With expertise in food production, processing, preservation and packaging, Mrs. Gertrude Esi Quashigah continues to set remarkable standards as one of the torchbearers in the food and beverage industry.
She had contributed her quota and excelled as founder and manager of a successful family business for about two decades and is determined to do more as the leader of the Ghana National School Feeding Programme (GNSFP).
The appointment of Mrs. Quashigah as National Coordinator of the GNSFP in 2017 made her the first female National Coordinator of the programme.
Although the programme which seeks to provide children in public primary schools with one hot meal every school day has recorded some successes, Mrs. Quashigah says she would resolve existing challenges and transform the programme to provide the best to beneficiaries.
In a recent interaction with The Spectator, she touched on aspects of her life and career, indicating a clear plan of maintaining quality and transparency under her leadership.
Background
Mrs. Quashigah is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ambar Quality Foods Limited.
Born February 1, 1960, at Dzelukope in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region, she was married to the late Major Courage E. K. Quashigah, a former Minister of Health and Agriculture in the Kufour administration.
She attended Dzelukope Roman Catholic School before proceeding to Keta Secondary School where she studied Literature in English, Food Science and Nutrition.
Prior to settling on her food production and packaging business, she took up other professional courses in food production and management at different institutions, including the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Empretec Ghana, Pegados Cakes & Pastries Catering School, among others.
Experience
The 61-year-old is also the Founder and Executive Director of Healthy Living Foundation and once worked with Unilever and Nestle Ghana Limited as a distributor.
She had provided quality catering and auxiliary services at events hosted by private and public institutions in the country. As an advocate of healthy living, she had trained women in the food industry on Effective Management and Hygienic Handling of Food while managing her own business.
These and other track record, she believes, have provided a solid foundation for bringing the needed transformation and innovation to her current position as Head of the School Feeding Programme.
“I believe in managerial ethics and working hard to serve my country with purpose. My vision is to enhance the school feeding programme and I am working hard to continue the legacy of a principled man who had diligently served his country in all aspects of his life,” she noted.
Operations
Touching on some progress and achievements, the National Coordinator said that the GNSFP continued to provide jobs for thousands of caterers and cooks working in over 10,000 basic schools in all 260 districts of the country and was on course to digitise its records and operations.
She said that the institution, in addition to building the capacity of personnel, was collaborating with development partners and stakeholders to ensure more transparency in key target areas.
Mrs. Quashigah admitted that the programme had, over the years, relied on manual payment systems and was, therefore, taking steps to introduce new systems that could “address about 90 per cent of the challenges of the programme.”
“There are huge numbers under the programme hence the need to police the system more effectively to enable the programme to operate satisfactorily within its limited budget,” she stressed and maintained that food, just like medicine, was essential for human survival hence the need to make essential nutrients available in every diet.
She said it was her contribution to create conducive and hygienic spaces for cooks and kitchen staff under the programme, adding that the programme had provided training to caterers on alternative sources of protein such as soya and eggs to improve the quality of food served in schools.
Leadership
Soft-spoken Mrs. Quashigah said her leadership was receptive of constructive criticism, open to new ideas, and would continue to maintain cordial relationship with stakeholders, irrespective of challenges which may arise.
She called for support from individuals, private and corporate bodies and urged the public to continue providing relevant feedback and offer productive ideas.
“The School Feeding programme supports the overall development of children of school going age and it is important that all hands are on deck to help attain the objectives of the programme.
“Our doors are opened and we will continue to work to ensure that school children are well catered for while we provide the needed support for women and introduce a new phase of the programme,” she said.
Recognition
Mrs. Quashigah had received the Ghana Star Award for Packaging Excellence and was recognised by the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs for her women empowerment efforts.
She is the patron of Ghana Chefs Associations and had travelled across the country to promote made in Ghana dishes. She won gold when she led a team of Ghanaian Chefs to Info Chef Competition in South Africa in 2005.
She played a significant role during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Accra, and catered for the Ghana National Supporters Union during the World Cup in South Africa and Brazil in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
Advice
As a staunch Catholic, she listens to gospel music and spends time with her children and grandchildren. She is, therefore, advising young people to continue to acquire knowledge and take up responsibility when duty calls.
By Ernest Nutsugah