As the Atta-Mills Institute (AMI), begins its journey in this year of 2022, to line up a series of activities to mark the 10th Anniversary of the passing-on to the glory of the late, President John Evans Atta-Mills.
Two significant projects have been commissioned for the people of Gonteng, a rural community sitting in the belly of the Aburi Mountains.
On Thursday, January 20, 2022, Founder and CEO of the AMI, Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, supported by Mr. Samuel Awuku, Director General of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA), commissioned a newly constructed corn and cassava mill facility and also commissioned completed renovation works on a 3 classroom block government school.
For decades, the people of Gonteng, have had to trek laborious hours on very undulating and rocky terrain to Aburi to mill maize and cassava just for domestic consumption because of the lack of a mill in the community – and the journey is unimaginably long.
Under the auspices of AMI’s Ministry of Kindness, and with the kind support of the NLA, on September 19, 2021, Mr. Koku Anyidoho, broke ground, for the construction of the milling facility – completing the project in 4 months.
The Atta-Mills Institute, which is duly registered Think Tank, has its core mandate as, Civic Education and Public Policy Advocacy – and it is based on its main mandate, that attention has been given to the school via a facelift in order to support teaching and learning.
The school has not only been thoroughly painted, but most importantly, the existing dilapidated chalk-consuming blackboards, have been replaced neatly with white Marker Boards, and the necessary accoutrements.
Sticking unmovably to its desire to hinge renovation works on AMI’s “Mindset Transformation For Nation Building” Agenda, all the classrooms have been provided with well-embossed wall hangings of the National Anthem and National Pledge, as a way of keeping the words of these two critical National Symbols firmly etched on the minds of the pupils and teachers.
According to Koku Anyidoho, he first set foot in Gonteng about 6 years ago, and after a few sojourns to the place, he was touched by the excruciating journey that the children had to make just to go and mill maize and cassava – hence his decision that, given the opportunity and resources, AMI would build the milling facility to, first of all, ease the suffering of the children/community, and most importantly, continue with the charity works that the late President Atta-Mills engaged in.
“I give glory and thanks to God Almighty that we have been able to make this milling facility available to the people of Gonteng, and as I see the joy and happiness on their faces, my heart beams with satisfaction that AMI is serving humanity”.
According to Mr Anyidoho “we also took on the school project to provide a more conducive atmosphere for the children to acquire knowledge and also to allow the teachers to function with a bit more comfort”.
As regards the National Anthem and Pledge, Mr. Anyidoho said that AMI’s core agenda is; Mindset Transformation for Nation-Building, and the words of the Anthem and Pledge, are very critical elements in re-building the psyche of up-coming generations so they hold on strongly to the values that identify us as Ghanaians.
Thanking the NLA for its support, Koku Anyidoho said “AMI shall forever be grateful to Mr. Sammy Awuku and NLA for agreeing to partner us via its Good Causes Foundation, and we know that this is just the beginning of a long and lasting relationship as both Organisations collaborate efficiently and effectively to contribute to building a better Ghana”
“These projects, are our, Covenant Projects, and we cannot stop thanking NLA for your immeasurable support in fulfilling this dream” Koku Anyidoho stated.
Founder and CEO of the Atta-Mills Institute, Mr. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, did not mince words, when he stated unequivocally that, “the real climax of the AMI’s 10th Anniversary activities, will be on, July 24, 2022, when His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commissions the exquisitely constructed Asomdwe Park inappropriate honour the memory of late President John Evans Atta-Mills”.
On his part, the Director-General of the NLA, Mr. Sammy Awuku, congratulated AMI for the projects executed, as well as the judicious use of the support received by the Institute.
The DG of the NLA further stated that, his Organisation was more than ready to go into a long-term partnership with AMI to expand the frontiers of its Good Causes Foundation.
“I want to assure my brother Koku Anyidoho that, NLA is not going to relent as far as partnering AMI is concerned. You have justified the need to be supported, and you can rest assured that you will get the needed support” Mr. Sammy Awuku said.
“The integrity of the Atta-Mills Institute has been established via these projects and you can be assured that the NLA would be more than eager to give you the possible support to grow in image and stature as far as your good work is concerned”.
The Gonteng townsfolk were full of praise, and did not hide their extreme joy and appreciation for the Projects.
The people thanked AMI and NLA profusely and also prayed for God to shine His divine light on Koku Anyidoho and Sammy Awuku for reaching out to such a deprived community.