Dorothy Dontoh Dr. Augustus Abeeku Eduafo, Handsome, welldressed, confident, affable, all smiles, and a petite gentleman. I cannot seem to find the right words to describe him, but to sum up, I will say he is my only brother from another mother. Because of our complexion, we easily passed for siblings because we acted like it and people believed we were. We were always together; the bond was strong. I met Fanta during his student days in Medical School at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital through a friend, Dr. Ato Dankwa. We became friends and were more like my guardian Angel. I think he was in his fourth year and had just moved to the Korle-Bu campus, if my memory serves me right. My mother, Rebecca Ofosua Tenkorang, now retired, was a Gynecological Obstetrics Theatre Nurse Midwife, so we lived at the midwives quarters opposite the Medical School with my aunt, Jane. I was then also in Form 4 at Mfantseman Girls Secondary School Saltpond. When I introduced Fanta to my family, he was immediately received warmly due to his respectful, calm nature. He was also great company to be with. His hilarious sense of humor and wonderful dancing moves could not be ignored. He was welcome to my house at any time, whether I was in school or home for holidays, even with the other Dr. Paintsil, Prof. Ebo Quainoo, and Dr. Benard Davies (Konton) name them. It did not take long for Fanta to bond with my family. He affectionately called my mother Aunty Beckai instead of Becky. I believed I was born with dancing shoes on, but Fanta brought it to another level, and we could organise dancing competitions; those were fun times. Fanta will normally pass by from lectures, tutorials, ward rounds, you name it, and we will share our meals, and I will see him off to the hostel. They sometimes visited at weekends, and my house was always bustling with joy and laughter. He took his studies seriously and was very focused; no wonder he excelled. One thing that Fanta always said to me was “aah, Kay 3wod33 enya confidence paa.” I guess I was too docile for his liking, and he would have loved to inject me with some of his confidence and boldness. He always tried to push me. There was a break in transmission when we moved from Korle-Bu to Laterbiokorshie. I had just started work at Merchant Bank Ghana Ltd., and his studies got the best of him. Then I traveled to the UK, where we lost touch, and when I returned, Fanta had also moved to the US. Kofi Cabobo Oh how time flies ! It was a hot Thursday afternoon in September 1972 when I landed in Swesco. Checking the notice board to locate the house I had been assigned to, I saw names of ten lucky students who had been promised full scholarship and one of them was Augustus Kweku Eduafo. For some unknown reason, I wanted to locate this guy. Luckily, I found him to be in the same house with me and we also ended up in the same classroom. The bond we had is still intact to this very moment. He liked arguments and though he sometimes laughed and joked, he was more often serious and quiet. He actually won all his arguments and any challenger had to get his or her facts correctly before facing him. Beneath his arguments, Kweku was extremely brilliant and it was no surprise he topped both the O and A levels, and was the first Swesconian fully trained there to be admitted to the University of Ghana Medical School. Apart frombeing an outstanding student, Kweku has a heart of Gold and has given financial assistance to so many of his relatives and Swesconians , of course including myself. You are affectionately called Fantastic and sometimes shortened to Fanta, so Professor Fantastic Fanta, as you celebrate your 65th Birthday on 30th March 2023, I wish you the very best of luck and God’s Blessings till the end of your life. I Kofi Cabobo is not only your mate and friend but a true brother; and I love you. Happy Happy Birthday to you Prof Eduafo Fanta. Barbara and Joshua In life, some people may appear and look sent by God to care and support you and truly they are. We still remember the day we met you at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago. First, we were strangers sharing the same waiting room. No words were spoken but a few glances were shared which quickly zoomed into a conversation deeply rooted in who we are, where we are coming from and where we are now. It’s been a blessing knowing you. I believe our meeting was orchestrated by God. You have gradually made your way into the list of the favorite men in our lives. You have been a Dad and a friend. You love dearly and unconditionally. All we can do is smile when we think about how your love extends for miles. We are grateful for your love. You are such an awesome person and will continue to be an inspiration to us. May God continue to bless you. Happy birthday Doc!!! 49 The Birthday Journal
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