By James Amoh Junior
Accra, March 27, GNA – Beautiful Kamala Harris paid attention to pupils of Chorkor, a deprived community in Accra, and they fell in love with her.
The Vice President of the United States, who is on an official visiti to Ghana, moments after finishing her rather brief and reassuring address on a podium draped with Kente, Ghana’s national cloth, made a momentary stop to exchange pleasantries with some pupils from Chorkor, a community in Accra, who had come to welcome her.
The anxious pupils, visibly excited about the Vice President’s presence, continued to wave their Ghana and American flags – something which caught the eye of the Vice President Harris who walked up to them, giving them the unique opportunity to have some smiley moments and quick handshakes.
Accompanied by her husband, Douglas Emhoff, the Vice President wore her accustomed broad infectious smile and uninhibited by her heavy Secret Service detail around her, had direct exchanges with some of the female pupils, reigniting their sense of optimism.
That gesture, Christabel Naa Larley Mensah, a Basic Six pupil, and beneficiary of the BASICS International initiative, says brings her a lot of hope to aspire for greatness and strive to be the next Kamala Harris.
“I am happy to see her,” an ambitious Ms Christabel, who wants to be a medical doctor, says with a wide smile.
She was part of the 150 children from Chorkor under the BASIC International initiative to join other dignitaries, including Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Madam Virginia E. Palmer, U.S Ambassador to Ghana; Hajia Alima Mahama, Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, at the Jubilee Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport.
The others were Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information; Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Mr Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional minister among other dignitaries from Ghana and the United States.
To achieve her dreams and become a great medical doctor, Ms Christabel says she must “learn hard and obey instructions in class”.
Another class six pupil of BASICS International who continuously giggled at the sight of Kamala Harris and the rare opportunity of a handshake told the Ghana News Agency, “I am inspired by her coming to Ghana; I want to be like her one day.”
Obed Tagoe, a recent graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and a beneficiary of the BASICS International programme since age eight, says “Indeed, yesterday’s visit of the Vice President of the United States of America to Ghana was history made for Ghana and every single individual present at the event but most especially to we the BASICS beneficiaries and the organization as a whole.”
Her visit, Mr Tagoe, who only received education at age eight, adds “was a moment where the hopes to become great despite gender is reassuring.”
Now volunteering at BASICS International, he reiterates that, “there is a great future that we would all play our collective role and also to help others achieve it when we all get there.”
The Brothers And Sisters in Christ Serving (BASICS International) is a faith-based organisation in Ghana founded by Patricia Wilkins in 2000.
The organisation’s initiative provides education and resources to impoverished communities in Ghana, particularly Chorkor in the Greater Accra Region, where most of the children are schooled.
Founder and CEO, Patricia Wilkins, says BASICS International has been a recipient of grants and support from the US Embassy in Ghana and offers support to the organisation for its programmes particularly and activities.
Ms Wilkins, an American Ghanaian, notes that the relations between Ghana and the US are long-standing and their presence at the airport was to give the pupils and other beneficiaries of the BASIC International Programme some glimmer of hope to achieve more despite the odds.
She thanked Kamala for “inspiring women of colour and young girls around the world. Wherever a young girl is sitting today, she is looking at her and saying that could be me. This is something that we as girls and children are not being afforded; we have to fight for so many things. She sets an example that anything is possible.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, welcomed to Ghana amidst drumming and dancing by the Ghana Dance Ensemble, National theatre, said she was excited about the future of Africa; “I am excited about the impact of Africa on us and the rest of the world.”
The Vice President said the economic empowerment of women and girls, empowerment of youth entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, and support to increase food security, including adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, would be her focus while in Ghana.
Her visit, she noted, reinforced the work the US and Ghana continued to do in increasing investments in the African continent and facilitating economic growth and opportunity.
Kamala Harris, who will be in Ghana from March 26 to 29, said she looked forward to building on previous meetings with Ghanaian leaders to strengthen democracy and good governance, promote peace and security, build on long-term economic growth and strengthen business ties.
GNA