
Dr. Robert Asante
OurFoundations, Inc.’s President, Dr. Robert Asante, shares his personal experience growing up in an underserved community in Ghana:
“The people of Nyamebekyere in the Western Region of Ghana believe in hard work, dignity, and family values. Nyamebekyere means ‘God will provide’. We believe that Nyamebekyere will see more prosperity and economic development with easy access to transportation, electricity, clean water, technology, education, health care, and the municipal market. Growing up in the community, I saw first-hand the enormous challenges faced by school-aged children and the aging population. These vulnerable fellows travel many miles on foot through dangerous paths in the forest to get to the nearest motorable roads for transportation to the hospitals, markets, schools, and other places. In some cases, pregnant women and severely ill patients were transported by the young men in the village to the nearest transportation to the clinic or hospital. The challenges I saw and experienced as a child are still obstacles in these communities today.
The only career in the village is farming, and most farmers in the area grow cocoa, domestic foods, fruits, and vegetables. To transport their crops to the market, the farmers carry them atop their heads and walk long distances. The absence of transportation means only a portion of their crops make it to the market; the remaining crops are consumed or perish on the farm. Christians, Muslims, and individuals who attend other faith services travel on foot frequently to the nearest town to observe their religious meetings and gatherings that occur several times per week. Most of these social activities start in the evening and end at night. To return home, the villagers must travel on foot through the forest at night while navigating dangerous terrains and avoiding deadly wild animals. Despite these challenging situations, over the years, the people of Nyamebekyere have managed to provide basic needs to help raise their families. I am optimistic that Nyamebekyere, and other communities like it, will see more economic development and prosperity with access to transportation.“
(Asante. R, 2021)