Four Rotary Clubs, Accra Airport City, Accra Airport, Accra-Sunrise, and the doyen club Accra as well as the Rotary Club of Cape Coast Central have refurbished and handed over an infirmary to the Ankaful Prison Annex in Cape Coast.

The project, involved the refurbishment of the infirmary itself, purchase of a wide range of medical equipment and consumables, and wheelchairs among others.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Cape Coast last Saturday, President of the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport City, Rotarian Bertha Garthy said “This Year’s Rotary theme, serve to change lives, is a major driving force for us and we intend to help change all lives.

"We are certain that with our collective effort, our brothers here will be well reformed and come out to join the larger society soon.”

For his part, President of the Rotary Club of Accra, Theo Ayitey-Adjin said “Rotary is keen to transform people wherever they are. We believe that even incarcerated people, given the right treatment and the right conditions, can improve themselves and become useful members of a healthy society and this is why I am excited about this project and what our clubs have been able to do today.”

Accepting the symbolic keys to the newly refurbished infirmary, Assistant Director of Prisons at the Ankaful Prison Service, ADP Wilson Sala expressed gratitude to the Rotarians for extending a hand of goodwill and fellowship to the facility.

ADP Sala explained that the “prison service is always grateful to get support for its inmates because they are at the tail end of the justice delivery system and funds here are very limited”.  He called for more support from other organisations to help support and reform the prisoners adding that “let’s not stigmatize them when they leave prison”.

The Rotary Club Presidents charged the authorities of the facility to regularly maintain the facility because we will be more encouraged to give more when we pass here and see the facility in good shape.”

History of Rotary

Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in communities, and members.

The Rotary Club of Accra which is the doyen club owes its conception, founding, and inauguration, almost entirely to the dream, vision, and singular initiative and dynamism of Dan Michael Quist, Chief Accountant of Texaco (Ghana) Limited; an American Petroleum Products Marketing Company, with headquarters in Accra.

In his letter to RI dated February 12, 1958, Quist submitted his report of Survey Extension for the establishment of a Rotary club first in Accra and eventually other principal cities and towns in Ghana. In the report, he described and identified 62 businesses and professional areas, which could provide not less than 120 classifications and professions to provide avenues of service. Quist then invited 32 men from the 62 identified businesses and professional concerns for a preliminary meeting at the Accra Community Centre on February 26, 1958, at 6:00 PM; ten attended, eight apologies were received and the remaining fourteen did not respond. Quist persevered in his endeavours until he subsequently got the commitment of 28 who constituted the charter members.