The Board of Trustees for the GFA Foundation has held its inaugural (in person) meeting with a firm commitment to focus on the key needs of stakeholders.
The first Board meeting afforded members the opportunity to know and interact with each other, review recent past activities, discuss funding sources, consider upcoming projects and activities and most importantly ratify decisions taken electronically.
Director of the Foundation, Malcolm Frazier Appeadu briefed members on the past activities which included donations to Silas Tetteh, former Black Stars and U-20 Male World Cup winning coach and medical assistance support to Thomas Quaye (Late), Sampson Appiah and Sabahn Quaye.
He informed the Board about the unfortunate passing of Thomas Quaye exactly a month after the donation was made by the GFA Foundation to support the huge medical cost.
Malcolm Appeadu went further to inform the Board of Trustees about upcoming projects such as the GFA Ghana Prisons Service Project, GFA-UNFPA Partnership on SDGs and the GFA Employee Volunteer Programme.
Board Member, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah stated that the Foundation must be strategic in its selection of projects and not spread itself too thin. She also called for teamwork to ensure sound good governance for the Foundation to attract needed and required funding for its projects and programmes.
The Board discussed fundraising activities for the Foundation and made recommendations.
Vice Chairman of the Board, Isaac Osei Yeboah, was elated with the proposed stakeholder engagement exercise and tasked the Foundation’s Secretariat to engage football clubs on the work of the Foundation. He also proposed interest income from investment instruments as a prudent source of funding.
Frederick Acheampong, another Board Member who also doubles as Executive Council Member, assured the Board of the unflinching support of the Executive Council and intimated that the GFA Foundation could collaborate with other Member Associations of FIFA and CAF to fund some joint projects and activities.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Daniel Awuah-Darko thanked the Secretariat for the work so far and all the Board Members for attending the inaugural meeting. He stated that due to the importance of the issue of funding there will be a Board meeting purposely to discuss strategies and sources of funding for the Foundation’s work.
The General Secretary of the GFA, Prosper Harrison-Addo (Esq). conveyed the appreciation of the President and the Executive Council to the Board Members for accepting to serve on the Board. He assured the Board that all support would be made available for the projects and activities of the Foundation to proceed smoothly.
The Board gave approval for the Foundation to embark on stakeholders’ and community engagement exercises where the GFA Foundation will be introduced to the various publics. It will also undertake the needs assessment of these stakeholders and communities which will inform the work of the Foundation.
Ghana Football Legend, Nii Odartey-Lamptey, a Board Member, was absent with permission, because he was supporting the Baby Jet U-16 tournament (sanctioned by the GFA) currently ongoing in Cape Coast.
The next in-person Board Meeting of the GFA Foundation has been scheduled for July, 2023. Members will continue to work electronically until the next meeting.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS