By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Nov. 17, GNA – The Embassy of the United States of America in Ghana, as part of efforts to make its presence felt in the Ashanti Region, has opened the first American Corner outside the capital in Kumasi.
Located at the Top Martins Complex at Asokwa, the newest American Corner would serve as a cultural and information centre, providing free and open access for young Ghanaians to learn more about the United States.
The centre, which forms part of a global network of over 600 American spaces in 140 countries, would also allow young people to attend free educational programming, develop new skills and access a wide range of resources.
“As diverse as the communities where they are located, the common goal of all our spaces is to create welcoming environments where communities have free and open access to learning more about the United states,” Ambassador Virginia Palmer, said at the opening of the Corner.
She said the United States believed in empowering young Ghanaians to take the lead in shaping the future of Ghana and to deepen their friendship with the people of the US.
Young people across Ghana, she noted, were working every day to make a difference by promoting economic opportunity, political participation, public health, peace, and community building.
The Ambassador indicated that it was not by chance that Kumasi was chosen as first American space outside Accra, but because the city was home to numerous important universities, businesses and also had historic ties to the United States.
According to the 2023 Open Doors Report, more than 6,400 Ghanaian students studied in the United States last academic year, representing 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Also, Ghana ranks 14 in the world in terms of countries sending their graduates students to study in the United States.
“And judging from the record numbers of students at our September Education Fairs in Kumasi and Accra, we are confident that the number will continue to grow,” Ambassador Palmer stated.
Mr. Samuel Pyne, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, welcomed the establishment of the American Corner in Kumasi, which he said would further deepen the ties between Ghana and the United States of America.
He was hopeful that services provided at the facility would inure to the benefit of both the people of Kumasi and the United States.
GNA