The former First Lady of Ghana, Theresa Kufour has passed away. She died at the age of eighty-eight (88) years.
Mrs. Kufour was the wife of former President John Agyekum Kufour and served as First Lady from 2001 to 2009. She was known for her philanthropic work and dedication to improving the lives of women and children in Ghana.
The news of her passing has been met with an outpouring of grief and condolences from across the country. President Nana Akufo-Addo expressed his sadness at the loss of a “true Ghanaian icon” and extended his sympathies to the Kufour family.
“Mrs. Kufour was a woman of great compassion and kindness, who dedicated her life to serving others. Her legacy will live on through the many lives she touched and the impact she made on our nation,” said President Akufo-Addo.
Former President John Mahama also paid tribute to Mrs. Kufour, describing her as a “great woman” who was “loved by all”.
Profile
Theresa Kufuor (born 25 October 1935) was the wife of John Kufuor, the second President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, and former First Lady of Ghana. She was a retired nurse and midwife.
Mrs Kufuor started her education at the Catholic Convent, OLA, at Keta in the Volta Region of Ghana. She later went to London, where she was educated as a Registered General Nurse, in the Southern Hospital Group of Nursing, Edinburgh, Scotland.
After further study at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and Paddington General Hospital, London, she qualified as a State Certified Midwife with a Certificate in Premature Nursing.
Theresa married John Kufuor when he was at age 23 after they met at a Republic Day Anniversary Dance in London in 1961. They got married in 1962. She is a mother of five and a grandmother of eight. She is a devout Roman Catholic.
Despite being the first lady of Ghana for eight years between 2001 and 2009, she managed to maintain a low profile in the political arena.
In 2007 she pushed for policy changes in the Government’s white paper on Educational Reforms towards the implementation of UNESCO’s Free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE) program for kindergarten children.
She founded the Mother and Child Community Development Foundation (MCCDF), a non-governmental organisation operating in Ghana and Canada that supports work in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
