By Raymond Rex Awiagah
Background
The Rotary Club of Accra East District 9104 in Ghana in partnership with the Rotary Club of Oakland Uptown, California, District 5170 in United States of America, has commissioned a new Reproductive and Child Health Shed in Kokrobite, Accra.
The Partnership
This cross-continental partnership underscores Rotary International’s enduring commitment to healthcare access and infrastructure development in vulnerable regions.
The Initiative
The facility addresses the longstanding infrastructure gap at the Kokrobite Health Centre, where nurses previously worked under trees – a situation that led to a harrowing incident where a snake fell onto a nurse during a service session.
This temporary shed provides immediate relief, offering a safe and sheltered space for maternal and child healthcare services, benefiting both health workers and the community.
Point of View by president of the Rotary Club of Accra East
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the president of the Rotary Club of Accra East Rotarian Dorothy Ametefe emphasized that the initiative falls in line with Rotary’s key areas of focus, particularly in disease prevention and maternal health.
”This ties in directly with one of our areas of focus, which is maternal and child health and by extension, disease prevention and treatment, we hope that what has been put up so far would soon see an addition, and we’ll have a complete face so that the people of Kokrobite will be better served and continually will do what we can as Rotarians to support the community”. She said.
The Reflection by past Rotary International Director
A past Rotary International Director of the Rotary Club of Oakland Uptown, California, and District 5170, Rotarian Brad Howard reflected on Rotary’s partnership with Kokrobite dates back to 1998, when they built the town’s first health centre, inaugurated in 2000 – now the Kokrobite Health Centre.
Howard expressed deep gratitude to the traditional leaders and families of Kokrobite for their continued trust and collaboration over the years.
“We’re now opening a new chapter,” Howard stated, referring to a new facility—a community shed—soon to be dedicated. “But more than that, you’ve asked for continued support to help strengthen your community, and we are committed to working alongside you to achieve that.”
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The need for community participation
He emphasised the importance of community participation, noting that while Rotary can offer tools and resources, their lasting impact depends on local engagement and leadership. “I can bring them and they will wither away or I can bring them and they can be made stronger by your engagement and leadership and am particularly happy that in the next chapter, we doing so in a much unified way of all of us in this process,” he said.
Howard concluded by expressing his excitement for the next phase of the partnership, highlighting the unified approach and collective spirit driving the work forward.
Appreciation from Kokrobite Health Centre
The head of facility at the Kokrobite Health Centre, Dr. Jerry Nunoo was deeply grateful to the Rotary Clubs for their timely intervention, which they describe as a life-saver which will improve service delivery and boost morale among health workers.
Serving the purpose
A Public Health Nurse (Senior Nursing Officer) at the Kokrobite Health Centre, Rita Asante while applauding the donors and stakeholders in the project said “we hope that this new structure will serve its purpose as we all come together to help achieve a healthier future”.