Unfinished Stories

AgEx is celebrating the leadership and vision of Principal K.F. Kontor, on his retirement from Kwadaso Agricultural College.

Principal Kontor’s partnership with EWB has supported AgEx’s work in transforming the education provided across Ghana’s agricultural colleges. Without the mutual trust, accountability, communication, feedback and support of this partnership, the Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship Project, Internal Attachment Program and Innovation Committee would not have been possible. Principal Kontor’s dedication to development has been inspiring for many EWBers over the years, and we wish him the best in his retirement.

(Left to right: Myself, Principal Kontor and AgEx’s Stacie Irwin.)

Personally, I have been privileged to work closely with Principal Kontor for the last three years and have been inspired by his drive, vision and ability to take risks – all key skills and qualities of a change agent. Within the sometimes frustrating and slow moving public service, Principal has dedicated 25 years. At KAC, he has been a visionary, holding dreams of what the college could become in terms of a systemic change institution in Ghana and bringing others into that vision. To the end, he has continued to try to institutionalize innovations on campus towards that vision.

Principal‘s dedication to change goes beyond his work at the colleges to other parts of Ghana’s development process. He envisions a Ghana free of litter. You won’t find a stray water sachet on campus. On weekends, he will put on his wellington boots, take a wheelbarrow and pick up garbage along the road. Working towards this vision takes humility, the ability to continue to learn and dedicate extra upon extra hours to the cause.

Principal Kontor’s leadership has enabled AgEx to work with the colleges to pilot innovations in student learning and training. Fore example, AgEx worked with KAC to pilot a new experiential learning opportunity that has young students learning about agriculture by actually living and working with farmers, a program that has since been scaled nationally to reach almost 500 students annually.

Through his dedication to Ghana’s agricultural colleges, Principal Kontor has inspired generations of agriculturalists to take on the hard work, vision and humility that he has role modelled. Thank you Principal Kontor for your contribution to Ghana’s agricultural development.