The community of Obogu, a cocoa-growing town near Juaso in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is receiving psychological support after a road crash on July 28 claimed the lives of 17 young members of the Saviour Church returning from a church event in Accra.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Kumasi LIONS Club sought the assistance of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Counselling Centre (KCC) to provide psychosocial care for the grieving community.

As part of its social responsibility, the KCC quickly responded, dispatching an eight-member delegation to Obogu on Saturday, September 6. The team comprised three members from the LIONS Club and five counsellors from KCC. Their mission was to offer immediate emotional support, assess the psychological impact of the tragedy, and develop a long-term recovery plan.

Upon arrival, the team was received by church leaders and residents. The visit included a collective counselling session, an open community forum, and individual engagements.

Leading counsellors Mrs. Bernice S.O. Peasah, Miss Akua Afriyie Addae, Mr. Rabbi Darko, and Mr. Gilbert Konwie Langu held a session on grief management, offering psychoeducation on the symptoms and emotional responses to loss. Participants shared experiences of sleeplessness, panic attacks, loss of appetite, forgetfulness, and recurring flashbacks of the accident.

Two survivors of the crash also received private counselling. The counsellors said the discussions revealed that the community continues to struggle with intense grief and trauma.

The KCC and LIONS Club pledged to return with a sustained counselling intervention to help residents heal. By the end of the session, many participants expressed relief and gratitude for the support.

Community members also raised concerns about the wreckage of the accident vehicle, which they said triggered painful memories. Following the visit, local stakeholders arranged for the mangled vehicle to be removed from the site.