It was an ecstatic and colourful scene at her Nima residence, New Year’s Day when Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Auntie Becky as she is affectionately called, played host to hundreds of needy children from different parts of Accra. The kids, who could not hide their joy sang and danced to rhymes and tunes with Auntie Becky as lead vocalist. She could not hide her joy too. They played games such as musical chairs, with Rita Alomatsi from Jamestown emerging overall winner, ‘oware’, ‘ludo’, hide and seek, lucky dip, pick and act, sack race, lime and spoon among others. They were served food, drinks, biscuits, toffees and given story books to take home. During the entire period, Auntie Becky went round and made sure she had personal interactions with almost all the kids present before giving a speech to all of them. In her speech, Auntie Becky encouraged the kids to take their studies in school seriously because; as she put it “education is the surest way to the top in life. When you are educated, you will get a good paying job, your life will improve and you can take care of your family. Without education, the chances are not bright.” She also admonished them to be obedient to their parents and adults in general, as they are the people who will show them the way to grow and become the future leaders they were born to be. She also made an appeal to them to be prayerful and God fearing in life. She tasked the girls to compete fiercely with the boys in school and ensure that they always beat the boys to it academically. She used the opportunity to wish all children across the country a happy new year, with the hope that as the years go by, life will get better as they grow older and wiser. Nana Addo who was receiving visitors and well wishers who were trooping in to wish him a Happy New Year could not help but take some time off to join his wife in the middle of the event. He went round and had personal interactions with the kids, urging them to take their academic lessons seriously, be respectful and be hopeful that life would get better. He also wished all children and indeed, all Ghanaians a happy New Year. Source: Herbert Krapa