Ghana is mourning the loss of one of its prominent figures, former First Lady, Theresa Kufuor.
She passed away at the age of 88 years.
Mrs. Kufuor is the wife of former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, who served from 2001 to 2009.
Mrs. Kufuor had a long and illustrious career that started with her education at the Catholic Convent, OLA, in the country’s Volta Region. She went on to study nursing in London and Scotland, specializing as a State Certified Midwife with a Certificate in Premature Nursing.
She then married John Kufuor in 1962, and together they have five children.
Mrs. Kufuor had a keen interest in the welfare of mothers and children. She founded the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation (MCCDF), a non-governmental organization operating in Ghana and Canada that supported work in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of diseases. She also played a significant role in policy changes in the Ghanaian government’s educational reform programme, pushing for the implementation of UNESCO’s Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education program for kindergarten children.
Despite being Ghana’s First Lady for eight years, between 2001 and 2009, Mrs. Kufuor stayed away from politics, preferring to focus on her charity work and the well-being of her family.
Her passing has brought an outpouring of condolences from across the country and beyond.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced shortly by the family.
By Vincent Kubi