Netherlands Alumni Association of Ghana honours members at 35th anniversary
The Netherlands Alumni Association of Ghana (NAAG) on Friday recognised and honoured some of its hardworking members at its 35th anniversary dinner and awards night held in Accra.
Ahead of the event, the association had hosted a series of activities including a public lecture, donation to the Akropong School for the Blind, and a picnic to mark the milestone.
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Alumni in attendance represented a range of graduates of different institutes and programmes of the Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) who shared their experiences and the impact of scholarship on their academic and professional lives.
Individuals and corporate bodies honoured included Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa (founding father/first president) - posthumous award; Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong; Elizabeth Tetteh; Victoria Norgbey; Gladys Ofei; and Rev Father Samuel Wood.
The rest are Nuffic (Dutch institution responsible for NFP; Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands; Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC); GTV and TV3.
35 and counting The president of the association, Daniel Asafra Tibu believes that the group could not have made it this far without the support of its membership who had worked tirelessly to ensure the association remained relevant in academic and professional circles in the country.
He said aside the social value the association provides, it was also an opportunity to reconnect with the faculty and staff of their previous universities.
Mr Tibu recounted how the late Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, a former Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission and an alumnus of Dutch education made efforts to create an association that would promote the welfare and interests of former students who had the privilege of studying in The Netherlands through the (NFP) in 1982.
He said since then the group has surmounted several challenges through the efforts of its dedicated and committed members who supported its cause both financially and physically.
Mr Tibu bemoaned the lack of participation in the association’s activities by members but blamed the challenge on time constraints and believes creating regional chapters will strengthen and create more awareness of its activities.
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He said there are over 5,000 NAAG members scattered across the country working in key ministries, agencies and departments and expressed optimism that targeted efforts underway will increase alumni involvement in the activities of the association.
Ambassador Ron Strikker Addressing the gathering, the patron of the association and Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Ron Strikker said the group was very important for the strengthening of cultural, political and economic relations between Ghana and the Netherlands.
He said discussions are ongoing on how to modernize some aspects of the fellowship programme that will focus on tapping the rich expertise and knowledge of the alumni network.
He added that such scholarship programmes have contributed to the development of education in Ghana and that it behooves both governments to ensure the people are the primary beneficiaries of such collaborations.
He explained that the scholarship awarded to selected professionals should be of high relevance to the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC) - a group that promotes Ghanaian and Netherlands business and cultural interests.
Mr Strikker said the alumni association could serve as an advisory body to the GNBCC and other potential Dutch investors as well as offer training sessions to Ghanaians who may be embarking to the Netherlands for fellowships and training programmes. He suggested that retired professionals within membership must be offered that role.
“I think that it is still a direction we have to find, and it should be a continuous one and we are very much prepared to help you (the association) with that,” he added.