Our amazing staff have a strong commitment to serving the Okurase community and many vulnerable people outside the community. On a daily basis, they focus primarily on our programs and services.
ISAAC OWU
Isaac Owu lives in the village of Okurase. He is raising his daughter who recently started Senior High School. By training he is a farmer and carver but he has been involved with Project OKURASE since it began. Owu is fully fluent in English so he has been a very effective guide for visitors. He has also worked in the field. He has worn many hats for Project OKURASE from delivery and pick up from Accra to monitoring the safe water system. In 2015 Owu spent 10 months in the United States helping with an Okurase child who was losing his vision. While there, in his free time he volunteered in the Medical University of South Carolina Urban Farm, an organic garden on the medical school campus. This volunteer work led Carmen Ketron, Farm educator to come to Okurase to help Owu and others develop a ¼ acre organic garden. His training in Charleston made him a natural for Nkabom Organic Garden Manager.
AUNTIE ESTHER
Esther Offei, who is fondly known as “Auntie Esther” lives in Okurase and has been involved with Project OKURASE from its inception. She is one of the well-known Okurase Brickmakers. She has 4 children – 2 boys and 2 girls - and several grandchildren. From time to time she helps out as a cook. When groups visit, she always leads the cooking and is known in multiple countries and continents for her Jolof Rice and Red Red and many other dishes. She is a quiet, kind, hardworking, wonderful woman.
Gloria Odoi
Gloria or as we call her, “Glo” works in the Project OKURASE office as an assistant field reporter. She makes daily rounds and sends reports to the founders. She monitors beneficiaries who receive support from Project OKURASE to assure their needs are being met. Glo assists with children and adults at the library. She assists with payment and processing of monthly taxes to the appropriate official office. Glo is a professional African dancer and member of Nkabom Cultural Troupe. She enjoys dancing, singing, and creative arts.
Hannah Aquaye
Hannah is the front desk officer for Project OKURASE. She receives visitors and records their details. She organizes and files receipts, assists with the payment of monthly taxes, and distributes official letters to relevant offices. She assists with children and adults at the library. Hannah’s interests are reading and dancing.
Adnan Alhaji Iddrisu
Adnan is Coordinator for the Project OKURASE 20-year anniversary. He is a mechanical engineer by training but is also an experienced research assistant and language interpreter who has worked on many Project OKURASE research projects. He is currently working with the Directors to organize and guide 20th anniversary activities to ensure effective planning and successful implementation of anniversary programs. He is also collaborating with the Abrade Royal Family of Okurase and key stakeholders to promote community participation and ownership of programs and activities. He enjoys research work and volunteering in the community.
Philip Yevugah
Philip is a professional African drummer and a member of Nkabom Cultural Troupe. He has worked hard to cultivate many skills in the electronic arena and as such has run our electronic classroom. He is a DJ and does a variety of jobs. Philip is not a full-time employee of Project OKURASE but helps out with important tasks such as electronic record keeping.
Francis Yevugah
Francis is a professional African master drummer and a member of Nkabom Cultural Troupe. He has been challenged his entire life with a severe visual disorder but he does not allow it to hold him back. With his small right peripheral vision, Francis is excellent at football (soccer). Although his low vision has slowed his completion of education, Francis is currently completing Junior High through the use of electronic visual aids and a daily private teacher. Francis gives back by teaching drumming at Nkabom Sundrops Montessori as a volunteer.
Atta Darku (David Nii Darku Ankrah)
Atta is a professional African drummer and teacher for the Nkabom Cultural Troupe and other dance companies. He assisted Djole in their initial trip to Ghana in 2006 and has been involved with Project OKURASE as a volunteer for 20 years. He is a highly skilled individual who enjoys giving back for anything he may have received in life. Atta assists as a support person with oversight of buildings and other projects that are going on in Okurase. When individual or a small group of guests visit Ghana, he assists them as a guide.
Sadia Alimatu
Sadia is a 7th grade student at Nkabom Sundrops Montessori. She is interested and talented in drawing. Sadia is a volunteer that leads drawing and painting for Project OKURASE tasks. For example, she is the artist for Mikey’s Fish Farm sign and she is currently the leader of the flower team, a group of students that take raised planters and paint and decorate them and plant flowers for beautification at the school.
