Gwendolyn R. Amamoo, Chair of Birmingham Sister Cities, has an undergraduate degree from Miles College and received her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She recently retired from over 20 years in the Birmingham City School System.
Gwendolyn has a heart for service and a deep love for serving the citizens of Ghana. She has led numerous mission trips to Ghana over the past 35 years. In 2009 Winneba became Birmingham’s first Ghanaian sister city and Gwendolyn served as chair of the Winneba Sister City Committee. In 2011 Apaaso became a Friendship City and in 2014 was added as the second Ghanaian sister city.
The Ghana committee of Birmingham Sister City under the leadership of Gwendolyn has taken numerous Birmingham area high school students as well as adults to Ghana on missions and educational exchange programs for over 10 years. During their annual Ghanaian mission trips participants visits Winneba Secondary School and Afrikiko Orphanage, host educational community workshops and donate much needed items to the Ghanaian communities. Examples include taking brown baby dolls and other toys and items to the orphanage and books, sports equipment, games and more to the students in Apaaso.
During our visit to Apaaso in 2011, one of the delegates noticed some of the students did not have on shoes. Therefore, the next year the group took shoes to donate to the community. After seeing the love for reading and the desire to learn, The Ghana Committee decided to build a library and community center. Meetings, classes, and other community activities will be held in the community center.
The Ghana Committee to Sister Cities, started the library project in 2012 and were able to raise enough money to build and furnish the first-floor library. In 2020 The Birmingham Sister City took on the project and has made finishing the second-floor community center the project of the entire Birmingham Sister City program. In addition to our two sister cities, groups always enjoy the cultural connections in Ghana and most participants have returned to Ghana.
Gwendolyn is married to a Ghanaian, Dr. Paul Amamoo, for 46 years, has three children and 6 grandchildren. Some of Gwendolyn’s community activities include being on the Board of Trustees of Miles College, past chair of the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, Past president and board member of the Birmingham Public Library System, member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Deaconess at Sardis Missionary Baptist Church. She recently started a “Big Mama’s Happy Hour” where she reads to children on zoom and extends comprehension activities. It started with only her grandchildren and it has expanded to include local children and will include a small group of students from her community in Kwashieman Accra, Ghana.
