A Chief’s Gratitude: Nana Oparegyan on the Revival of Takyikrom’s Dignity and Dreams – Takyikrom

“There was a time when our children studied under a leaking chapel, when girls stayed home during their period because they had no supplies, and when the only water we drank came from the same place animals bathed. As a chief, it broke my heart. I prayed that someone, someday, would see us. On December 19, 2020, some people finally did, and everything changed.”

As the Odikro (traditional leader) of Takyikrom, I carry not only the heritage of our ancestors, but the daily weight of our people’s challenges. In our remote village in the Akuapem South District, life was not lived—it was endured. With every passing year, the hope in our eyes dimmed. That is, until the day the MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation, in partnership with Jodi Construction Company Ltd, arrived—not just with tools, but with hearts.

“In all my years as chief, I have never witnessed such a complete, life-giving transformation. This was not a project. It was a rebirth.”

Before that day, our children, nearly 300 of them, had no classrooms. They gathered in a crumbling, unfinished chapel where rain interrupted their learning and heat drained their focus. Girls missed school during menstruation. Our only water source was unsafe and unreliable. People were often sick, and families walked long distances just to find what little they could carry. I feared we would be forgotten.

But what followed was a miracle written in bricks, water, and compassion:

• A 2-unit classroom block was built, replacing the chapel with a real place of learning, safe, dignified, and filled with hope.
• A dysfunctional borehole was repaired, and for the first time in years, clean water flowed through our village—and to neighboring communities as well.
• Children received school supplies, pens, books, erasers – tools that should be basic, but for us, were luxuries.
• Girls received sanitary pads and were taught about menstrual hygiene, restoring confidence and ensuring no child misses class again because of her body.
• Handwashing stations and reusable masks were distributed to protect us during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• We even received Bibles and Gospel tracts, and our spirits were reminded: we are not forgotten by God or by good people.

“This gesture has restored dignity to our children and brought hope to our community. We are deeply thankful.”

I am saying these words, standing not only as a chief but as a father, watching my village rise. I remember the joy on the children’s faces: the dancing, the face painting, the laughter that echoed through our dusty paths. For a moment, poverty paused, and possibility reigned.

To Mr. Isaac Nti and Mr. William Norvidzro of Jodi Construction, your tears when clean water flowed again told me this was more than corporate responsibility. It was love. As you said, “We did not just repair a borehole. We restored life.”

To the MyHelp-YourHelp Foundation, words are not enough. You did not just deliver aid. You delivered dignity. You reminded our children that they matter. You gave us not just classrooms or clean water, but something we had almost lost: hope.

“This was more than a donation. It was a declaration that we, the people of Takyikrom, are worthy of better.”

I will carry this memory with me forever. Our community will never be the same, not because of what was built, but because of how we were seen.

With a heart full of gratitude,
Nana Oparegyan
Odikro of Takyikrom