in Accra to Major A. B. C. D. Ampaw and Ms. Mary Nutsugah. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies Education and now pursuing a Masters Degree in Educational Administration at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Irene had her basic education at the Airforce Complex School in Takoradi, Western Region of Ghana, from 1981-1987 and continued to the Central Region for her Secondary, Teacher Training and Tertiary Education; attending Ghana National College, Cape Coast; OLA Training College, Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba respectively.

Irene’s first teaching experience was at Tebrebe Goldfields School at Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana, were she taught for four years as a classroom teacher, was staff secretary, and District Sports Organizer. She was also on the District Best Teacher Award Committee from 1995-1998. Again, she taught at Winneba District Council School for two years and now teaches the subject of Government at St Augustine's College and doubles as a form mistress (counselor), is staff Welfare Treasurer, and Patron to four student's clubs in her school. She also served on the 75th Anniversary Celebrations Committee of the school.

Sponsor Club:  Accra

My name is Beatrice Larbi. I am the youngest of nine children, with seven older sisters and one older brother. I had all my education at Cape Coast - located in the Central Region of my country Ghana.

I began exhibiting leadership skills at an early age when I was appointed class prefect in class two. After six years of Basic education in a public school, I pursued seven years of high school education at Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast. I studied French, Economics and History as my Advanced level subjects.

As a high school student, I was house prefect of Waldron House, the largest house (dormitory) in the school as well as President of all the various Christian groups in the school. These two challenging positions helped me to learn to become a tolerant and a disciplined leader who is able to impact positively on all who come into contact with her.

Before starting University, I worked at a preparatory (primary) school called Flowers Gay School in Cape Coast for two (2) years. At this school, I contributed to the progress of the various educational clubs that had just been established. I went on to study at the University of Cape Coast where I graduated in August 1999 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree.

After my University education I felt that I needed a change of environment, so I applied to be posted to the Western part of the country for my National Service position (which is mandatory after university) and my offer was accepted. I was posted to Nsein Senior Secondary School, a co-educational boarding high school, where I taught Cost Accounting. During the period of my National Service I contested for the position of Financial Secretary of the Association at the Regional level, which I won. I was also elected the Financial Secretary of the Association at my district. I enjoyed this work very much because it gave me an opportunity to meet and work with a lot of people. It also enabled me to exhibit problem-solving skills. I also had the opportunity to travel to the Northern part of my country to experience a new culture for a week.

After my one year of National Service I decided to join the staff of Wesley Girls’ High School (my alma mater). My vision was to help establish the young business department. This was a real test for me since I had turned down an offer to pursue my professional career. I teach Financial Accounting and Business Management. I also serve as Head of the Business Department. My vision is to educate my students to achieve a 100% performance in their High School Certificate Examination as well as encourage them to develop entrepreneurial skills and a savings-culture through investment. I therefore serve as a patron for the Junior Achievement and Investment Clubs in the school. I am a form-mistress (advisor) and a house (dormitory) mistress in my school. I also serve as the Treasurer of the Teaching Staff Welfare Association in my school.

I expect to come back home after the Exchange program better equipped to be a business teacher who will inculcate in her students an attitude of entrepreneurship and also become an effective decision-maker and policy-maker on matters related to Business education in my school and my country as a whole.

Sponsor Club:  Tema

The youngest of seven siblings, two girls and five boys, I was born in Accra, Ghana, to my parents who both hailed from Abetifi Kwahu in the Eastern Region of Ghana. My parents were illiterate and not enthusiastic about educating a girl child. However, I braved through and I entered class 1 at the age of eight, without any pre-school education. I was the oldest girl in the class.

As a young girl, I had my elementary education in Accra. Later, a family friend sold the idea of the benefits of a boarding school to my dad. So, I continued my education at St Agatha's Girls Boarding School in Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region, where I sat the Entrance Examination into secondary school. I then proceeded to Archbishop Porter Girls Secondary School for my Ordinary and Advance Level certificates. I pursued a degree programme in English and History at the University of Cape Coast in 1990, graduating with a B.A. (honours) in 1994. From December 1994 to August 1995, I performed the mandatory one-year national service at the Government Secretarial School in Accra where I taught English Language.

Poised to do what I enjoy most, I joined the Ghana Education Service in 1996. Currently, I am a teacher at Chemu Secondary School, a co-educational Institute in Tema, Ghana's port-city near Accra. I teach English Language in all the technical classes where they are mostly male students. It’s really an interesting experience teaching a male dominated class. Sometimes they make me feel like a mother and at another time, a close friend!

I serve as a member of the school's board, a member of the Examination committee, a form mistress and a patron of The Gender Club. I am also an Assistant Examiner for English language (West Africa Examination Council), P.T.A vice-chairperson for my children’s school, and the Secretary to the Police Wives Association Nungua Branch. I also participated in the First National Gender Workshop, which took place on the 16th to 20th September 2002.

Married to a police officer, D.S.P Kwesi Musah of the Pharmacy Department, Police Hospital in Accra, I have four children, two boys and two girls. They are Charles (16), Siisi (10), Ekusika (8) and Maame Yaa (6). During my leisure time I enjoy reading books on adventure and listening to inspirational music.