Preventive Health For All Initiative (PHFAI) was created to serve the disenfranchised
and economically disadvantaged individuals and families in promoting health education
and
social services that will make a real difference in the lives of people.
PHFAI exits to create heightened awareness of the overall well-being of the public and to make public health issues a top priority for policy-makers and the general public alike. Under the scenario of a heightened awareness, we envision an increase in positive decisions and behaviors towards better health among members of the community. Further, the efforts of PHFAI to raise awareness of the overall health of the community will galvanize and stabilize all sectors of society to participate in public health campaigns. Lastly, the collaborative efforts of PHFAI will help sustain actions in particular program directions and lay the foundation for a progressively wider spectrum of public health interventions. In a nutshell, PHFAI fulfills an essential role as social mobilizer in support of members of a community to attain maximum health benefits..
The goal of the organization is to utilize information, education and communication to empower individuals and families to take charge of their health and to actively seek economic self-sufficiency. More specifically, the empowerment will lead to the following positive outcomes in the lives of individuals:
The mission of PHFAI is simple - to aid, assist, direct and guide men, women and children to achieve good health, economic self-sufficiency and overall better quality of life. The organization seeks to ensure that each and every individual gains the exposure to programs and services that contribute to the enrichment of their health, economic, social, civic and physical well being. PHFAI has the passion to continue to serve the disenfranchised individuals and families in promoting health education that will make a real difference in their lives.
There is an unprecedented need for acceleration in health efforts if the explosion in cancers, obesity, diabetes, and many preventable diseases are to be stopped. PHFAI is committed to meeting this challenge head on.
Balancing the challenges are the unprecedented array of major advances in communication technologies, mass media coverage, outreach through community-based and other organizations and mobilization of national and local resources. PHFAI is very active in the application of these new technologies to meet the health challenges in the communities.
Four individuals serve on the Board to guide PHFAI navigate the complex issues surrounding the running of a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting better health, economic self- sufficiency and higher quality of life. The four bring to the table, diverse interests, a wealth of knowledge, expertise and community involvement. Best of all, the four are dedicated and passionate and they all share a burden to be of service to individuals and families. The Members are:
Dr. Elizabeth Afua SarkodieMensah is a Librarian and Sociologist, and is currently the Instructional Librarian at Merrimack College. Elizabeth has a passion for organizing and leading and has served in the past as President of Ghana Association of Greater Boston.
Prem Jacob is a mechanical engineer and is currently a Vice President, Technology Delivery at Epsilon, a leading marketing services firm. Prem has been part of nonprofit organizations involved in religious and social causes like Union of Evangelical Students of India, Victors' International India and at present, serving on the Board of Freedom Hill Community Church in Malden.
Cecilia Akuffo, a journalist by training, is currently a Recruiter at Northeastern University, and more recently she worked as a technical Recruiter at forprofit organizations. Previous experience includes working at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs as the Assistant Director/Program Coordinator II for the state SHINE program (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders). As free lance journalist, Cecilia has actively participated in many worthy social and community causes.
Billy Meady, a graphic designer, presently manages his own web design and development company. Since 2011, Billy has worked in the web hosting divisions of Thomson Reuters and the Nasdaq stock exchange. Billy is active in social and community affairs and is a strong member of the Freedom Hill Church praise and worship team.
PHFAI recognizes that meeting the challenge of solving the complex health issues surrounding individuals and families will require working with all sectors of society. There is therefore a deliberate effort on the part of PHFAI to actively seek partners from other disciplines in order to maximize success in solving issues. The focus of PHFAI’s practice is on:
Health
Information
Education
Communication
Social marketing
Economic development
Environment Nutrition Elderly Immigrants Children and youth
PHFAI is fortunate to be in the midst of worldclass institutions with excellent medical centers that are continuously delivering researchbased health services and scientifically grounded activities. Alongside the research and science are various sectors providing support to the overall health of the community. PHFAI strives to form partnership with many sectors and directs a lot of energy towards building the capacity of individuals and families to achieve maximum health. PHFAI seeks the most efficient solutions that provide optimum results, all the time. The focus of the organization is on the following services and programs:
Nutrition/ Behavior Change Communications
PHFAI is in the planning stages of a “Campaign Against Excessive Sugar Intake – CAESI
Project”. The project is to heighten awareness of the negative effects of excessive intake
of foods and drinks with high sugar content. The campaign aims to draw attention to the
high rate of obesity and diabetes in the community and especially among the immigrant
population. Churches and communitybased organizations will be involved in the
campaign.
Health/Behavior Change Communication/Capacity Building.
PHFAI is working with Goshen International School in Ghana to initiate a sustainable
Proper Hand Washing Initiative targeted at preschool and grade school students. In
addition to teaching the children the proper ways to wash their hands, the project will
explore best practices to assist parents and caretakers on how to gain access to clean
water in the home. PHFAI recognizes that having a pipe borne water in the school for the
project will not solve the project’s ultimate goal since a lot of the children come from
homes where pie borne water is not available.
Public Health/Behavior Change Communication
Waging a Public Awareness Campaign to encourage voluntary testing for prostate cancer
among men and cervical cancer in women among the immigrant population living in
Boston and surrounding communities. Local churches, in particular, ones with high ethnic
members will be contacted and their support solicited.
Social Development/Training
Developing a program to help recruit and maintain minorities at the postsecondary level
for careers in the biological and medical fields. All area community colleges will be
contacted and minorities will be invited to participate in the program.
Health/Behavior Change Communication
PHFAI is working with Emmanuel Gospel Center to solicit Pastors in the Boston area
whose churches have high concentration of immigrants. The overall strategy is for the
Pastors to encourage members of their congregations to pay close attention to useful and
practical health messages developed and distributed by top notch area medical centers.
Samuel O. Boadu, President
10 Bennett Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
phone: 781 224 3371
fax: 781 224 3371