It was the year 1999 when they arrived at KNUST as fresh-faced students, eager to excel in their studies. Falling in love was the last thing on their minds. However, fate had other plans.
Being in the same hall, John started attending the Hall Christian Fellowship, and there, he met an amazing young woman, Afia. She was not only studious but also God-fearing and incredibly hardworking.
Around that time, telenovelas had taken Ghanaian television by storm, with La Usurpadora being one of the most popular series. Fortunately, one of his roommates had a TV in their room, making it a gathering spot for many. Over time, this remarkable lady and her friend began spending some evenings in their room, captivated by the unfolding drama of La Usurpadora. As they chatted more, he discovered her wisdom, maturity, and well-grounded perspectives, all of which deepened his admiration for her.
Then came her birthday, and he wanted to get her a gift that would be both meaningful and useful. John noticed that Afia didn’t have a picture frame in her room, so he decided to spend his last pesewa on a well-deserving frame. On his way back from Adum, disaster struck: he tripped, and the picture frame, designed like an open book with two slides, got damaged on one side. But, as a young engineer, he carefully removed the broken side and salvaged the other half as her gift.
To his surprise, she cherished the gift deeply, without even knowing the story behind it. She placed her favourite picture in it, and her act of gratitude moved him even more. He began to see her as the one destined to be his better half, just like that half picture frame.
On January 9, 2002, just before the semester exams, she agreed to be his better half.
After completing his studies, he became a Teaching Assistant at KNUST and, in 2004, started working there, laying the foundation for a lifelong journey in academia and professional growth. Meanwhile, she later pursued her master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacy in the UK.
As destiny would have it, they got married in 2008, and in 2009, she joined KNUST as a lecturer.
Today, 25 years after they first met, they celebrate 17 years of marriage, blessed with three wonderful children. Their love has not only endured but flourished while working side by side at KNUST for the past 20 years. Through it all, they have shared both personal and professional milestones, growing together in love and purpose.
This is their love story: Dr. John Serbe Marfo and Prof. Mrs. Afia Frimpomaa Asare Marfo, brewed, hatched, and blossomed at KNUST.
