Portraits of the Grandchildren

The best grandfather in the world: Godfried, with his granddaughter Jenny.

Connie, Godfried's wife, with Maurino, their 11th grandchild.

I HAVE KNOWN THE OFORI FAMILY for more than 25 years. Godfried and Connie were my neighbors in Aburi, where I lived and taught school for several years. They have six children; their eldest son, Alex, was my student.

Godfried is a retired educator who taught for many years at Ghana's only school for the deaf, and later became  headmaster of the middle school in Aburi. He has also spent a lifetime as an enterprising farmer, entrepreneur, and community leader in Aburi. Godfried is one of the most creative thinkers and doers I've ever met. (I'll write more about Godfried in future posts.)




Godfried and Connie still live in the same house where they raised their six children. Annie, their eldest daughter, now lives in the US with her husband and their two children. Except for their youngest son, Richard, all of their other children are raising families of their own in Aburi. 

On February 3, Godfried and Connie welcomed their 12th grandchild, Kofi, into the Ofori family fold.Three generations of Oforis now occupy the family compound, aka GAO Villa (GAO are Godfried's initials). Meet the grandchildren:

The best grandmother in the world: Connie with Maurino.

Third-generation Oforis: cousins Ben Juniour, Kofi, Nana, Jenny, Ohenewa, Betsy, and Jerald.

Paa Kwame.

Bernice, wife of Alex, days away from giving birth to Connie and Godfried's 12th grandchild...

...Kofi.

Godfried, with granddaughter Jenny and youngest son, Richard.

Richard is studying to be a surveyor. He is also a weight-lifter and has built a gym at his home in Aburi that has attracted a following of local body-building enthusiasts.

Big sister: Maurino with cousin Ohenewa.

"Dads RULE": Cousins Jerald and Betsy.

Rawlingsia, Godfried and Connie's youngest daughter, with her son Maurino, having breakfast. She was only a baby when I first met Rawlie. Now the mother of two boys--Jerald is her first-born--Rawlie is policewoman in Accra. When she's not fighting crime she enjoys spending time with the family in Aburi.

Back-seat driver: Ohenewa. She wants to be a doctor, an artist or an architect. Maybe all three.

Cousins Kofi, Ohenewa, and Nana.

Jerald, with cousin Betsy in mommy's hairpiece.

Dress-up is fun!

Cousins Nana, Betsy, Kofi, and Jerald.

Cousins Ben Juniour, Betsy, Jerald, and Nana.

Ben Jr.

Nana and a friend reading the Lion King.

Maurino on the crawl.

Superheroes: Jerald and Spidey.