Old Mawuli Students Union (OMSU) Year Group 2000 has donated items valued at GHC30,000 to the Ho Female Prison as part of their 25th anniversary celebration. The gesture was aimed at supporting the welfare of the inmates and reinforcing the group’s commitment to community service and social responsibility.
The donation, which included food items, toiletries, sanitary products, clothing, and cleaning materials, was presented to prison authorities at a brief ceremony held on Friday in Ho. The OMSU 2000 delegation was led by the group’s president, Mr. Samuel Tetteh, who emphasized that the act of giving was rooted in the group’s values of compassion, empathy, and societal contribution, virtues instilled in them during their years at Mawuli School.
Mr. Tetteh noted that the 25-year milestone since completing secondary school was a moment not only for reflection but also for meaningful impact.
“We wanted our celebration to go beyond mere reunion festivities. As Mawulians, we believe in living out the motto ‘Head, Heart, and Hand.’ This donation represents our collective effort to use our hearts and hands to touch lives in the community,” he said.
He added that OMSU 2000 recognized the challenges faced by the Ghana Prisons Service in providing adequate welfare for inmates, particularly women, and urged other alumni groups and corporate bodies to support correctional facilities across the country.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Ho Female Prison, Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP) Christiana Tetteh, the officer in charge, expressed profound gratitude to the old students for their thoughtful gesture. She commended the group for choosing to focus on an often-overlooked segment of society, female inmates, and described the donation as “timely and life-changing.”
“The Ghana Prisons Service continues to face resource constraints, and this donation will go a long way to improve the living conditions of our inmates. It’s encouraging to see institutions like Mawuli School and its alumni showing commitment to humanity,” CSP Tetteh stated.
She further appealed to benevolent organizations, churches, and individuals to emulate OMSU 2000’s example, stressing that rehabilitation, not punishment, is the core goal of Ghana’s correctional system.
Inmates of the prison also expressed their appreciation, describing the visit as an emotional boost. Some of them shared that gestures like these remind them that society still cares, giving them renewed hope to reintegrate successfully after serving their sentences.
As part of the event, members of OMSU 2000 interacted with the inmates, offering words of encouragement and sharing brief motivational messages about personal growth, forgiveness, and transformation. The team also engaged prison officers in discussions about the conditions of incarceration and potential ways alumni and community groups can contribute to improving rehabilitation programs.
The Volta Regional Commander of Prisons, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Edward Mensah, who also attended the ceremony, lauded the Mawuli alumni for their proactive approach to giving back. He noted that OMSU’s initiative aligned with the broader mission of the Ghana Prisons Service to ensure humane treatment and reformation of inmates.
“Support like this enhances the human side of corrections. We are not only keeping offenders behind bars; we are preparing them to become useful citizens when they re-enter society,” DDP Mensah remarked.
The donation formed part of OMSU 2000’s week-long 25th anniversary activities, which also included a homecoming event, thanksgiving service, mentorship sessions for Mawuli School students, and a cleanup exercise on the school campus. The theme for the celebration, “Reconnecting to Build, Serve, and Inspire”, reflects the group’s broader vision of contributing to social development while strengthening their bonds as alumni.
Mr. Tetteh revealed that OMSU 2000 plans to establish an education and skills empowerment fund targeted at underprivileged students from the Volta Region, including children of inmates, to give them access to quality education and vocational training.
“We believe transformation begins with education and empowerment. If we can help one child of an inmate or an underprivileged student stay in school, that’s a ripple effect that benefits society at large,” he said.
Several members of the alumni group shared their personal motivation for joining the initiative, noting that their time at Mawuli School taught them leadership and service beyond self. According to Ms. Akua Adjei, one of the organizers, the visit to the prison was both humbling and enlightening.
“It reminded us that freedom is a privilege and that compassion can transform even the darkest places. We left the prison inspired to do more,” she said.
The OMSU 2000 donation has since drawn praise from the Mawuli School Old Students Association (MOSA) national leadership, who commended the year group for representing the school’s values with dignity and purpose. MOSA’s National Secretary, Mr. Andrews Kpodo, encouraged other year groups to mark their milestones with acts that uplift society.
The Ho Female Prison currently houses over 80 inmates, most of whom are serving sentences for minor offenses. The facility continues to face challenges such as overcrowding, limited access to health care, inadequate sanitation, and lack of vocational resources.
Social commentators have applauded initiatives like OMSU 2000’s as vital contributions to national development, emphasizing that community-driven efforts often succeed in areas where state support is limited. They argue that such donations, while seemingly small, build bridges of hope for marginalized individuals.
The gesture by OMSU 2000 adds to a growing number of alumni-led social impact projects across Ghana, where educational institutions are stepping up to support hospitals, prisons, schools, and underprivileged communities. As one of the most prominent second-cycle schools in the Volta Region, Mawuli School continues to inspire its alumni to lead with integrity and serve with purpose.
