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  • No 9, Sixth Circular Rd, Accra
  • +233 303969615 +233 502275820

Profiling The Kufuor Scholars: Felicity Yeboah Dokyi

Interviewer: Tell us more about yourself.

Felicity: I am Felicity Yeboah Dokyi. I’m 23 years old and a native of Akyem Bomaa in the Atiwa-West District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. I am an MBCHB candidate (in 5th year) at the University of Ghana Medical School and an alumna of St. Louis Senior High School in the Ashanti region.

Interviewer: How did you get to be part of the Kufuor Scholars Program (KSP)?

Felicity: I entered the University of Ghana Medical School with so much enthusiasm looking forward to bright and smooth studies like I had had in junior and senior high schools. Two years on, overwhelmed by the complexities and voluminous medical education, there I was looking for an escape route. I was buried in studies which were not even yielding the expected results. I lost touch with myself (stopped doing the things I loved like writing) and the world around me and was worn out. “What am I doing wrong? What am I missing? Do I even belong here?” I asked myself. What’s worse, I couldn’t share my ordeal with anyone!

One day, as I lazily replied my WhatsApp messages, I came across the KSP application advertisement sent to me by my elder brother with a note that I should consider applying since I had huge interest in leadership and social issues. I put off applying under the guise that I would not be able to combine this with academic work, which was valid by the way. But on the deadline date, I found the courage to tender in my application. I’m really glad I did that. I have never regrated it.

Interviewer: Tell us more about your experiences in the Kufuor Scholars Program…

Felicity: I was inducted as part of KSP 2019 class and I have since had the rare privilege to interact with young, enthusiastic leaders like myself who are in diverse fields of endeavor. I’ve also had the opportunity to interact with other resource persons which has greatly shaped my experiences growing up. One of the encounters was with the Former President, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor. He said something profound that has stuck with me for all these years. He told us leadership is much more than being in the limelight and occupying various political positions, and that you can be a leader in any field because transformational leadership starts with oneself.

I recall vividly how during that visit; I was asked to address the ex-president on behalf of the visiting scholars after his captivating speech. I was completely thrown off-guard, totally unprepared and mesmerized with all the microphones from media houses which were swiftly put in front of me, all awaiting my speech. Though unprepared, I was able to say something. There and then, I learnt a very crucial lesson that a leader should be armed at all times and should be able communicate effectively. I decided to master the art of public speaking and effective communication afterwards.

Interviewer: Menarche Initiative Ghana, what is it all about and where did the inspiration to start it come from?

Felicity: The Kufuor Scholars Program has gifted me with a community of great young minds like myself who are ready to collaborate with each other to make positive impact in the society. It is out of such collaborations that Menarche Initiative Ghana, a non-profit organization championing good menstrual hygiene especially amongst adolescent girls in rural Ghana was birthed. I am a Cofounder and Project Coordinator. The initiative gave me the opportunity to represent the organization at Clinton Global Initiative University conference in 2018 at University of Chicago, Illinois, USA. We had the opportunity to pitch the concept of the Menarche initiative project to the Resolution Project which won the team some seed funding and technical support.

 

Interviewer: You’ve also had the opportunity to undertake some other foreign visits in your role as Kufuor Scholar, tell us more about that…

Felicity: I was privileged to join Asian students for 2019 BXAI Summer Program which took place in Osaka and Kyoto, Japan kind courtesy of KSP and Bai Xian Asian Institute. During my three weeks stay, I interacted with students from diverse backgrounds and shrewd resource persons and facilitators. This gave me the platform to familiarize myself with the political and socioeconomic landscape in Asia which has really broadened my perspectives in life. Aside the intellectual exchanges, I learnt a lot about the Asian culture and had the opportunity to network. This has helped me to adapt to various environments and has contributed to my interpersonal skills. The Kufuor Scholars Program evidently has given me more than I bargained for. It has gifted me a sense of self and direction.

Interviewer: Any final words?

Felicity: To me, KSP was to be a mere escape route from the rigorous intricacies of medical school, but it has proved to be much more. It has made my route in this life’s journey clearer as my destination and the reason for the journey in the first place has been put into perspective! For this, I am eternally grateful to His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor and the John A. Kufuor Foundation for this noble vision to nurture young Ghanaian leaders. Thank you for giving me hope in the future of our beloved country, Ghana. Thank you for helping young leaders like myself to find our voices to even speak to socioeconomic issues. And most importantly, thanks for giving me your shoulders to stand on to see further in this life. God bless!