The Pusiga connection behind Gertrude Atongi’s work in New York

For Gertrude Atongi, living and working in New York has not meant losing touch with Pusiga, the community in the Upper East Region where her family has its roots, as her professional career in healthcare and human services has developed alongside her work supporting people in Ghana and the United States.

Its work with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation has included support for food pantry activities, Halloween events, school programmes and holiday distributions, while in November 2024 the foundation hosted a Thanksgiving event at a Brooklyn family shelter.

She established the foundation in 2003 with her late father, Anthony Atongi, and although he died in December 2021, the organisation has continued to operate in Ghana and the United States, with education, healthcare and assistance to vulnerable people among its areas of work.