Bettina Manu-Landgrafe

1st Chairwoman and ICEO of Madamfo Ghana e.V.

Bettina Manu-Landgrafe came to Ghana in her early 20s. As a registered pediatric nurse, she tried to alleviate the need and distress in the country, by working in a small village clinic. The majority of Ghanaians live in great poverty. Many of them lack basic necessities of life, e.g clean drinking water. Pregnant women who can only dream of medical care and children that die from complications that arise during or immediately after delivery are a part of everyday life in Ghana.

The only available drinking water for the people in a village in the Volta Region.

But, Bettina could not and would not just accept that. And that is why she connected with this country “forever“. So, initially, Bettina lived with the locals in the village of Apewu, where she was appointed and “enstooled“ as “Nkosuoheema“, which means “Queen of Development“, in 2003.

At Lake Bosomtwi, Bettina met Victor Manu and Emmanuel Stephenson. The three quickly found out, that they had the same goal and that they went into the same direction.

To them, the key to successful, lasting project management and implementation is “helping people to help themselves“. Which basically means, that there are no foreigners involved, when it comes to realising projects in the villages – only locals and inhabitants make the decisions and realise the projects.

“Helping people to help themselves“ has become a leading motive, which is now mentioned in the press more frequently, but is scarcely turned into reality as consequent as it is lived and practiced by Madamfo Ghana – the friends of Ghana.

To realise their vision, the three founded the association and the Madamfo Ghana Foundation in Ghana. This was an essential step to obtain personnel as well as other funding – such as land for corresponding aid projects – as a legal partner of the Ghanaian Government. As a result, the association is very flexible in its interaction with the local authorities, extremely good connected and, at the same time, can save donations to pay possible follow-up costs such as personnel costs for schools, nursery homes and hospitals. Sustainability and helping people to help themselves could not be realised more effectively.

Because of her commitment and her visionary project approach, Bettina has already received many awards.

In her early years, Bettina already decided to fight – jointly with the Ghanaians – for a better future in this beautiful country and to stand up for her friends. Twenty years ago, her engagement started a process that had a positive impact on the lives of many Ghanaians and has changed their lives for the better.

Madamfo Ghana has been able to realise more than 80 projects until this day and she could reach more than one million people through her awareness and education campaigns. Nearly 500 young people have been given the chance to start a professional training or to study and countless people could get the medical treatment they needed and even undergo the necessary surgeries.

1,200 children are able to have a warm meal for lunch – thanks to the Madamfo Ghana School Feeding Programme. And, furthermore, there is a special fund to support physically and mentally impaired children and due to flexible emergency aid projects, lives can be saved in precarious situations.

The Reforestation Programme in the north of Ghana creates income for the locals and counters rural exodus with hope for a better future. The project is complemented with climate protection and education programs for more than 15,000 children. A bee-farming project was added in 2020.

Despite the lockdown and the Corona pandemic, Bettina has not left Ghana, but has realised many projects with her staff, that have contributed significantly to containing the pandemic and protecting the population.

In 2021, the focus will be on water and education projects, to further control the causes and consequences of the pandemic.