Former Akwatia NDC parliamentary aspirant, Erasmus Koney Ali, popularly known as Asanka Poyooyo, has organised a donation exercise for widows and elderly women in Akwatia as part of activities to mark this year’s Mother’s Day celebration.
The exercise saw hundreds of widows receiving bags of rice, cooking oil, clothes, tinapa and other food items to support them.
Speaking during the event, Asanka Poyooyo said the donation exercise forms part of his long-standing commitment to giving back to society and supporting vulnerable people within the community.
“This is not the first time. I have done this for almost 15 years. In fact, I do it every year and it is an agreement I made with God that when He blesses me, I would want to see society smile,” he stated.
According to him, the initiative was inspired by the struggles his late mother went through while raising her children.
“The way my mother died, she really suffered because of us. When God blessed me and now I have something, I would have loved my mother to be alive while I do these donations, but since she is no more, I believe every mother is a mother, so why don’t I do it for other mothers,” he added.
He disclosed that although the organisers initially planned to support about 550 widows, the number of beneficiaries exceeded expectations.
“We estimated to donate to only 550 widows, but the widows came out in their numbers which was more than 800, so we had to order additional goods,” he explained.
As part of the exercise, free health screening and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) renewal services were also organised for the widows.
According to him, the initiative aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision of ensuring accessible healthcare for Ghanaians.
“During this donation period, we did free health screening for the widows and requested support from the National Health Insurance Scheme for free renewals,” he said.
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Asanka Poyooyo also highlighted some of the development projects he has undertaken within the Akwatia community over the years.
“I have done a lot of things for the community. From the Akwatia Zongo to Newtown road, which has been named Asanka Road, to a three-unit classroom block with an office at Kumani Aboabo,” he stated.
He added that he has also constructed bridges, supported market women with sheds and staircases at the Akwatia Central Market, and built an ultramodern mosque for the Zongo community.
Touching on religious unity, he stressed that his support cuts across all groups within the community.
“I don’t discriminate in this community. During Ramadan, I donated fans and air conditioners to mosques, and during Easter, I also donated fans to churches including the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian churches. What I’m doing cuts across,” he noted.
He further appealed to the widows to continue praying for him and his team to enable them sustain and expand the initiative in the coming years.
“All I wish for is prayers from the widows and good health for myself and my team so that we can continue to do more than this. The numbers keep increasing every year and next year is going to be bigger than this,” he added.
