GFA Foundation officially launched in Accra

The Ghana Football Association has officially launched a charity wing called GFA Foundation with the aim of reaching out to the needy, touching lives, giving back to society and most importantly focusing on the welfare of industry players.

The mission of the Foundation is to positively impact lives of people through the support of national and international development initiatives and goals. Others include:

support for projects that would improve lives and livelihood of football people and communities

To use football and its outcomes to effect behavioral change and social change advocacy

To improve the quality of lives of people through appropriate interventions in communities in Ghana and beyond

To promote football values and team work amongst staff of the FA, the Regional Football Associations through an Employee Volunteer Programme

To ensure all GFA work processes, Centres, activities, projects and programmes adhere to globally acceptable sustainability concept of reducing weight, safeguarding the environment and using natural resources responsibly

The GFA Foundation will also be looking at Community Development – Health and Education

Providing assistance to under privileged people and groups – Donations to orphanages and groups

To Educate stakeholders on hooliganism, fair play and integrity

To encourage re-used and recycled initiatives

And most importantly, support for welfare of footballers and football officials

The Foundation will be managed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Astute Chartered Insurer Daniel Awuah Darko. Awuah Darko holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in addition to the Associate Diploma of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London. Joining Vanguard Assurance in 1993, he has had the benefit of offshore training at Munich, Re in Germany. He holds over 30-years of experience in the Insurance industry both overseas and locally. He currently serves on Boards of several companies.

Isaac Osei Yeboah, President of Premier League club Bibiani Gold Stars is the Vice Chairman. Osei Yeboah is in charge of Finance, Development and Corporate Affairs of Asante Gold Corporation. He is a Chartered Accountant and a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Other Members of the Board include Corporate Affairs expert Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, Executive Council member, Frederick Acheampong and former Ghanaian International footballer Nii Odartey Lamptey.

Sylvia Owusu Ankomah is the Head of Corporate Affairs of Guinness Ghana Limited who has over 18-years of experience in Corporate Affairs, Crisis and Reputation management, Policy Advocacy and Compliance.  Sylvia previously worked with MTN and the Volta River Authority and is currently a Board Member of the Ghana Investment and Electronic Communications and the Ghana Innovations Hub under the Ministry of Communications.

Frederick Acheampong is a former Chief Executive Officer of AshantiGold Sporting Club. He is currently an Executive Council Member of the Ghana Football Association and an Executive Board Member of the Ghana Olympic Committee. He is a season Broadcaster with Kessben FM and TV and General Coordinator for the Confederation of African Football. Frederick Acheampong is a product of Mfantsipim School, holds BSc from the University of Cape Coast, MBA from the University of Wales -UK, LLB from the Central University and currently studying for LLM at the University of Ghana.

The fifth Board Member is former Ghanaian International footballer Nii Odartey Lamptey.  Odartey Lamptey played in three Africa Cup of Nations in 1992, 94 and 1996, made 39 appearances and scored 11 goals for Ghana. Nii featured in the 1992 Olympic Games, the 1993 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Australia and the 1991 U-17 World Cup in Italy where Ghana won Gold. He played for Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven in Belgium, Aston Villa and Coventry City in England before moving to Argentina (Club Athletic Union), Portugal (Union De Sportif De Leiria), Germany, (Greuther Furth), China (Shandong Luneng), the United Arab Emirates (Al Nasr FC) and Ghana (Asante Kotoko). He is the founder of Glow-Lamp Soccer Academy and Glow-Lamp International School.

The Ghana Football Association has also appointed marketing, corporate social responsibility, corporate communications, project management, community relations, events and stakeholder management expert Malcom Frazier Appeadu as Director of the Foundation.  Malcom previously had stints with Tigo Ghana and the Rlg Foundation where he was responsible for its set-up, managing all social investments and employee volunteer programmes.

In attendance were President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku and Vice President Mark Addo. Others included Executive Council Members Madam Habiba Atta Forson, George Amoako, Dr. Tony Aubynn, Nana Sarfo Oduro, Kingsley Osei Bonsu, Linford Asamoah Boadu and Samuel Anim Addo.