PAWTUCKET – The outpouring of grief this week at the death of “Mama Ama” Amponsah, mentor to generations of city youth, was perhaps most profound among those young people whose lives were forever changed by her love and influence.
One after another shared how their talks with Amponsah kept them in line and out of trouble, crediting her for helping get them to where they are today.
“It’s impossible to put into words what she has meant to so many,” said Stephane Andrade, now at Yale University. “Her radiant smile and powerful spirit, a mother to us all, a true guardian of Main Street. My deepest condolences to the Amponsah family, and to my brother Germain.”