Addressing a gathering at the Jubilee Hall of the Manhyia Palace, the Asantehene said the idea to establish the Foundation was conceived when he ascended the Golden Stool, with a dream to advance Asanteman and Ghana through dignity, resilience, and opportunity for all.

According to him, the Foundation made its maiden disbursement to support 600 students in Ghana’s three public universities under the Otumfuo Education Fund.

“Over time, the vision expanded, initiating transformative projects across various sectors under different umbrellas until 2009, when I formally consolidated all interventions into the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation,” he stated.

The Foundation now operates across education, health, water and sanitation, culture, and heritage.

“With this re-organisation, I sought to bring unity, accountability, and efficiency to our work, and I’m proud to say that what we have achieved so far is both humbling and inspiring,” the Otumfuo added.

The Asantehene recounted the Foundation’s journey, highlighting its inspiration, evolution, and phases of growth.

“Our ancestors fought gallantly and secured this land through the might of arms. Today, we live in a different era. It is not the strength of the gun that determines a person’s future, but the strength of their minds, health, environment, and unity of identity and purpose,” he emphasized.

Educational Infrastructure

Through the support of the World Bank, over 740 school structures have been built and renovated across the country, including the construction of 46 classroom blocks, the re-roofing of dilapidated buildings, and the donation of over 980,000 desks.

Additionally, over 1,000 school children have received essential supplies, ranging from textbooks to mathematical sets, exercise books, and computers from the Foundation.

“We have touched schools in deprived areas where the state alone could not reach,” said Otumfuo.

In marking the Silver Jubilee of the Otumfuo Foundation, former President John Agyekum Kufuor launched an Endowment Fund aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Foundation’s projects and programmes.

Donors to the Fund were grouped into Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond categories, based on their contributions and were honoured with certificates and plaques.

Contributors included Unijay, All-Star Insurance Limited, YOA Global Education, Fidelity Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, First Atlantic Bank, Asanko Ghana Limited, SIC Insurance Plc, Zongo Nkosuohene, Kyidom Fekuo, Akwamu Fekuo, Kontri Fekuo, Benkum Fekuo, and Rejjio Construction Limited.

The Board Chairman of the Foundation, Nana Prof. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei Woahene II, said the Endowment Fund would enable the Foundation to meet the increasing demand for scholarships.

“Let us ensure that no child in Ghana is denied education because of poverty. Let us stand with our teachers, support our clinics, strengthen our culture, and invest in a future where Asanteman and Ghana flourish in harmony and dignity,” he said.

At the event were Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene; former President John Agyekum Kufuor; Juabenhene Nana Otuo Sereboe II; Harriet Thompson, British High Commissioner to Ghana; Most Rev. Joseph Osei Bonsu, the Foundation’s first Board Chair; and Alhaji Yussif Ibrahim, Business Mogul and Philanthropist.

The project is expected to be completed in eight months to promote ICT learning in the school.

The study of ICT has been part of the education system to improve digital literacy.

The Otumfuo Foundation, through financial support of Ghana Gas, is constructing a one-storey building with an eight-unit computer lab for the Osei Kyeretwie SHS to promote digital literacy.

Chairman of the Otumfuo Osei II Foundation, Nana Prof. Oheneba Boachie Adjei Woahene II says the eight-unit computer lab will help improve ICT learning.

“Supporting Education is paramount to his royal majesty, which he is by otumfuo Osei Tutu II foundation providing needed support to most of the vulnerables schools in the region” – he said.

The otumfuo Osei Tutu II foundation board chairman laid emphasis that the foundation will continue to support Education to meet it standard.

The Headmaster of Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School, Michael Mensah expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the initiative to construct the ICT lab.

“We mostly rent Ict tools from the community for our students to use it during examination, the construction of the Ict Laboratory will solve that problem for the school. – he expressed

Mr Mensah further called on the old students and other organizations to come in their aid with science lab equipments.

“The students offering science face difficulties during practicals at the science lab due the inefficient of lab equipments,” he said.

Senior Officer at the Ghana Gas company, Ohemaa Sarfo, said the company has financed 117 projects in the Ashanti region.

The Municipal Director of Education, Gabriel Antwi, says the municipality is in a furniture deficit of over 50, 000.

Most of the pupils at the kindergarten and primary schools do not have furniture, compelling them to sit and learn on the bare floor.

The director says despite massive improvements in BECE results from 37 percent in 2018 to 82.9percent in 2020, teaching and learning are bedevilled with the furniture deficit and other infrastructural challenges.

Though the Municipal Assembly is doing its best to rescue the situation, they need more support.

To ease the burden, the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation has donated 120 dual-desks to the Kofiase M/A Basic School; 185 chairs and round tables for kindergarten, while teachers received chairs and tables.

Textbooks and exercise books were also given to Basic 1-6 pupils.

It forms part of His Royal Majesty’s educational policy of quality education.

The six-unit classroom block was painted by the Foundation, windows and doors of the classroom were also fixed.

CEO of the Foundation, Nana Afia Kobi Prempeh, says it costs the Foundation GHS 64,505 to fulfil the King’s developmental agenda for quality education.

The Municipal Director of Education has proposed 1pecent of the Assembly’s IGF for the maintenance of school blocks in the municipality.

According to him, the deplorable nature of some schools in the Municipality demands such attention.

Mr Gabriel Antwi indicated the non-availability of washrooms in most of the schools is also affecting teaching and learning.

Pupils normally seek permission to attend to nature’s call but fail to return, while others resort to nearby bushes which are unhygienic.

He called on the King’s Foundation to assist in such important facilities, including electricity for learning Information and Communication Technology.

The CEO of the Foundation promised to mobilise resources to support the municipality.