In 1991 Frank Frimpong was a bright 14 year old living in the village of Konkoma, near Lake Bosomtwi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Bright maybe, but with poor parents and a limited state education system his prospects were no brighter than those of any other teenager in rural Ghana.

As luck would have it, however, he chanced to meet a man called Jim Power, a visiting Peace Corps Volunteer from the USA, who asked him to help out around the house. Jim soon realised that Frank was an intelligent young man who deserved a future, and he offered to pay the money necessary to sponsor him through secondary school.

Jim’s generosity didn’t stop there – in fact he went on to sponsor Frank through five years of ‘O’ level examinations and 2 years of ‘A’ levels, and long after Jim had returned to the United States he carried on sending the money for Frank’s education.

Frank did exceptionally well in his studies and thanks to Jim’s financial assistance he was able to go on to study medicine at theSchool of Medical Sciences Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Komasi, the capital of the Ashanti region.

There are no Doctors in Konkoma Village. It is a sad fact that Ghana is relatively so poor that most Ghanaian men and women bright enough to qualify in medicine soon move abroad for the larger rewards offered overseas. Frank’s ambition was to be Konkoma’s first native born, home raised GP.

In September 2002 Frank was about to begin the fifth of his six years in medical school when the money dried up. His patron, Jim Powers, was unable to carry on contributing to the University fees

With four years of medical studies behind him but still no qualifications, Frank was at a loss for what to do. He discussed his problems over the phone with a university friend named Duveken Voors (Duuf), a British born Dutch girl who had completed her three year BSc in Human Biology in Komasi and was finishing her medical course at Warwick University in the UK.

During the course of her studies at Warwick University, Duuf had met Steven Hume who had told Duuf how he had been helped financially with his studies by a friend of his sister’s, Chris Marvin, a founding Director of a successful UK Manufacturing business called Exitile.

Within a matter of weeks, the story of Frank’s plight reached the ears of Chris, who was more than willing to help out. In fact, after Chris and Frank made contact with one another, Chris also agreed to sponsor Frank’s friend, Samuel Owusu Aboagye for one semester.

Chris agreed to send the necessary funds to pay for Frank’s final two years at university. Around £700 per year was provided by Chris to help pay for lodgings, food and the necessary books and equipment. Frank went on to qualify as a Doctor in 2004 (Samuel also achieved success as a medical officer).

Frank is now currently enrolled in the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as a Resident Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Over the course of the next 3 to 4 years, Frank hopes to achieve his goal to become an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.

Given his dedication to his work and studies there is every reason to believe that Frank will go on to achieve even greater successes, not the least of which will be to help further the aims of the newly formed UK charity Friends of Ashanti Ghana.