ABANTU@ 10

Board of Directors

Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh - Chairperson, Board of Directors

 

Takyiwaa Manuh is a Professor at the University of Ghana where she was also the Director of the Institute of African Studies from 2002 - 2009. She also works as a consultant on a number of special projects, programmes and studies in the field of gender, migration, law and development.

With her academic career beginning with a Bachelor of Law at the University of Ghana, Takyiwaa Manuh soon moved on to become a Barrister and Solicitor with the Supreme Court of Ghana in 1977. She then earned her LLM at the University of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania in 1979. In 2000, Takyiwaa Manuh returned to school to obtain her PhD in Philosophy at Indiana University. In addition to these academic achievements, she has been honored with ten different fellowships and visiting appointments from Institutions around the globe.
 
Takyiwaa Manuh has published a significant amount of work on the issues of labour, migration and gender. Her work can be found in dozens of books, including her most recent, The Architecture of Violence against Women in Ghana (co-authored with Kathy Cusack). She also maintains a long list of articles published in journals worldwide including the UN Chronicle, Africa Recovery and Third World Legal Studies Journal.

Takyiwaa Manuh is an active member of over ten international boards and committees in the gender and development field, as well as five national committees in Ghana. Her involvement with the University of Ghana remains strong particularly with the Institute of African Studies.

Ghana has certainly recognized Takyiwaa Manuh’s contribution to the gender equity and development in the country, awarding her with the Order of the Volta (Officer Class) and University of Ghana’s Meritorious Service Award in 2007.

 

Mr. Samuel Adu-Asare - Secretary, Board of Directors

Mrs. Stella Adu-Amankwah - Member, Board of Directors

 

Mrs. Suzie Osam - Member, Board of Directors

Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf - Member, Board of Directors

Hajiya Bilkisu is a Board member of ABANTU and a journalist by profession. She holds a number of academic qualifications including a master’s degree in Political Science. Her previous work experience involved serving at the Nigerian National Youth Service Corps, Ministry of Information, publishing and media houses, with such a rich background, it comes as a little surprise that Hajiya was active in many spheres of the Nigerian society, notably women and youth organizations. Recent among these are her membership of the strategy committee, Gender and Development Action, 100 Group a Women’s Political Advocacy Group and President, Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria. In addition, she acted as consultant on media, training on development, population, conflict management and other projects.

Some of the published works which covers a range of subjects such as women, culture, and media issues, are Women in Politics (1985), Junk Magazines: Media Sore Thumb (1995), Press Free in the New Nigerian Constitution (1998), Mass Media, Women and Politics (1991) and NGOs and the Development Process in Nigeria (1999).

Hajiya is the recipient of my awards. To date, she has received over ten various wards for distinguished service and contribution to the development of women, media and the youth. These include the prestigious state award-member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Award of Excellence by the Nigeria Association to Women Journalists.

 

Mr. Kinsley Ofei-Nkansah - Member, Board of Directors

 

Ms.Grace Yeah Yeanay - Member, Board of Directors

Ms. Yeanay is a Liberian and an Accountant by profession. She is Executive Director of the Women Movement for Sustainable Development(WOMSUD) in Liberia(NGO). She is the current Chair for the ABANTU Women Peace Building Network in Liberia. The Network comprises of eight (8) women organizations which is geared to promoting women's rights and Gender Justice for Transformational Leadership and Change. She is also the Country Consultant of the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) in Liberia.

 

Staff

Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin - Director of ABANTU

Rose is the Director of ABANTU. She was the Regional Programme Manager of the ABANTU for Development at the Regional Office for West Africa since 1998. She holds a PhD in Energy and Gender studies from the Centre of West African studies, University of Birmingham. Her duties include management of ABANTU’S programmes, liaison with development agencies and fundraising. Her working experience spanning a period of twenty years include serving as a journalist at the Graphic Communications Group/Corporation and Social Impact Assessment expert/programme officer at the then Ministry of Mines and Energy. She has participated in, and organized numerous events both local and foreign, notable among which are series of workshops on gender and development, and Women’s Leadership programmes.

Rose has many publications to her credit, some of these are Guidelines for Social Impact Assessment, and Analyzing Gender Politics in Organizations through drama. She is a member of Professional bodies such as the Ghana Journalists Association, founding member and Convenor of NETRIGHT a coalition of women NGOs working on women’s rights and a member of advisory board of the African Women Development Fund and the UN Economic.

Mrs. Hamida Harrison - Programmes Manager

Hamida is the Programme Manager and has worked with ABANTU since 2001. She holds Masters Degrees from the USA and Ghana and her focus is on development administration and development communication. Her work experience as a lecturer in both local and foreign universities makes her an effective training resource person. She has conducted numerous skills and capacity-training programmes for aspiring women candidates into legislative structures.

Hamida has participated in many local and international conferences in the areas of Women’s Rights, Direct Foreign Investment, Aid Effectiveness and the Beijing review processes at the United Nations. She is a member of many women and other professional associations and is the Convenor of the Women’s Manifesto Coalition (WMC).

Mr. Moses Nkansah - Finance & Administration Officer 

Moses is the Finance and Administrative Manager of ABANTU. He has worked with ABANTU for four(4) years.

Ms. Afua Gyapomaa- Research & Policy Analyst

Afua  Gyapomaa is the Research & Policy Analyst at ABANTU. She holds a postgraduate certificate in Development Management from the Open University in UK, a Certificate in Resource and Mobilisation from GIMPA and a  Bachelors degree in Education from the University of Cape Coast. Her responsibilities include the co-ordination of ABANTU’s research, publication and dissemination of ABANTU’s advocacy materials. Before she joined ABANTU she had worked with World Vision Ghana as a Programme Officer for Sponsorship.

 

Mrs. Ellen Dzah - Senior Programme Officer

 

Ellen is the Senior Programme Officer for Advocacy, Public Awareness and Networking (APAN).  She is responsible for developing and implementing Advocacy programmes on climate change, governance and peace building for the benefit of NGOs, women’s organisations and policy makers. She coordinates the Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES) a gender and climate change coalition hosted by ABANTU and the ABANTU mentoring programme for young female high school graduates.

She holds a Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. She has postgraduate certificates in Community Development, Gender Studies, Advocacy and Citizens Engagement and Business Administration.

She has participated in high level conferences and forums such as the Civil Society Parallel Conference on the Aid Effectiveness and third High Level Forum, the triennial conference of the Association of Women in Development (AWID) and the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Before joining ABANTU in 2008, Mrs Dzah worked as the Enterprise Development Officer for the Vocational Training for Female (VTF) Programme. She has also worked with the Crop Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.   

 

Mrs. Grace Azaonoo - Assistant Administrative Officer

Grace is the Administrative Assistant at ABANTU. She holds Certificate in Management from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Certificate in Human Resource and Industrialisation from Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), Diploma in Stenographer from the Government Secretarial School, Accra. She also has a proficiency certificate from Competent Secretarial Training Institute in Accra. As the Administrative Assistant, Grace is considered a very dependable team worker, as she is able to work under pressure to meet deadlines. She is sociable, patient and emphatic and has very good inter-personal and communication skills that enhance her work within multicultural team environments.

 

Ms. Gertrude Domfeh- Coalitions & Partnership Officer

Gertrude is the coalitions and Partnerships Officer of ABANTU. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with Linguistics from the University of Ghana Legon. Her responsibilities include the coordination of ABANTU’s activities with partners and coalitions that the organisation is a member of. She also coordinates activities of Women’s Manifesto Coalition and the Gender Action on climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES) which are both hosted by ABANTU.

Ms Joan Judith Campbell - Information Technology Officer

Joan is the Information Technology Officer for ABANTU. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology (BScIT) from the Methodist University, Ghana. Her responsibilities include, the development and management of Information systems and technology. She worked with Anglogold Ashanti Limited before joining ABANTU as a System Support Officer.

 

 

Sophia France - Secretary

Sophia Fofo France, Secretary at ABANTU for Development, since june 2009. Worked with Vision – Line Company Ltd, a clearing company as a secretary. Has  done the Ghana Customes  Proficiency Course  and DBS Secretarial option at Accra polytechnic, and O’level at Holy Trinity Cathedral Secondary School, and a Computer Literate .

 

Mr. Philip Kwame Adusei - Suport Services Officer

Adusei is the Support Services Officer (SSO) at ABANTU. He is responsible for providing general support during programmes organized by ABANTU. He is an excellent team player with good organisational skills, which he puts at the disposal of ABANTU by providing support to staff in the area of computing, accounting and purchasing of office supplies. ADUSEI is self-motivated and a fast learner who, since joining ABANTU in 1999, has studied and obtained a Diploma in Business Studies (2003), an advance Business Certificate (2004) and a Senior Secondary School Certificate (2005). His hobbies include dancing, reading, playing football and listening to music.

Mr. Jacob Hodo - Security Officer

JACOB is the Security Officer at ABANTU. He joined the organisation in 1999, having worked at the Accra Sports Stadium and TAYSEC Construction Company. In addition to his duties as a security Officer, Jacob, who is a carpenter by profession also sees to maintenance works ABANTU.

Mr.Kwame Marfo - Transport Officer

Kwame is the Transport Officer for ABANTU.