By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UW/R), Feb. 14, GNA – Mr Eric Gregory Kwatia, the newly appointed Secretary General of the Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS), has outlined a three-tier transformational agenda aimed at restoring the glory of the Society while enhancing its operations.
The agenda was aimed at enhancing the Society’s visibility, strengthening its volunteer base through robust digitalisation, and improving its financial sustainability across all regions.
Mr Kwatia announced the agenda during his maiden official visit to the Upper West Region as part of a nationwide tour to engage regional branches of the Society and assess their operational challenges and prospects.
He emphasised the need to enhance the visibility of the Red Cross, particularly at the community and district levels, noting that public awareness about the Society’s activities had declined over the years.
“Our officer in the public relations advisory, our officer at the district levels, ought to be empowered to ensure that we are giving the Red Cross the needed visibility,” Mr Kwatia explained.
The second thematic area was on volunteer expansion, motivation, and digital registration, where the Society would develop a centralised digital system to capture the numerical strength and location of volunteers across districts to enable effective coordination and engagement.
The S.G also stressed the need to ensure financial sustainability at the regional levels through income-generating projects and proper documentation and commercialisation of the Society’s properties.
Mr Kwatia reiterated his commitment to maintaining an open-door leadership to reposition the Ghana Red Cross Society as a vibrant, visible, and financially stable humanitarian organisation.
Mr Jeremiah Afako, the Head of Programmes at the GRCS, encouraged the volunteers to be committed to their humanitarian services and that their sacrifices would pay off someday.
He also assured the Society in the region of the continuous support of the national office through programmes and projects to enable it to enhance its service delivery to the public.
Ms Maria Johana Yuorpor, the Upper West Regional Chairperson of the Society, mentioned initiatives to motivate volunteers of the Society in the region.
She particularly mentioned an end-of-year get-together held in December 2025 when some active volunteers were presented with certifications.
Ms Yuorpor added that plans were in place to also honour some pioneer volunteers for their tireless contribution to sustaining the GRCS over the years, which would also encourage commitment among younger volunteers.
Giving an account of the GRCS in the region, Mr Abdul Rauf Issahaque, the Acting Upper West Regional Manager of the GRCS, mentioned some properties of the Society, including plots of land.
Others were guest houses in Wa, the Nandom and Tumu, and an Optical Centre in Wa, which served as sources of revenue for the Society in the region.
Mr Issahaque, however, indicated measures aimed at maximising the full potential of those facilities to augment its revenue base.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo