By David N. Osafo – 28th Anniversary Celebration of Okuapemman Association of USA & Canada (OKUSACA)
Members and well-wishers of Okuapemman Association of USA & Canada (OKUSACA) resident in North America are scheduled to congregate at Newark, New Jersey from Friday, August 30th to Sunday, September 1st, 2013 for the celebration of their 28th Anniversary of Odwira/Ohum Cultural Festivities and Fund-raising event at the plush Ramada Plaza situated at Newark International Airport, 160A Frontage Road, Newark, New Jersey 07114.
Founded in 1985, Okuapemman Association of USA and Canada (OKUSACA), with its Secretariat in New York, is the umbrella organization for several non-profit associations incorporated in the USA and Canada by and for people of Akuapem, Akwamu, Anum, Boso and Nkonya descent. As development-oriented Akuapem descents in the Diaspora, the organization is dedicated to foster close social, cultural and economic inter-relationships between members and their host communities. As part of its objectives, the Association also organizes programs aimed at improving the quality of lives of the people living in the Akuapem and Asuogya Traditional areas in particular and Ghana in general.
The OKUSACA Odwira/Ohum Festival is hosted annually on a rotational basis during Labor Day weekends by one of the 12 current affiliated chapters. The 28th Annual Odwira/Ohum Festival is being hosted by the New Jersey chapter whereas Atlanta chapter is scheduled to host the 29th edition, in the year 2014 at Atlanta, Georgia.
The Theme for this year’s convention is “Youth Empowerment- Phase II: OKUSACA’s Future”. The Youth wing of OKUSACA, comprising mostly, the youth from New York chapter cultural ensemble, will be entertaining the capacity crowd of revelers to an impressive presentation of Traditional Twi Poetic Recitals, Appellations of Traditional Akuapem Towns and Adowa Dance. After the opening ceremony on Friday, the 30th of August, there will be entertaining sessions of Youth and Adult Quiz competitions with prizes, typical African Folk-tales and “Toli”jokes competition and open dance session for all arriving participants to round-up the day. On Saturday, there will be an Adult Forum in the form of Townhall meeting with invited Akuapem/Asuogya Divisional Chiefs and Queenmothers plus honorable Eastern Regional Minister & members representing the Government of Ghana. Also invited from the Ghana mission in New York and expected to be there, is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, H.E. Ken Kanda. The Youth wing of OKUSACA is expected to have their first-ever Youth Forum to make presentations on selected topics for the purpose of creating an avenue for the young adults to freely, openly and honestly express their ideas, thoughts and feelings about matters of topical interest to them and their seniors in an atmosphere of mutual respect and decorum. It is the fervent hope of OKUSACA that future leaders would emerge from this forum to take on the task of making us stay in touch with the relevant aspects of our cultural roots within the Euro-American traditions we find ourselves in. The Saturday event will culminate in a Cultural and Traditional extravaganza featuring OKUSACA youth cultural dancing troupe escorting and ushering a resplendent procession of Ghanaian Traditional Chiefs and Queen-mothers in the Diaspora and their counterparts visiting from Ghana, all adorned with their colorful outfits and authentic Ghanaian gold regalia amid traditional fontonfrom drumming and dancing. It is also expected that there will be a fund-raising session to solicit for funds to complete an on-going project initiated last year, to provide adequate shelter for deprived school children in some parts of Akuapem and Asuogya, attending classes under tree shelters and other hazardous conditions.
On the closing day, which is Sunday, September 1st, 2013, there will be a special non-denominational Thanksgiving communion church service in the morning at the Ramada Plaza Worship Center which will jointly be officiated by OKUSACA Pastors, namely, Rev. Dr. Moses Biney, Rev. Dr. Francis Kumi Dwamena and Rev. Isaac Boafo.
The round-off Sunday afternoon event for the fun-filled weekend will be the much-talked about OKUSACA family picnic at the Tulip Springs State Park, West Orange, NJ 07052. DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From New Jersey: Take Route 280 West to Exit 7/Pleasant Valley Way. Turn left onto Pleasant Valley Way. Reservation is straight ahead. From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Follow above directions.
A large variety of sumptuous Ghanaian and Caribbean cuisine and generous open bar of chilled assorted beverages will be available to attendees amid DJ-provided music of oldies as well as latest hip-life and Azonto dance tunes to round up a weekend of OKUSACA annual Odwira/Ohum festivities for the year 2013. This news item cannot be concluded without mentioning the painful, sudden and untimely loss of OKUSACA cultural director, Mr. Evans Amoah Boateng, popularly known as “Okyeame Dogo”, a towering cultural icon in OKUSACA and the Ghanaian community in general in North America. His sudden passing has certainly created a vacuum in this year’s Odwira festivities and OKUSACA will definitely miss his services. A former resident of Toronto, Canada, Okyeame Dogo passed away on Saturday 3rd, August 2013 at the age of 66 years. The deceased hails from Adukrom Akuapem, where he left behind two wives and 12 children .The funeral arrangements have been announced as follows: Visitation is on Friday September 27, 2013 at Demarco Funeral Home, 8003 Weston Road @Hwy #7/Weston Road. Time 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Church Service on Saturday September 28, 2013 at Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church, 65 Mayall (Wilson/Jethro). Time 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm followed by funeral celebration at the Apostles’ Continuation Church, 10 Belfield Road on Saturday September 28, 2013 from 6:00 pm – 3:00 am. “Okyeame Dogo”(Asona Dehye)- OKUSACA family of North America ma wo Damirifa Due!!!.
