Every community has moments that change its story. For Asankare, one of those moments came on 11th July 2021, when the youth decided they were no longer content to sit back and wait.
The Call to Arise
The youth of Asankare had always been visible. They danced at public events, carried chairs at public events, and filled the streets during celebrations. Yet when it came to real development, their role was uncertain. Most of the time they were expected to wait, to be quiet until “their turn” came. Some wanted to do more but did not know how. Others had joined groups before that never lasted. Slowly, frustration was growing, though quietly.
Honourable Michael Koomson, Assembly Member for the Asankare Electoral Area, after his election in 2019, noticed what many had ignored: the energy of the youth was going to waste. He believed the youth did not lack ability but rather lacked structure and opportunity.
So he began to act. House by house, door by door, he invited young people to gather. His message was short and honest: “Let us come together, not for politics, not for show, but to build something real for Asankare.”
The First Meeting – 11 July 2021
On Sunday, 11 July 2021, at exactly 3:28 p.m., seventeen young people answered his call. They met in the Basic 5 classroom of Presby Primary School. The setting was small and ordinary, but the atmosphere was serious.
That day, the group agreed on principles that would guide them: no politics, no tribalism, no allowances, only service and commitment. During the discussions, Desmond Boakye Adarkwa suggested a name: Asankare Youth for Development, shortened AYD. It was simple, clear, and unanimously accepted.
Before the meeting ended, internal elections were held: Kingsley Boakye Addo was chosen as President, Salomey Boahemaa as Vice President, Desmond Boakye Adarkwa as Secretary, Alexander Appiah as Organiser, and Bestman Afrane as Porter.
The eighteen who gathered that day are remembered as the pioneers of AYD: Hon. Michael Koomson, Desmond Boakye Adarkwa, Salomey Boahemaa, Musa Issaka, Bestman Afrane, Joseph Kwarko, Mariama Saboge, Maxwell Koomson, Emmanuel Barfour Karikari Amponsah, George Abrokwa, Kingsley Boakye Addo, Alexander Appiah, Ebo Essel, Ernest Asiedu, Enock Koranteng, John Kwabena Opoku, Kwaku Banahene, and Hudu Abdulai.
The Second Meeting – 18 July 2021
One week later, the pioneers met again. The first meeting had been about existence; the second was about survival. Could AYD hold together beyond a single gathering?
That afternoon, the same classroom filled again with familiar faces and some new faces including Yaw Boakye, Veronica Akyaamaa, George Mireku, Francis Wiafe Antwi, Akwasi Owusu Annor, Elvis Ofori-Amanfo, Rose Korkor, Daniel Kumah and Antwi Boasiako. They talked about how to sustain the group beyond its first gathering, how to organise regular meetings and what projects they could take on without outside help. Ideas such as community clean-up exercises and volunteering at local events and others were discussed.
The second meeting might have seemed uneventful, but it proved something vital: AYD was not a one-day idea. It had momentum.
The Third Meeting – 25 July 2021
At the third meeting, AYD found its soul. In the middle of discussions, Mr. Owusu Akwasi Annor shared a verse from Nehemiah 2:18, where the people of Jerusalem, faced with ruin, said to one another, “Let us rise up and build.” Inspired by this passage, Mr Annor proposed a simplified version: “Let’s Arise and Build.”
The room fell quiet, then filled with agreement. The motto was adopted instantly. It gave AYD a unifying voice, a call to rise from excuses and discouragement, and to build with hands, ideas, and sacrifice. From that Sunday, the words “Let’s Arise and Build” became more than a phrase. They became a heartbeat.
A Beginning That Lasted
In just three meetings, AYD had found its form: a name, elected leaders, guiding principles, and a motto that captured its mission. What started as eighteen pioneers in a modest classroom had become a living association.
From that small beginning, AYD has grown into more than 170 active members. The group is now recognised for its clean-up exercises, volunteer support for the Asankare Health Centre project, and its strong presence in community life.
The pioneers may not have known how far their decision would carry, but their choice to gather on 11th, July 2021 has shaped the path of a whole generation. Their story reminds us that when young people arise and build, the future of a community can change forever.
AYD Through the Years series, continues in the next part