(L - R) Pastor Alex Ansah, Margaret KK Tetteh (Welfare Exec.), Joyce Duah (Entertainment Exec), Payin Amoako (Entertainment Exec.), Grace Adjaloko - Founder/Secretary, Josie Kakra Arthur - (PR Exec.), Linda Hamafari - (President), Theresa Peprah - (Patron), Chris Bonsu - (Patron), Lawrence Ankrah (Vice President), Mary Oben - (Finance Exec.), Helena Acquah - (Finance Exec.), and Pastor Kudulf Ansah.
The Tema Friends Club (TFC) of Maryland in the United States of America inaugurated its executives alongside a holiday party early in January 2023, welcoming their guests to their lavish and colourful ticket-only gala.
The party “was an epic night for all who attended. I believe it will linger in attendees’ hearts for a long time,” according to the club’s President Linda Hamafari in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net. She went on to say that “with 340 guests from diverse backgrounds, the holiday party at Martins West in Woodlawn, Maryland formally opened the club for business and swore in its officers for another term in office.”
In attendance was Mrs. Ninette Danquah Ivo, Minister for Economic and Diaspora affairs at the Embassy of Ghana; Pastor John Kudolf Ansah, Maryland district pastor of the church of Pentecost, and a long list of other high profile individuals from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas.
The club which was formed by Ms. Grace Adjaloko, in 2018, was birthed by an overwhelming drive to build a close-knit family and a great support system for people from Ghana’s popular port city or Tema in the diaspora. “After she [our founder] relocated from New York, she recognised the need for spirited, charitable work in the Maryland region and established TFC as an organisation to offer community, support, and practical answers to challenges. Since then, we have steadily increased owing to the support of this wonderful membership community we now have…” said the club’s President to TheAfricanDream.net.
With a distinguished 111 devoted members, the club as a non-profit organization partners with hospitals and nursing homes in Ghana and abroad to provide needed resources. “We focus on making the maximum positive effort for our community. Our members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us effect change. Our focus is to provide solutions, support, and community that make a long-lasting difference both here in the Diaspora and in Tema, Ghana,” said Lawrence Ankrah, Vice President of TFC.
The city of Tema is located on Ghana’s Atlantic coast and the Bight of Benin. It is the administrative centre of the Tema Metropolitan District and is situated 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of the nation’s capital, Accra. Tema is the twelfth most populous city in Ghana as of 2013.
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The members sworn in during the inaugural party were:
Linda Hamafari – President
Lawrence Ankrah – Vice President
Grace Adjaloko – Secretary & Founder
Aba Appiah – Secretary
Payin Amoako – Special Events & Entertainment Executive
Josie Kakra Arthur – Public Relations & Marketing Executive
Fred Asifo – General Counsel
Margaret Tetteh – Welfare Executive
Helena Acquah – Finance Executive
Mary Oben – Finance Executive
Joyce Duah – Entertainment Executive
Eric Ofosu – Entertainment Executive
In a speech by the newly elected club president, Linda Hamafari stated that the Tema Friends Club of Maryland organization has been instrumental in combating hunger through food drives and providing much-needed medical care supplies to the needy.
“We have achieved this through resources provided by our TFC member community; it is time to branch outside our membership team and solicit help from those who can help; all Ghanaians in the diaspora have a role to play in making a positive impact at home,” she said.
Since their establishment, the club has rooted its stance as a community full of people who want to help. “We work to help the people providing services with the people who need them,” said one of TFC’s Finance Executives Helena Acquah to TheAfricanDream.net as she further explained: “we’re constantly calling for volunteers and donors to help us connect with different people in new ways and encourage all who are connected to Tema in one way or the other to reach out let’s build up positively, even if you’re not Ghanaian.”
If you missed this event, you would have an opportunity to attend their next half-yearly picnic in August or their End of Year party in December and donate towards a good cause, reconnect, and explore potential new friendships or embark on great projects. In the meantime, visit their website or connect with them on Facebook.
Written by Oral Ofori for TheAfricanDream.net
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Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
