May 14-2026
On 12th May, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kwasi Hess and his son, Jaden Kweku Hess, for an afternoon tea engagement at the Hotel Bellevue Palace, located in the heart of the city of Bern.
The Bellevue Palace Hotel, owned by the Swiss Federal Government, serves as the official state guesthouse of Switzerland and regularly hosts visiting heads of state, ministers, diplomats, and parliamentary officials during official engagements.
I attended the meeting together with my Head of Chancery, Madam Louisa Aba Hanson. The afternoon tea experience itself was memorable, featuring a variety of herbal, black, and green teas accompanied by sandwiches and pastries. It was my first formal afternoon tea meeting, making the occasion particularly special.
Dr. Hess outlined his vision of bringing together Ghanaian experts in the diaspora—particularly those based in Switzerland—to support Ghana’s development in areas such as health, education, information technology, innovation, and research. He expressed his desire for the Embassy to support this initiative.
He introduced the Nkosuo Institute, an initiative already working with technical experts in the diaspora to support Ghana through evidence-based research, strategic advisory services, and practical interventions. Among its activities are the donation of personal protective equipment to the Ghana National Fire Service in Hohoe and the shipment of a 40-foot container of medical supplies to the Volta Region.
I was pleased to learn that the Office of the President’s Diaspora Engagement Secretariat has already expressed support for the initiative.
Dr. Hess also briefed us on Hexentech, his IT company working with young professionals in Ghana to develop management systems for health institutions, educational institutions, and businesses.
Among his requests were:
- Support and endorsement for the launch of the Nkosuo Institute in October 2026 in Switzerland
- A letter of support to strengthen credibility with investors and institutions
- Assistance in building stronger connections between professionals in Switzerland and Ghana
To better understand the scope of the initiative, we agreed to organize a virtual meeting with members of the technical team connected to the Institute.
One of the most inspiring aspects of the meeting was interacting with Jaden Kweku Hess. His passion for Ghana and his vision of positioning Ghanaian youth more prominently on global platforms such as the World Economic Forum was truly commendable.
His desire to bring together young people of African descent in Switzerland strongly resonated with my own vision for diaspora youth engagement. In recognition of his enthusiasm and commitment, I affectionately referred to him as an “Ambassador of the Afro-Swiss”—a term I use for children of African heritage living in the diaspora.
I shared with him my vision of exposing Ghanaian children in Switzerland to their roots and heritage through cultural engagement, embassy interactions, and educational visits to Ghana. I encouraged him to help build a platform for Afro-Swiss youth that would strengthen identity, belonging, and connection to the African continent.
We also discussed plans for the official handover of the medical supplies to the Volta Region, which I hope to attend if my schedule permits.
It was equally encouraging to learn that a representative of the Order of Malta in Zurich intends to visit the Embassy to discuss possible support for sending similar medical supply containers to all sixteen regions of Ghana.
The meeting was inspiring, forward-looking, and a strong reminder of the enormous potential that exists within the Ghanaian diaspora to contribute meaningfully to national development.