All is set for the much-anticipated inauguration of Asanteman Europe Association
June 9, 2022
Asanteman Norway
Asanteman Norway, a group of Asantes based in Norway has donated 10 electric sewing machines worth an estimated 5,000 Ghana Cedis to support fund raising of Asanteman Europe inauguration in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Asanteman Norwayhene, who is also Otumfoɔ Brempɔn Sabin Akrofromhene Nkɔsoɔhene, Nana Kota Ntiamoah made the donation during the fund raising segment of the inauguration.
Apart from the donation from Asanteman Norway, the Chairperson for the inauguration, Dr James Owusu also donated 100 laptop computers worth an estimated 100,000 Ghana Cedis.
And while Asanteman Finlandhene, Nana Ekuoba Gyasi Semperemo also personally made financial donations to the fund raising, member associations of Asanteman Europe also made different cash donations.
The donations are meant to actualise the theme of the inauguration which is: “Empowering the Ghanaian Child through Education - the Role of Asanteman Europe”.
Asanteman Europe is made up of 15 member associations from 11 countries which are the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom (UK).
There are also some Asanteman associations in other European countries which are yet to be officially registered in their respective countries and yet to be recognised by Asanteman Europe.
Nana Kota Ntiamoah, Asanteman Norwayhene middle(in cloth with traditional regalia). On his right is Asanteman Swedenhemaa, Nana Afia Akyaa Deiwaa I
However, during the inauguration in Amsterdam at the 1000-capacity building at Schepenbergweg 15, 1105 AS, the venue was filled to the rafters, leaving many attendants waiting outside.
The Otumfoɔ Brempɔn Baworɔhene, Nana Safo Agyemang as Guest of Honour led nananom to pledge the support from the Asanteman Traditional Council.
ICT Pilot Project
The President of the Executive Council of Asanteman Europe, Papa Yaw Agyei, said it was the aim of the group to rebuild and protect their Asante culture and also contribute to development in their home country, Ghana.
For this reason, he recalled that Asanteman Europe had already contributed to help in the area of health when some COVID-19 facilities were donated to some health institutions in the Ashanti Region and that it was time to also contribute in the area of education.
Joined by his two deputies, Barima Asabre and Oppong Akosah, he noted that most times, cash and kind donations are mismanaged by people back home in Ghana and that the inauguration donations will be positioned in Accra in the hands of trustworthy persons before they are shared to the respective beneficiaries.
He said Asanteman Europe was collaborating with Village for Hope, an IT Consultancy Firm, to build ICT learning centres and stock them with computers to improve teaching and learning of IT, especially in the most deprived areas of Ghana.
He further said that even though Executives and the Board of Asanteman Europe had not yet decided on the areas that will benefit from the donation, on a pilot basis, deprived areas in Mampong, Kumawu and Offinso will be selected for learning centres after which the project will be extended to other deprived areas.
Papa Agyei was of the view that the ICT learning centres will not only provide rooms for learning but also provide opportunities for jobs, as teachers, security persons will be employed and school children with the right skills, also securing skilled labour.
Some of the team from Asanteman Norway after the inauguration
Connection to Free SHS
The Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, Jubilee House, Akwasi Awuah Ababio who was joined by the Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Francis Kotia, on behalf of Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, officially declared, Asanteman Europe, duly inaugurated.
He lauded leadership of Asanteman Europe for choosing the theme and being action oriented by starting to donate towards the project, adding that the ICT project had direct connection to the Free SHS Policy which was launched in 2017 by the Ghana government.
He said it was the vision of the Ghana Central Government to increase literacy and that any move or efforts to develop the area of education was a laudable one, calling on all Ghanaians in the diaspora not to hesitate to support education development back home “so together we all fight to eliminate illiteracy to develop our country a step further”.
Mr Akwasi Awuah Ababio
Source: Joseph Kyei-Boateng, AMSTERDAM
