A Silent Heritage Finds Its Voice By Dr. Letitia Obeng
Book News - A Silent Heritage
Ghana’s first female scientist looks set to top the book charts with her critically-acclaimed autobiography chronicling her incredible and inspirational life.
Dr. Letitia Obeng – a recipient of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the nation’s highest award – has written ‘A Silent Heritage’, covering everything from the pleasures of a rural upbringing to a challenging international position as a renowned specialist in environmental management.
Described as “no ordinary autobiography”, ‘A Silent Heritage’ reveals how Dr. Obeng rose from humble beginnings to become an important figure in the Ghanaian scientific community.
Elected a Fellow of Ghana’s Learned Academy in 1964, Dr. Obeng rose became the first female President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007.
Dr. Obeng, now 85, says she decided to write her autobiography in response to requests to tell about life in Ghana in her young days.
She said: ”My biography is a deeply personal account of the thoughts, experiences, trials, aches, pains, triumphs and loves that I have experienced in my life.
”Though writing my story demanded a lot of time and energy, it was highly rewarding to recollect the people and past events that have given my life the shape it has had.
“Looking back, I feel blessed to have had the opportunities I’ve had. Ghana made me the person I am and in writing my biography, I also wanted to celebrate my country.
Dr. Obeng was born in 1925 in the rural Ghanaian town of Anum. She received her basic education at Achimota.
Given her passion for nature – and with no university in Ghana (then known as the Gold Coast ) – she travelled to Britain, on a Government scholarship, for further studies, at the University of Birmingham.
Dr. Obeng studied zoology and botany from 1948 to 1952, graduating with an Honours BSc. Degree.
She returned home and, within weeks, was given the challenge of organizing a Zoology department at the University College of Science and Technology in Kumasi to teach and prepare students for further studies in science, pharmacy and medicine.
A few years later at the age of 35, Dr. Obeng tragically found herself a widow with three young children to raise.
Though the sudden and unexpected death of my husband George was crushing, my children gave me the inspiration to carry on and build a career to support us.
She was recruited the first scientist at the prestigious National Research Council of Ghana, now the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), before returning to England to complete a PhD at the University of Liverpool.
Returning home in 1964, Dr. Obeng became the first Ghanaian woman to build and direct a Research Institute – the Institute of Aquatic Biology, responsible for research on the country’s inland water system, within the CSIR system.
40 years ago, even before the UN Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, as a specialist in freshwater sciences and related environmental issues, Dr Obeng highlighted the possible environmental problems that could accompany Ghana’s forming Volta Lake.
Subsequently, as a specialist in freshwater sciences, Dr. Obeng and the Institute of Aquatic Biology undertook extensive studies on the ecological changes and environmental impact of the Volta Lake, at the time, the largest man-made lake in the world.
Her expertise and involvement in the Volta Lake Research Project prompted an invitation by the United Nations to the 1972 UN Human Environment Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
In 1974, she joined the newly established United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at its Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. She was made Head of the Soil and Water Task Force and the Senior Programme Officer in charge of Water issues in the Environment Programme.
“I’ve always had a passion for water,” said Dr. Obeng. “Without water there couldn’t be life, yet this precious resource is often allowed to be degraded and exploited in an unsustainable way. It was important to contribute to assuring effective management of water.”
In 1985, she was appointed the Director of the UNEP’s Regional Office for Africa and UNEP’s Representative to the Africa Region.
Working closely with the Environment Officers of all the sovereign countries of the Africa Region, the Regional Office initiated and co-ordinated the African Sub-Regional Environment Programme to consider the environmental issues of the region.
On retirement from UNEP and settled back home, Dr. Obeng served on the Boards of a number of international organizations where she contributed to issues relating to water, environment and health.
In 1997, she was, honoured with the CSIR Award for a Distinguished Career and Service to Science and Technology, and the following year received Ghana’s First national award for Science and Technology (Biological Sciences).
‘A Silent Heritage’ chronicles this rich and varied life, and throughout its 569 pages, the author’s passion for Ghana shines through.
Dr. Obeng said: ”I have always been proud to be African and a Ghanaian. At Birmingham University, for the strictly official Graduation Ceremony, I obtained permission and wore my Ghana traditional costume.”
“My autobiography has many references to Ghana’s infectious hospitality, generosity and humour and identifies geographical, historical, traditional, cultural and a variety of other splendours which are unique and characterise my homeland.”
“A Silent Heritage: An Autobiography” by Letitia E. Obeng (Goldsear) is available on Amazon UK priced £29.99.
