Sister Deborah in a pose with school children
Award-winning pop artiste, creative art director and fashion icon, Sister Deborah, also known as the African Mermaid, has been quietly making a significant impact in charitable interventions.
While she has achieved fame for her striking appearances, music videos and live performances, it is her love, compassion and empathy for vulnerable children, marginalised groups of people and the environment that set her apart.
One of her most recent charitable activities was donating food items for the Easter Monday party at the Street Academy behind the Art Centre in Accra.
According to her, giving back to the society has always been her passion, adding that her charity activities are her widow’s mite of helping bring comfort to the needy in the society.
Her humanitarian work is mainly directed towards the well-being of the beneficiaries rather than her personal acclaim.
She understands and believes that the focus of giving should always be on the cause itself.
In the case of African Mermaid Foundation (TAM) Foundation, the purpose is helping children and educating them to care about the oceans and their surroundings, with the aim to ensure a safe planet for us all.
In a world where people often seek publicity for their charitable acts, Sister Deborah’s modesty is refreshing.
For the past five years or so, the African Mermaid has been feeding the students of the Street Academy on special occasions, such as Easter Monday. Many at times, mothers, siblings and the elderly in the community are also fed.
The African Mermaid Foundation, apart from donating to the needy in society, also creates awareness about the need to reduce the use of plastics, thus they try to educate and inculcate the habit of using leaves and brown paper for packaging.
With songs such as ‘Refuse Reuse Recycle’, ‘Child Care’, ‘Atewa Forest’ and ‘African Mermaid’ composed together with her brother, Wanlov the Kubolor, Sister Deborah has always used her creativity and social media platforms to address urgent social issues and promote social change.
The siblings received the Environment and Sanitation Award in December 2020.