Ghana: Nation’s President Supports Adventist Education ... John Agyekum Kufuor, president of the Republic of Ghana, made good on a promise earlier this year to help fund expansions on the campus of Valley View University (VVU), a Seventh-day Adventist-owned tertiary institution located in Accra, Ghana. The first private university established in Ghana, VVU held its 12th commencement ceremony in May of this year, at which Kufuor, a guest of honor, pledged one billion cedis (approximately US$108,000) to the school. On August 22, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Ghana’s minister of education, fulfilled that pledge by presenting the promised check to VVU, along with a full charter for the university to remain autonomously operated. President of VVU, Seth Abang Laryea, said that the check “goes to confirm the government’s interest to support the private sector and tertiary education.”

In comments sent to Dr. Laryea, Adventist Pastor Luka T. Daniel, president of the church’s West Africa region, lauded the move by President Kufuor: ” I wish all governments in Africa would live their words by fulfilling their promises [as did] this present one in Ghana.  I am sure the Lord is going to bless the President in and out of office, for this and any other caring gestures [such as] this.”
[Joe Aaron Hagan/ANN Staff]

Sudan: Adventist Leaders Organize First Abuse Prevention Day ... Women’s Ministries and Family Ministries leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Sudan convened in their nation’s capital, Khartoum, to participate in Sudan’s first Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day on August 26.  Through the Sabbath School program, the church service and an evening program, attendees learned more about abuse in the homes of Christians and how to stop its spread.  On such a touchy subject, “It was particularly impressive to see the courageous way the women spoke up,” said Sarah Napagi, Women’s and Children’s Ministries director for the Adventist church in Northern Sudan. [Valerie Fidelia/MEU/ANN Staff]

The Philippines: Adventist Choir Ranks Among Best in World ... The Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) is home to one of the world’s best choirs. The official choir of the Seventh-day Adventist-owned institution, the Adventist University of the Philippines Ambassadors, recently won the 4th World Choir Games (formerly known as the Choir Olympics). The highly competitive event was held from July 15 to 26 in Xiamen, People’s Republic of China. The AUP Ambassadors earned two gold medals—in the Mixed Chamber Choir and Gospel and Spirituals categories—and one silver medal—in the Musica Sacra category—to become the top-performing choir representing the Philippines. With their winning performance, the AUP Ambassadors now ranks at number 29 among the top 500 choirs in the world, on a list compiled by Musica Mundi, the competition’s award-giving body. [Homer E. Mendoza/AND/ANN Staff]

United States: Adventist College Ranks Among Nation’s Best ... For the first time, Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher education located in Union, Nebraska, ranks in the top tier of schools for its category in U.S. News America’s Best Colleges 2007. The issue lists Union College as 46th in the “Midwest Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor’s” category. “While no one ranking system can capture the spirit of this campus, we are honored to be recognized as a top pick among our peer institutions,” said Union College president David Smith. [Union College/ANN Staff]