Profile of Ms Amelia AmeDela Amemate (Dela Goldheart)

Amelia AmeDela Amemate, popularly known as Dela Goldheart, is a Researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK. She is the first female holder of the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the PhD level from Ghana. Dela also holds a Master's degree and two graduate certificates from Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Ohio, USA, where she graduated with Distinction. In addition, she has a first degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Dela has taught at BGSU, working as a Teaching Associate, and at the primary school level in her community. She also worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, before gaining admission to read Law at the University of Ghana School of Law. She is a former manager and consultant at Archiver's Consult, a human resource management firm.

During her time in Legon, Dela contested for SRC president (against Edem Agbana), putting up a fight never seen before and encouraging fellow young women to compete for the office of president. She also worked as the Women's Organizer and Commissioner for Anlo Students Union and Volta Region Students Union, respectively. Her tenacity enabled her to serve as the BAME officer in her current college, Murray Edwards College in the UK, as well as the Representative of PhD students at the University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies.

Away from her academic work, teaching and representation, Dela works as a gender equality activist and a community advocate. She is a constant volunteer at the Young Shall Grow Non-Governmental Organization, a group that is focused on volunteerism in the areas of education, healthcare, tourism and cultural heritage. She also has about five years experience working with UN Women. Dela started volunteering and working with the Moremi Initiative for Young Women's Leadership in Africa, a leadership institute, in 2015. She holds a certificate in Leadership from the institute's flagship mentorship program, MILEAD.

During the recent tidal wave disaster at Ketu, Keta and Anlo Constituencies, Dela worked tediously to highlight the plight of her people mainly through her largely followed social media platform. She also raised funds to provide relief items to survivors of the disaster. In addition, she was directly involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the situation, as well as the distribution of donated items to survivors in Kedzikope, Abutiakope, Anyanui, Agorkedzi and Ƒuveme, a village that got immersed in the sea.

Dela is a native of Tegbi, Vui and Keta. She held the title of Miss Keta from 2008 - 2009. During her tenure, she carried out a Girls' Education program that focused on teaching girls in her community about teenage pregnancy. She also made it a habit to engage in voluntary teaching and extra classes for children in underprivileged schools in her district throughout her university education. Dela loves to spend her leisure time on the beautiful golden sand beaches of Keta, and enjoying the serene places in Anlo. She is a former student of OLA, Keta and Keta Senior High Technical School (Ketasco).

Due to Dela's dedication to community work and the more significant aspiration of improving the lives of women, men and children in her community and beyond, both young and elderly members encouraged her to contest for the office of Member of Parliament (MP) in 2023. To them, she is the best candidate to fight for the community towards achieving sustainable development, particularly looking at her local, national and international experience.

Although she did not win, Dela hopes to continue to contribute to the development of Anlo and its surrounding towns and villages. Her most notable goals include lobbying for the second phase of the Keta Sea Defense project, facilitating a fish farming project, introducing modern fishing techniques to fishing along the coast, developing an improved road network within the constituency, and tactically reviving the education system in Anlo which is at a dying stage (Anlo continues to record the lowest grades in the history of the BECE examination). She plans to improve farming within the region by introducing improved ways of ploughing the land and finding sustainable markets for perishable farm products.

You can support Dela's ongoing projects through the following accounts:
Mobile money - 0248634381 - Amelia Amemate
GCB Account - 5071010128862 - Amelia Amemate

Thank you.

PS: This article was edited on 19th June 2023.