My brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus. My name is John Genfi, past student of Ghana National College, And present Headmaster of the school.
On my won behalf, and behalf of the Board of Governors, staff, present and past students of Ghana National College, and on behalf, especially of the foundation staff and the early Girls who entered the school in the foundation years. I present the schools testimony on the very crucial impact and influence, which our comforter, courageous, Philanthropist, wise and gracious Mother, and our pillar of strength and faith, Mrs. Faustina Daniels had fortunes of our school.
I know, as an old boy, that Ghana National College was founded in 1948. In that year, I was a young child and just about to enter class one in the elementary school. Therefore, I cannot claim to have been a physical witness to the things that happened between Mrs. Faustian Daniels and the Ghana National College in the early years. I entered Form one at the Ghana National College in 1959, that is eleven years after the foundation and completed my course in the school up to the sixth form in 1964.
On my admission to the school in 1959, I, as a child only saw Mrs. Faustina Daniels as already a member f the school and also the manufacturer of the girl’s school uniform and house dresses. But to aid me perform this duty of witnessing on behalf of the school. I find myself particularly lucky that my own Headmaster at Ghana National College, retired, but who continues to hold dedicated interest in the welfare of the school left behind in the historical record at the headmaster's office, a day to day, very vivid and almost dramatic description of the very special role played by Mrs. Daniels in the early years. It is from this record that I present my abridged form of what could be a thoroughly detailed testimony. I refer to two highlight only of this story.
The record indicates that the first seven teenage girls from outside Cape-Coast, specifically, from Accra, Suhum, Koforidua, Larteh and Kumasi who had been granted admission as the first girl boarders of Ghana National College, They had been invited to report at an arranged well known hostel at the Old Market place in Cape-Coast. The proprietress of that hostel had assured the school, three weeks in advance of a place for the girls. Come advance of the hostel fees had been paid and the girls were required to report at the hostel on Saturday 30th, October 1948.
The afternoon of October 29th, the Friday before the admission. Exactly 24 hours to the arrival of the girls, the proprietress sent the foundation staff a letter, indicating how sorry she was to have to change her mind about taking the expected girls, her reason was because of the school's links with the "controversial Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, The proprietress claimed she had been threatened with arrest if she took the girls. After pleading on behalf of the girls to the evening. Seeing that the proprietress was very scared of the outcome due to the links with Kwame Nkrumah. The gentlemen went to the Coronation street hostel of Mrs. Daniels, and mentioned the story of the previous proprietress.
On short notice, Mrs. Daniels considered the request as purely a dedicational one, without any further questions or request for any fees, immediately set aside places in her hostel, for the unexpected guest, so the next day. A scout was posted at the old Market place hostel, and when the girls arrived at their previous destination they were escorted to the Coronation hostel.
The footnote to this entry in historical record is, as quote "The question of hostel accommodation for the unexpected girls became almost soluble in the morning and nearly assumed embarrassing proportions...” In the evening, Mrs. Faustina Daniels courageously and graciously pulled us through and Ghana National was able to establish itself as a co-educational institution right from it's inception, Mrs. Faustina Daniels deserves, for all the time to be taken at the first direct Mother of all Ghana National Girls. She should be accorded the highest possible regard and honor for all time as always the first lady of Ghana National, both her physical presence in her lifetime and to their memory after life on earth.
And so, When the school's Board of Governors were informed in 1951, Mrs. faustina Daniels was appointed a member and served the board for twenty one years, that is until 1972.
Mrs. faustina Daniels, as a dress maker designed and made the girls school uniform and house dresses right from the beginning until she herself advised that girls have their school uniform made themselves.
In 1960, when the school moved to its present location, the first girls house was named after Mrs. faustina Daniels, and will continue to this day.
The historical record has many illuminating items on Mrs. Faustina Daniels, including her occasional visits to the school to talk to the whole school and especially the girls of Faustina Daniels House, on what she called "THE WAYS OF THE WORLD" and the "ROLE OF A CHRISTIAN LADY" her advice on such issues as to whether girls should be allowed to wear a third piece of cloth on the traditional clothes, if girls should be permitted to plait their hair of not at school, the use of cosmetics at school, especially the nail varnish, lipstick and eye makeup. One of her highly controversial issue was whether boys and girls should sit at the same dinning hall. The girls said "NO: well Mrs. Daniels disagreed, saying "YES" with strong reasons.
Mrs. Daniels maintained her warm ties with Ghana National College until the last moments of her life. She was found by us to be very wise and exceptionally motherly. We had no doubt that Ghana National College had a firm place in her heart up to her last breath.
All of us, present and past students and teachers of Ghana National College, wish she did not die, On the other hand, we know that not many persons of the modern world can look back at 86 years of fully lived.
As a school, we shall continue to praise God that he granted Mrs. Faustina Daniels a long, rich and a Christian life for the benefit of our past, present and future children.
May she rest in Peace.
