Wheels4Life Delivers Ten California Bikes to Neko Tech Centre Volunteers

The brief ceremony for the Handing-over of the ten (10) California Bikes by ITDP, Ghana to the ten (10) NEKO Tech management-selected Volunteers working on Neko Tech Centre’s Health Care Project, courtesy Wheels For Life and Simplon Bicycle Company of Austria took place on Thursday 01 February, 2007 at the Neko Tech Centre in Ada, as previously scheduled.

The ceremony started at 2.00pm with the volunteers and some other staff/volunteers of the Centre welcoming the ITDP, Ghana Country Director, the IBD who assembled the bikes, the driver and mate of the van that transported the bikes to the Centre with two specially composed welcome songs.

After the signing of the visitors’ book, I proceeded to the Office of the Centre Manager, Mr. S.T Wussah, to quickly discuss the fine details of the programme (sequence and order of events) together and also have a look at the brief write-ups that had been submitted by the beneficiary volunteers on themselves, how they expect the bike to enhance their work and help them.

As at 2.30pm when the main ceremony took off, there were all but one selected volunteer (Nene Tetteh Boafo Zotorvie V, who was absent, as he was reported to be too sick to be present, and had therefore sent his daughter to represent him and receive the bike on his behalf. I had also been informed by Mr. Wussah during our pre-ceremony meeting that there had been an eleventh hour substitution of Nene Tettey Limo II with Nene Kabu Owusu Sanakey IV, and I got confirmation on that from the Special Assistant to the President of Neko Tech Centre, Dzifa Attah (in the Tema office) by phone.

It was a brief but impressive ceremony that was chaired by Nene Okumo III with Mr. Wussah acting as MC. After a brief welcome address and recounting of the history of the Centre by Mr. Wussah, I did a brief introduction of ITDP, Wheels For Life and Simplon Company of Austria, and explained to the audience the reason for the donation. I made them understand that if the usage of the bikes produces verifiable evidence of they having impacted positively on their work, then there will be the likelihood for even greater support from Wheels For Life and Simplon Company.

The actual presentation of the bikes to the recipients was done in front of the Centre, one at a time, with pictures taken of each presentation, after which everybody present went back into the hall for the closure. (Find attached copies of photographs taken; presentation of bikes as well as of other events and a few sites at the Centre).

It must emphasized that the beneficiary volunteers and Neko Tech expressed sincere and deep gratitude for the donation, and also their hope to receive even more in the future, as they have a long list of volunteers who have worked on the Health Project with commitment and sacrifice, and all deserve to be rewarded and motivated to do even more.

Report Prepared by; Ernest Teye-Topey 03 February, 2007.