Features
On Ambassador Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa – A Special Woman
H. E. Mrs. Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa
Today, I share something about H. E. Mrs. Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, former Ghana Ambassador to Denmark, with concurrent accreditation to the Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
As I wrote a few months ago, there are many personalities and institutions that have contributed to or ensured the smooth running of things for Ghanaian migrants in Finland.
The exploits of such people are laudable and should be acknowledged publicly. Many of them have used their knowledge and abilities to help improve the lives of members of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
What I write here also reveals some of my own experiences with the former Ambassador at a time when I was the President of the Ghana Union Finland (GUF) from March 2018 to March 2020.
Ambassador Awua-Asamoa presented her official credentials to the Finnish government in April 2018, and her role has had a great impact for the Ghana Union Finland and the entire Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
During her time, the Ambassador led the Embassy to conduct the first-ever mobile consular services exercise in Helsinki in October 2018. Many people admired the professional, excellent and very helpful service rendered by the efficient Embassy staff.
For the former Ambassador, some of her top priorities included improving customer services at the Embassy. Many people attest to the fact that the complaints about consular services greatly reduced; they also extol the former Ambassador’s friendliness, good works and the opportunities for trade and investment towards Ghana as their home country.
Satisfaction indeed increased and fostered closer interactions between the Ghana Embassy in Copenhagen and the Ghanaian community in Finland. (In 2018, the Ghana Embassy in Oslo was established and it assumed accreditation to Finland in 2020).
Ghana-Finnish Relations and Diaspora Issues
The former Ambassador always emphasized Ghana’s effort for rapid industrialization and economic growth and development in a sustainable manner especially for future generations. To her, the Ghana Government’s flagship policies such as the ‘One-District-One-Factory’ and ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ are highly important for foreign direct investments.
Ambassador Amerley Awua-Asamoa paid working visits to Finland many times, more than any of her predecessors. She reinforced the relations with Finland, building on efforts by her predecessors. She always stressed the deepening relations between Ghana and Finland.
She visited many educational institutions and places of higher learning in Finland and engaged in countless dialogues with Finnish institutions for possible cooperation. To her, the government’s policy of diaspora engagement was a good way to utilize the needed investment to drive the industrialisation agenda.
Engagements with the Ghanaian migrants
The former Ambassador kept what she refers to as an open-door policy in her engagements with Ghanaian migrants in Finland. She visited churches dominated by Ghanaians to first introduce herself, and in her subsequent visits she engaged Ghanaians in Finland to acquaint herself and get first-hand information about their concerns.
She used such an open-door policy, as she once explained to me in an interview, as “a communication strategy normally adopted to win the trust of people, especially those that need one’s services, by opening your door widely to listen to complaints and advice without being selective”.
The Ambassador sees this as very effective when implemented well since it brings great satisfaction once people’s concerns are addressed in a transparent manner. “They feel respected and try to support your efforts, and this is what I believe in and my style of management”, she revealed.
There was good cooperation with the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Finland at that time, Ms. Ulla Alanko, as well as the Ghana Union Finland and indeed the entire Ghanaian community in Finland. In both 2018 and 2019, the Ambassador attended Ghana’s Independence Day anniversary celebration in Helsinki.
The Ambassador always expressed gratitude to the Ghanaian community, which she reiterated in her message at a farewell meeting (held virtually due to Covid-19) with the Ghana Union in late 2020 when her work at the Embassy ended.
Her rich experience and affability
Mrs Amerley Awua-Asamoa has a very rich experience. She was once the Executive Director of the Association of African Women in Development (AAWID), a Ghanaian local non-governmental organisation operating at the grassroots level for the socio-economic empowerment of the marginalised.
She earlier worked with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as a Human Resource Management practitioner where she established a well-deserved reputation for her ability to rise through the ranks in a male-dominated environment to become the first female manager in the company.
In addition, she was very vocal in championing for gender mainstreaming and the development and implementation of HIV workplace policy in ECG.
H.E. Amerley Awua-Asamoa endeared herself to many Ghanaian migrants in Finland with her affable personality. Many people referred to her as “H. E” or “Maa” as a mother to the entire community.
In a nutshell, the work of the former Ambassador and the Embassy in attending to people’s needs is cherished by many in the Ghanaian community in Finland. This and her friendliness make her a special woman in the view of many people. Thank you!
PS: Last Monday was the birthday of the Editor, Mr. Emmanuel Amponsah. It also ushered him into his retirement, and I use this opportunity to express my gratitude to him. I appreciatively acknowledge his support to me and the cordial working relationship with him.
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
By Perpetual Crentsil
Email: perpetualcrentsil@yahoo.com
Features
Who knows tomorrow?
Recently a friend posted a sad news on his Facebook page, announcing the death of a school mate who had passed away, suddenly. The report had it that he was on his way to the airport to take a flight to Ghana.
I am sure this man had already informed the wife or a friend or a work colleague at work that he was returning home but he was not to return as a human being but as a dead body.
Such is life and so we need to be circumspect in how we go about things in life. The Bible reminds us that we are like grass which at one point in time looks elegant and the next moment becomes withered according to Psalm 90:5 and 6. It is for this reason that we need to guard our hearts with the word of God so that we shall be motivated to do the right thing, at all times.
This will enable us live on this planet, free from all sorts of troubles in our personal lives, even if we ignore the question of Heaven and Hell. Living a disciplined life delivers us from any kind of trouble as the Bible declares in Galatians 5:23 that against such there is no law.
The uncertainty surrounding our lives on earth is the more reason why people should commit their lives into the hands of the one who created it, in the first place unless you believe that the world created itself and that it appeared from nowhere.
Otherwise, the logical thing to do is to recognize the authority of the creator and surrender to his Lordship. Heaven is real and Hell is real, so for us who know the truth and have received Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, the onus lies on us to encourage our relations who have not believed and received Jesus into their lives, to do so.
We are a couple of days from another Easter Resurrection celebration and an opportunity to reflect on our lives in relation to the significance of Easter. In the Bible, the only occasion Jesus, Saviour of the world commands us to celebrate is his death and resurrection.
He never commanded his followers to celebrate his birth but like everything else, we chose to ignore Jesus’s instructions and decided to do what pleases us, just like our forefather and mother in the Garden of Eden.
Let us deliberately choose to do things differently as Christians this Easter, so we can really benefit from all the blessings that the celebration of the death and birth of Jesus, has on offer. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is definitely insanity.
I choose to be different this Easter and I am believing God for a newness of life so God’s glory would be revealed in me to draw the unsaved to him. It is only when people especially the unsaved, see the character of Christ in us, that they can be convinced about the authenticity of Jesus, as Saviour of the world, who can bring transformation in their lives too.
This is what would motivate them to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Let us make this Easter a memorable one that will be cherished for a long time. It is also a period for reconciliation and it would be great if in the spirit of Easter, we would try to reach out to those who have wronged us or have a grudge against us.
This would demonstrate that we have indeed accepted Jesus and that our religious posture is not a sham. May the good Lord grant us the grace to love our neighbours as ourselves, demonstrating the love of God in the process.
Those who have lost their loved ones and Easter brings sad memories, may the good Lord comfort and strengthen you. God bless.
.NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
Features
Cosmetic deformities
COSMETIC deformities refer to physical imperfections or abnormalities that affect an individual’s appearance, often causing emotional distress and impacting their quality of life.
These deformities can be congenital, acquired, or result from various medical conditions or treatments. This article provides an in-depth exploration of cosmetic deformities, their types, causes, effects, and treatment options.
Types of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can affect various parts of the body, including the face, skin, hair, nails, and teeth. Some common types of cosmetic deformities include:
1. Facial deformities: Congenital or acquired abnormalities affecting the shape, structure, or appearance of the face, such as cleft lip and palate, facial paralysis, or facial asymmetry.
2. Skin deformities: Conditions affecting the skin’s texture, tone, or appearance, such as acne, scars, birthmarks, or skin discoloration.
3. Hair deformities: Abnormalities affecting the hair’s growth, texture, or appearance, such as alopecia, hirsutism, or hair loss due to medical conditions or treatments.
4. Nail deformities: Conditions affecting the shape, size, or appearance of the nails, such as nail fungus, nail psoriasis, or nail trauma.
5. Dental deformities: Abnormalities affecting the shape, size, or appearance of the teeth, such as tooth decay, tooth loss, or malocclusion.
Causes of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can result from various factors, including:
1. Genetics: Congenital conditions or inherited traits can cause cosmetic deformities.
2. Trauma: Injuries or accidents can result in cosmetic deformities, such as scars or facial trauma.
3. Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, or eczema, can cause cosmetic deformities.
4. Treatments and procedures: Medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery, can result in cosmetic deformities.
5. Aging and environmental factors: Aging, sun exposure, and environmental factors can contribute to cosmetic deformities, such as wrinkles, fine lines, or age spots.
Effects of cosmetic deformities
Cosmetic deformities can have significant emotional and psychological effects on individuals, including:
1. Low self-esteem: Cosmetic deformities can lead to feelings of insecurity, self-consciousness, and low self-esteem.
2. Social anxiety: Individuals with cosmetic deformities may experience social anxiety, avoiding social interactions or feeling embarrassed in public.
3. Emotional distress: Cosmetic deformities can cause emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, or stress.
4. Impact on quality of life: Cosmetic deformities can affect an individual’s quality of life, impacting their relationships, career, or overall well-being.
Treatment options for cosmetic deformities
Various treatment options are available to address cosmetic deformities, including:
1. Surgical procedures: Surgical procedures, such as reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery, or dermatological surgery, can correct or improve cosmetic deformities.
2. Non-surgical treatments: Non-surgical treatments, such as laser therapy, chemical peels, or microdermabrasion, can address cosmetic concerns, such as skin texture, tone, or appearance.
3. Medical treatments: Medical treatments, such as topical creams, oral medications, or injectable treatments, can address cosmetic concerns, such as acne, hair loss, or nail deformities.
4. Prosthetic and orthotic devices: Prosthetic and orthotic devices, such as wigs, hairpieces, or dental prosthetics, can help individuals with cosmetic deformities.
5. Counselling and therapy: Counselling and therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychotherapy, can help individuals cope with the emotional and psychological effects of cosmetic deformities.
Conclusion
Cosmetic deformities can have significant emotional and psychological effects on individuals, impacting their quality of life and overall well-being.
Understanding the types, causes, and effects of cosmetic deformities is crucial in addressing these concerns.
Various treatment options are available, ranging from surgical procedures to non-surgical treatments, medical treatments, prosthetic and orthotic devices, and counselling and therapy.
By seeking professional help and support, individuals with cosmetic deformities can improve their appearance, boost their self-esteem, and enhance their overall quality of life.
Reference
1. “Cosmetic Deformities” by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
