Asantehene urges Diasporans to support Africa's fight against poverty

Kumasi, June 9, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has encourag ed Africans in the Diaspora to continue to identify and support initiatives that sought to lift the continent out of poverty and deprivation. He said the economic situation on the continent at times made it difficu lt to mobilize enough financial resources internally to sustain projects and
programmes to improve on the lives of the people.
It was for this reason that private initiatives and interventions to
fight poverty needed to be supported.
The Asantehene said this when a delegation from the Xernona Clayton Foundation in Atlanta, United States and the Diaspora Africa Forum, paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace on Wednesday. The delegation, led by Dr Xernona Clayton is in the country to inaugurat e the phase one of a school project built in support of the Otumfuo Osei Tu tu II Charity Foundation, at Atwima-Heman in the Atwima-Kwanwoma District of
Ashanti. Otumfuo Osei Tutu said the determination of Ghanaians to sustain democra tic rule and principles to promote speedy economic development had placed the
country on a higher pedestal in Africa.
This had challenged some traditional leaders who are in permanent contac t with the people to initiate projects and programmes that would help transform the lives of the people.
The "Otumfuo Education Fund," "Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation" and the
"Serwaa Ampem Health Foundation" are just a few of the initiatives, aimed at providing education and health facilities for people in deprived communities. Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended Dr Clayton for her support and urged other members of the delegation to contribute in their own small ways to suppor t children in deprived communities.
Dr Clayton said the school would not only provide quality education to children in the area but also promote educational and cultural programmes
between the children and their counterparts in the US. Dr Erieka Bennett, Head of Mission, The Diaspora African Forum, said the
development oriented initiatives of the Asantehene had inspired many peop le of African descent to redirect their attention to the continent.