Family, friends and congregants of the Methodist Church are mourning the passing of Madam Joyce Abena Oduwaa Makwah, a devoted mother, grandmother and committed Christian whose life was marked by quiet strength, loyalty and service.
Madam Makwah was born on 19 September 1961 in Accra’s James Town to James and Rebecca Mokwah. The third of seven children, she grew up in a close-knit household and began her education at Mamprobi Sempe ‘A’, where she studied from 1968 to 1978. She later trained at the Boateng Girls Vocational Training Centre in Nsawam, completing a three-year programme that set her on the path to the craft she loved most: dressmaking.
After her training, she spent a year doing practical work before establishing herself as a full-time seamstress. For years, she combined her sewing work with running a provision shop in Lashibi before relocating to Kpone-Bawaleshie. Those close to her recall her diligence, discipline and pride in her handiwork.
In 1984, she married Daniel Nii Dortey Obuobi, then a banker at the Bank of Ghana. Their union was blessed with twins — a son and a daughter — who would become the centre of her life. Though naturally quiet and reserved, she was deeply loyal, forming friendships that endured across decades.
Her faith was a defining part of her identity. Baptised and confirmed in the Methodist Church, she worshipped for many years at Mount Zion Methodist Church in Sakumono before transferring to the Freeman Methodist Church at Kpone-Bawaleshie. She served with conviction and saw her Christian life as a duty to God and others.
In the last four years, her days were dedicated almost entirely to caring for her daughters and grandchildren. She moved frequently between Tse Addo and Kwashieman to support her family — a role she embraced wholeheartedly until her final days.
Madam Makwah is survived by her husband, three children, five grandchildren and a wide circle of relatives and friends who remember her for her gentleness, sincerity and unwavering devotion. Her memory, they say, will remain a blessing.
May she find peaceful rest in the Lord.
Da yie, Aunty Joyce.
