Western Heritage Home
Western Heritage Home is a not-for-profit organization, known as a "non-government organization" or NGO in Ghana. Determined to do something about homeless children, numbers of children not in school, lack of training for women, low to non-existent computer skills, they started operating in late 2005 and were incorporated in Ghana on June 1, 2006.
The idea was to band together to do what no one congregation could possibly do on its own.
So their name is meaningful. "Western" stands for the Western Region, "Heritage" for their rich Ghanaian heritage and their determination to be inclusive of all of Axim regardless of ethnic, religious, or other affiliations, and "Home" to signal they want to be a "home" for their community, both physically in the use of their building and as an organization open to all.
James Kainyiah
Founder
James founded Western Heritage Home in 2006 as a broad-based community service organization, focusing on children, education, sanitation, women's advancement, and computer technology. James
served for many years as the Development Chief of Lower Axim Traditional Council, under the stool name of Nana Kaku Bullu II.
He is the Owner and CEO of Jamkay Enterprises, a constuction and real estate company in Sekondi, Ghana. He served as Chair of the Sekondi/Takoradi Chamber of Commerce. James has been trained in Conflict Resolution, and serves as a mediator to defuse tense situations in the broader Nzema East community. James is shown here with his youngest daughter, who is his joy!
Awulae Attibrukusu III
Paramount Chief/King of Lower Axim Traditional Council
Awulae is the hereditary Chief in the area. His role is somewhat similar to that of our own American Indian leaders. Although Awulae has broad responsibilities which do not allow him time to participate directly in WHH, he is a founder and continues his strong support. He has been the main source of leadership in establishing a new All-Girls High School in Axim. He is the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs of the Republic of Ghana. He serves on the Board of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Awulae visited Ghana Together Board members and friends in the US in 2011, while on an educational trip.
Nana Adjoa Sika II (left)
We are so sad to have lost Nana Sika in October 2018. She was such a strong leader, co-signing all Western Heritage Home Bank checks, helping select scholarship students, counseling youngsters on every imaginable topic. A wonderful leader.
In the picture, on the right, is Madame Hajara, who helped WHH so much over the years. She recently retired as head of the Community Development Vocational/Technical Institute. We regret that she has moved to be nearer her family and cannot be active anymore.
We are grateful to these two outstanding women who led their community for so many years.
Miss Frances Polley
Miss Polley is a founding member. She is a retired high school mathematics teacher. She has her own small school supplies shop in downtown Axim and is well-known in the Axim community. She is a faithful presence at the Methodist Church. Miss Polley runs a small school-supply shop in Axim. She, too, is a senior woman of inspiration who, in spite of her age, still leads her community through the force of her giving spirit and generous personality.
Isaac Bentil
Bentil is a founding member, local businessman, and was instrumental in building the Western Heritage Community Learning Center and organizing the orphanage that WHH operated for several years. He owns a local printing and insurance business. Bentil is a leader in the community, overseeing and organizing the annual "Kundum Festival", serving as leader of a Parent-Teacher Association, and is the Chair of the Methodist Laity in the Nzema region. He is a leader of the fishing community, and represents fishing interests to the Ghanaian governmental authorities.
Mercy Ackah
Ms. Ackah is the Regional Director of Public Libraries in the Western Region, of which the Axim Public Library is a branch. She formally served as the Director of the Axim Public Library. Under her leaderhip, with support from Ghana Together and others, Axim Public LIbrary has developed a new "mobile library" service for the schools in Axim.
She is now based at the central library in the nearby city of Takoradi, but maintains a close eye on her branch libraries. She and her brother are also the co-owners of the Christ the King Apewosika Village school, which was founded and built by their deceased mother, a teacher.
Western Heritage Home Mission
- To assist orphaned and other vulnerable children regardless of faith, race or origins;
- To provide children with at least basic and junior secondary education;
- To foster sustainable economic development;
- To provide leadership training to adults in the Axim community;
- To develop programs to empower women in social, economic, and political spheres;
- To create effective AIDS awareness program for the community;
- To offer training in ICT both in hardware and software.
Western Heritage Home (WHH) is Ghana Together’s primary partner in Ghana. We have developed not only a relationship based on trust and shared values, but a pretty solid “business” culture with accountability, frequent communication, and open sharing of information.
WHH owns and operates the Western Heritage Home Building. It has served many functions---as a children's home, a dormitory for senior high students, and currently, as of 2018, a boarding house for laborers building the seawall to protect Axim from the rising Atlantic Ocean. Proceeds from rents go to WHH's charitable projects. WHH has three employees—an Operations Manager and two Night Watchmen/Cleaners.
Most of WHH funding for projects comes through grants from Ghana Together. They support themselves modestly through rental of their facility, in-kind gifts from local organizations, occasional donations from Ghanaian businesses, and direct donations from ex-pats.
Their official incorporation documents are listed here: