Dr Abena Nyarkoa Asomaning launched three books and put a collection of her own paintings up for auction at an event in Accra, with the proceeds going to the Angel-Zoe Foundation's programmes for incarcerated women, young people and people rebuilding their lives after prison.
The gathering, held at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel and titled "In Full Bloom: Art, Words and Legacy," took place on a date reported by Graphic Online as 11 October 2026. It drew representatives of the British and French High Commissions, the Bank of Ghana, business figures, development partners and foundation supporters.
The books presented were Women's Leadership in Africa, The Shrewd You and Bloom. Paintings on display were sold during the evening, and Graphic Online reports that the money raised will support the foundation's work.
Why it matters
The launch put a public spotlight on what happens to people after they leave prison — a subject Dr Asomaning has worked on for close to twenty years, according to Graphic Online. Her foundation's programmes cover food, healthcare, skills training, counselling and job placement for people coming out of custody, and also help former inmates repair ties with families who may have turned away from them.
The evening also tied the book launch to a wider argument about women's leadership in Africa, with speakers framing support for women's advancement as a shared responsibility rather than a niche concern.
A king's endorsement and a prisons chief's appeal
His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, Se Mantse, Paramount King of the Shai Traditional Area, chaired the event, which was moderated by broadcaster Frema Adunyame.
The paramount king said he had followed Dr Asomaning's career at close range for years. According to Graphic Online, he described a book as more than paper and print, calling it a record of the author's thinking, lived experience and beliefs. He said releasing three titles at once was a notable feat, and that the achievement carried extra weight because her efforts reach past the page.
He also pointed to her prison work, saying her dedication to helping people return to society showed that leadership includes service. In his view, the evening honoured not just books and canvases but a larger body of work aimed at giving people a second chance.
Addressing Women's Leadership in Africa, he said it was heartening to see men back conversations about women in leadership, adding that families, institutions and communities all gain when women are able to lead and contribute fully.
The keynote came from Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service. Graphic Online reports that she described creativity and culture as pillars of national development and urged guests to get behind people who use their abilities for the public good. She also stressed the value of welcoming former prisoners back with dignity, and made a direct appeal to the room: buy the books, read them and pass them on.
She ended her remarks with a wish that the books would find many readers.
Reviewers, readings and two short films
Dr Mrs Erika Mamley Osae reviewed Women's Leadership in Africa, characterising it as a study of African leadership seen through women's eyes. She compared leadership to an elephant, saying it looks different depending on where the observer stands, and noted that the book sets historical queens and warriors beside women now leading in politics, business and their communities.
Naa Ayeleysa Quaynor-Mettle read excerpts from all three books.
Guests also screened two short films. One, "Beyond the Pages," told the story of the Angel-Zoe Foundation. The other, "The Artist Within," followed Dr Asomaning's practice as a painter. Her daughter introduced her to the audience.
Two decades of prison work
For Dr Asomaning, Graphic Online reports, the night doubled as a look back at roughly twenty years of involvement with the prison service.
Her research with juvenile offenders turned up problems she has since worked to address, including children held for long periods and children without adequate legal representation. That led her to set up the Justice Civic Dialogues with the Judicial Training Institute, giving justice institutions a forum to air such difficulties in the open. Time spent on a prison discharge board, she said, shaped how she understands life after release.
"Freedom does not always feel like relief. Sometimes it is a rite of repair," she said.
The Angel-Zoe Foundation's reach extends beyond adults leaving custody. It runs monthly master classes for young women, and holds workshops for prison officers, including female officers, that take up subjects such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which deals with women, peace and security.
Dr Asomaning said there is considerable good to be found in people if they are given a chance, and that some of those she has worked with should never have been imprisoned in the first place. She recalled former inmates who went on to lecture at universities or serve in the military overseas, which she said strengthened her conviction that opportunity after prison matters.
She thanked those who have stood behind her over the years, including men who encouraged her efforts and the French government, which backed her doctoral studies in France.
The evening wrapped up with the painting auction and sales of the three books. Dr Asomaning thanked everyone who bought a book or a piece of art and asked them to keep supporting young people and incarcerated women as she begins her twentieth year working with the prison service.
Watch for how the funds raised at the Accra event translate into the foundation's programmes, and whether the three titles reach the wider readership Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie hoped for.
