GFA FOUNDATION GHANA PRISONS PROJECT LAUNCHED

The Ghana Football Association Foundation on Friday, May 24, 2024 launched the GFA Foundation Ghana Prisons Project at the Senior Correctional Center Astro Turf, Accra.

The project according to the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Mr. Kurt Edwin S. Okraku, has three pillars of focus which includes presentation of football items and logistics, coaching, refereeing and mentorship programs for officers and innates as well as advocacy workshops to sensitize the public and citizens on the negative impact of descrimination and stigmatization of prisons and prisoners.

The first phase of the project will cover the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central and the Bono regions where footballs, sets of jerseys, red and yellow cards, whistles and small movable goalposts will be presented to prison facilities in these regions for officers and inmates use.
The Regional Football Associations would present some football items and logistics to the prisons in other regions. “This project will run for a period of two years after which its impact will be accessed and either redesigned or continued in current state”. He explained further.

Mr. Okraku unveiled and presented the football equipment including sets of jerseys, footballs, whistles, yellow and red cards and small movable goalposts to the Ghana Prisons Service.

The Director-General of Prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir received the equipment on behalf of the service and expressed his profound gratitude to the GFA Foundation for bringing this project to fruition.
“Through football we will ensure inmates have a constructive outlet for training, teamwork, discipline and a sense of belonging”. He added.

As a side attraction and way of consummating the relationship between the Ghana Prisons Service and the GFA, a football match was played between the Prisons Women and Men teams against the GFA Women and Men’s teams.
The Die Hard Supporters Union was in action to charge the atmosphere with their popular jama songs.

Present at the brief launch of the project were the Deputy Director of Prisons in charge of Finance/ Administration, DDGP. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), Director of Prisons in charge of Technical, DOP. Robin Asamoah Fening, Regional Commander, DDP. Edward Fiifi Acquah, Commanding Officer at the Prisons Headquarters ,DDP. Ali Kwaku Ababio and some executives from the Ghana Football Association.

By: DSP. Samuel Kofi Opoku
Prisons Headquarters.