Fr. Joseph Teye Nene Sakite, SVD passed away on Monday 10th May, 2021 and has been laid to rest on Wednesday 12th May, 2021 in Papua New Guinea.
He died at age 65 after 33 years of Service as a Priest in the Catholic Church.
Fr. Joseph Teye Nene Sakite, SVD was admitted at the Kundiawa General Hospital testing Corona Positive.
After few days his situation improved as he tested negative for Corona, so he was shifted to the Migende hospital, where he passed away days later. He had breathing difficulties, Doctors said he died of pneumonia.
The late Fr. Sakite as part of his Mission works focused much on basically Empowering Communites using Food Security, Hands-On skills in Fufu, Gari, sitor, peanut butter making, Kokonte etc throughout Papua New Guinea as 80% of women and Girls received training through his initiatives.
Last year he received K6.5m from Australia Aid as he have also introduced this program in Prisons of Papua New Guinea.
He was born at Kono wem Odumase Klo as a descendant of King Sakite I, however he lived with Fr. Curtis Washington of blessed glory, an African American as a mission boy, Mass sever, cook, garden boy, laundry boy etc.
He went to Pope John Secondary and had his 6th form levels certificate at St. Theresa College Amisano Cape Coast.
He taught a year at St. Peter’s Secondary Nkwatia-Kwahu then proceeded to St. Victor’s Major Seminary Tamale 1979 – 1988 ordained to the Holy Priesthood 27th August, 1988 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Agomanya.
He served as Assistant Priest at Afram Plains then again assistant chaplain at St. Peter’s Secondary school Nkwatia- Kwahu and with special reference to all Kwahu Ridge schools 13 of them.
His interest in Missions grew very strong when he was then given Papua New Guinea.
From Rome he was directly posted to Wewak diocese but a Bishop from the diocese of Kundiawa was highly interested in a Ghanaian coming to PNG so asked Rome to appoint him to his diocese, Catholic diocese of Kundiawa. Since then he have been serving the people of that diocese.
The leaders of the diocese always contact him for important talks and share his best of Local Krobo dishes with them.
Fr. Sakite writes and we quote…
“They then would asked what I was eating? Forgetting myself I answered them: Fufu. Then they asked again what is fufu? Then corrected myself and said Fufu is a dish made from cassava and plantain (Banana) can you Fr. Sakite teach us?I answered affirmatively.
At another time gari, shitor, kokonte. The same request teach us how to do all these African dishes! So training program started at the parish level and spread throughout the country Papua New Guinea and also prisons.
Many who pass through this program are transformed. Children love fufu, gari, Sitor very much and the people.
Further more I built a training centre named after the our Founder: St. Arnold Janssen Human Development centre.
The School children have Youth Leadership Trainer every weekend throughout the year. “
The Government recognized this Fufu, Gari, Sitor training program initiated by Fr. Sakite so he was awarded 3 times. 2 wards at the Provincial government (Regional), one award from the National government from Queen Elizabeth of England.
May His Peaceful Soul Rest In Peace.
