'It started as a joke' - Mother of 9-year-old Oswald explains the #ourday trend

Mother of 9-year-old Oswald, whose letter sparked a 'corporate charity tsunami' after it was shared on Twitter, Rita Gennuh, has expressed appreciation to individuals and corporate organizations who contributed to the 2021 Our Day Party at Christ Ambassadors School, in Dansoman, Accra.

Speaking in an interview with Lord Kweku Sekyi, Rita Gennuh, an employee of Ghana Airports Company Limited, said the big story started as a little joke with her colleagues at work who were intrigued by the content in the letter.

She explained that Oswald, who aspires to become an actor, had developed a new way of communicating with her through letters, often to remind her about specific events and things he considers important.

She noted that being the first of two children, Oswald Asamoah Gennuh, enjoys a special bond with his parents and strives to excel academically to make them happy.

"Sometimes I feign amnesia in a bid to avoid his verbal requests, so he decided to put his words on paper and present them to me as letters — one of which found its way online when a work colleague shared it on Twitter on Thursday, July 29, just a day before the d-day on Friday, July 30."

She added that she was overwhelmed with phone calls from individuals and corporate organizations who were impressed by the details in the letter and pledged to make the day a memorable one for Oswald, his classmates, and tutors.

Mrs. Appiah, the class teacher to Oswald, was the first person mentioned in the viral letter — her pupil thought she deserved a gift for her contribution to his studies.

About 50 different corporate organizations — from restaurants to banks — honored their promises with several presentations of assorted consumables, special products, and services to the school.

The boy's letter also caught the attention of the former Minister for Education and the 2020 Presidential Running-Mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman, who presented an Apple iPad to Oswald.

Our Day in Ghanaian basic schools often marks the last day on the academic calendar which is often characterized by funfair and the exchange of gifts.

Management member and spokesperson for the Headteacher, Ezabella Grant-Essilfie explained how special this year's event was after two years of quiet due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

"The children miss the occasion dearly because it means a lot to them — to celebrate with their friends after completing examinations."

She said the management of the school made sure COVID-19 prevention measures were in place even though they had short notice to prepare for such a big event.

For most of the day, "Oswald's our day letter" topped the list of Ghana’s most trending searches on Google.

Musicians, Kidi, Mr Drew and Dope Nation also made brief appearances much to the delight of the pupils and visitors who had thronged the school's premises to catch a glimpse.