Welcome Message by the Diocesan Development Coordinator

WELCOME ADDRESS AND PURPOSE OF GATHERING AT THE INAUGURATION OF GOASO DIOCESAN DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (GODIDO LBG) AND THE LAUNCHING 0F ITS FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AT THE DIOCESAN PASTORAL AND SOCIAL CENTRE, GOASO ON FRIDAY, 4TH OCTOBER, 2024 AT 9.30AM.

On behalf of the Bishop, Most Rev. Peter Kwaku Atuahene, Catholic Bishop of Goaso, I welcome all and sundry to the inauguration of Goaso Diocesan Development Organization (GODIDO) and the launching of its five-year strategic plan. Although a very simple ceremony but very significant since it marks the day the organization is receiving the power to begin its work in full swing, like the apostles of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. We are most grateful to all of you for honouring the invitation to this programme in spite of your tight schedule. You made it all because of your love to see the rapid development of Ahafo.

The purpose of our gathering here today is very simple, to outdoor the Organization formed about a year ago. The Diocesan Development Office which was established after the inauguration of the Catholic Diocese of Goaso in 1998, was created to respond to the developmental needs of the Diocese in particular and Ahafo in general. After working for over 25 years, there was the need to register the office as an organization and incorporate it under the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) with the name GODIDO and license it as Non-Profit Organization to strengthen it to respond to the developmental challenges that have bedeviled our society of today.  GODIDO will be dealing with issues on education, health, social development (women, children, youth), agriculture, environment, governance, justice and peace and emergencies in Ahafo, that is Ahafo Region and Ahafo in Ashanti Region. Since all of you gathered here are key stakeholders in the development of Ahafo, we could not have celebrated this occasion without you. We shall be knocking on your doors for advice and support. We hope that one day GODIDO will be very big organizations in Ahafo and will be like Catholic Relief Services (CRS) of USA, or Cordaid of the Netherlands. We thank all especially Catholic Relief Services, Ghana, who have accompanied and supported us up to this point.
Once again, I welcome all our invited guests to Goaso and to this ceremony. We shall acknowledge each one of you at the appropriate time.

Thank you and God bless you all.
FR. NICHOLAS AFRIYIE
DIOCESAN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR