Allan Chou has spent forty-five years building Ghana.

The Côte d'Ivoire crisis

After civil war broke out in Côte d'Ivoire in September 2002, Allan repeatedly offered Ghana as a safe route out, arranging visa-free border entry for evacuating Taiwanese nationals. When Abidjan's airport closed during the November 2004 riots, he arranged landing visas, sent his own company vehicles and staff to the Ghana–Côte d'Ivoire border, organised lodging and onward visas for stranded families, and helped seamen's relatives transit home via South Africa.

The office's conclusion: for many years Allan Chou gave quietly, asked for nothing in return, and set an example for the overseas community.

How 240 wheelchairs reached Ghana

In autumn 2001 a call came from the Taiwanese chamber in South Africa: could Allan help a friend through Accra airport? The friend was Ven. Hui Li, already known across the continent as "the African monk". He stayed three days. Over those conversations Allan learned that Fo Guang Shan had given more than five thousand wheelchairs across Africa, and asked whether Ghana's disabled could receive some. The answer was yes — on condition that none be sold and every one reach someone in real need.

Allan formed a committee, drew up application forms, vetted requests and organised assembly. Applications exceeded every expectation. When customs clearance dragged and port charges mounted, he and fellow Taiwanese covered them from their own pockets.

When an official tried to keep the First Lady and ministers away from the handover, calling it political, Allan's answer was to hold a second ceremony in the north, in the President's home region — a 1,500-kilometre round trip in three days. The Presidency, the ministries of Social Welfare and Health, members of parliament and traditional leaders attended; newspapers and television covered it. The chairman of Ghana's largest bank saw the broadcast and sent a cheque that covered the ceremonies' costs, and the President's office asked to meet Hui Li.

"Exhausted, and interfered with by politics — but more was achieved than many diplomats manage." From Allan's own account, written in Ghana on 6 March 2002 and later published in a chronicle of Ven. Hui Li's work in Africa.