Rawlings Once Stopped His Motorcade, Picked Up a Stranded Old Lady at Night & Sent Her Food For Months

ACCRA — In an era where political charity is frequently managed by public relations teams and captured by flashing cameras, a newly revealed story from the late former President Jerry John Rawlings’ time in office highlights a deeply compassionate side to the "Action Man" that few ever saw.

Speaking on the podcast Kafui Dey Interviews, veteran media personality Fritz Baffour recounted a late-night drive back from Akosombo—a place Rawlings loved for its proximity to the Volta Lake. As the presidential convoy travelled along Liberation Road, Rawlings abruptly ordered his motorcade to a halt.

He had spotted an elderly woman walking alone in the dark. "I was sitting in front, and he told me to move to the back," Baffour recalled. The stranded woman, who had lost her way while returning from a funeral, was invited into the vehicle. Rawlings dropped her off safely at her residence, instructing his bodyguard to ensure she made it inside and to take down her details.

The gesture did not end with a ride. Baffour later discovered that Rawlings quietly arranged for regular provisions and food supplies to be delivered to her home for months—all funded directly from his personal salary.

"It must have been very difficult for his family because he was always trying to help everybody," Baffour shared, reflecting on a lifetime of quiet philanthropy that the late president never publicized for political leverage.