MOTHER’S TEARS: “I miss my mom” — Adjei-Maafo Breaks Down Recalling the Sacrifices his Mother Made for His Education

For a man who has spent much of his life in academia, politics and public service, there was one name that instantly brought back a flood of emotion.

His mother.

When Kafui Dey mentioned the name of his late mother, Akosa Mary, during their conversation, Dr Isaac Kofi Adjei-Maafo’s mood changed.

The memories came rushing back.

“I really loved her,” he said.

Then came the reason for the emotion.

“She worked her nail out to take care of us in school and everything.”

For Dr Adjei-Maafo, his mother’s sacrifice was not something he could casually talk about.

She had endured hardship to make sure her children went to school, putting their education ahead of her own comfort.

“She was a wonderful woman,” he said.

But it was the memory of what she had done for her children that appeared to affect him most deeply.

Dr Adjei-Maafo recalled that his mother did not care much about what she ate or what she wore.

“All she wanted to see was us at school,” he said.

Her determination was rooted in a simple dream: that her children would become educated.

She repeatedly encouraged them to take education seriously, telling her son that if he did nothing else for her, he should go to school.

That message stayed with him.

In fact, Dr Adjei-Maafo said his mother’s passion for education was one of the reasons he went on to pursue a PhD.

When asked whether she lived long enough to see him achieve that milestone, he confirmed that she did.

She lived to the age of 86.

But when he was asked what her reaction was when he told her he had attained the highest level of formal education, the memory became emotional.

“If she died that very time, she’ll be happy,” he said.

Then, unable to hide the emotion behind the memory, he admitted:

“I miss my mom.”

It was a deeply personal moment in an interview filled with stories about his childhood, career and public life.

Behind the academic titles and political positions was a son remembering the woman who had sacrificed so much to give her children a future.

Years later, the impact of those sacrifices remained clear.

Dr Adjei-Maafo said his mother would sell her clothes to help take care of them while they were in secondary school.

“She went very poor just to pay our fees and get us through,” he recalled.

Her sacrifices extended beyond school fees. She had to provide provisions and other supplies the children needed for school.

Fortunately, scholarships also helped ease the burden.

But for Dr Adjei-Maafo, the sacrifices his mother made could never be measured simply in money.

Her greatest wish was to see her children educated.

And she got her wish.