Biography

For none of us lives to himself and no man dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:7-8)

The late Jane Adjoa Ashun was born on February 3, 1964 in Samreboi, a town in the Western Region of Ghana, to Mr. J. K. Mensah and Mrs. Joanna Amusah. At the age of one, Jane was taken to stay with her grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. I. C. Ewoodzie, where she spent the early years of her childhood.

Jane followed her grandparents to Bible classes and other church meetings. Because she could read the Bible in Fante, she was the personal secretary to her grandmother at her Women’s Fellowship meetings. Even though she was very young, Jane would stay for the children’s service after the adult’s service anytime she went to church.

Jane began her primary education at Elmina Methodist School but was later transferred to the University Practice Basic School. After primary school, she came back to live with her mother. She furthered her education at Ebenezer Secondary School in Mamprobi. Later on, Jane continued her studies in Monrovia, Liberia where she stayed with her uncle, Rev. Joseph Ewoodzie. In 1988, she graduated from the West Africa Computer Science Institute. Later that year, she came to the United States and stayed with family in Harlem, New York.

Around this time Jane met her husband, Mr. Kofi Ashun, and the two got married in 1992. Eventually, the family of two became a family of five. Mr. and Mrs. Ashun were blessed with three girls: Vanessa, Ewurabena, and Kukuwa Ashun.

While Jane raised her own three girls, she became an after-school teacher for many of the Sunday School children who attended Ghana Wesley United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, where she was an active member. She was passionate about being in the choir and soon became the president of the Guild Fellowship in 2000. Yet, even with these additional activities, Jane made sure to prioritize the children in her after-school program; she was adamant about their education. She worked with them to complete their homework, guided them in different areas of study, and helped them maintain friendships in fellowship and life. She worked tirelessly to support the wellbeing of these kids while also opening her living room to others in the neighborhood. While Auntie Jane was well known for her after-school program, she professionally worked full-time at Kings County Hospital as a Patient Care Associate.

In 2004, Jane was one of the founding members of the Wesley Methodist Church of Ghana in Brooklyn, NY. She started the Sunday School with Sister Paulina Boateng and continued teaching the word of God to all of the children. In addition to being active in the Sunday School, Jane was also active in SUWMA and Guild. In the service of the Lord, she also studied to become a Lay Preacher under the Methodist Church of Ghana, NY-NJ Circuit in 2016.

Unfortunately, due to a rare case of inflammation in her eyes,
Jane resigned from Kings County Hospital. Still her dedication to the children never wavered and Jane refused to stay stagnant. She launched her passion project on March 14, 2015, the Tender Mercy Care (TMC) Foundation. TMC was inaugurated at Wesley Methodist in Brooklyn, New York by Rt. Rev. B. K. Asare and assisted by Ministers of the North America Mission. As a Christian organization, Jane’s primary focus was to provide children in primary schools and churches with clothes and school supplies.

TMC aims to give children the opportunity to have access to a good education in an environment that will enable them to grow. Over the last few years, Jane has compiled monetary donations and has sent multiple boxes full of supplies back to Ghana. She has done community outreach in the villages of Gomoa Abonko, Ankomu Gomua Kwahu, Eshiem and so much more. Jane’s most recent contributions were sent to Joycelyn Arkorful in Spintex back in April.

The late Jane Adjoa Ashun was diagnosed with breast cancer in April. Our beloved passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital on October 29, 2020. She is survived by her husband and three children. May her beautiful soul rest in eternal peace.