GUBA founder, Dentaa Amoateng says Yaa Asantewaa will be at heart of 2021 Awards
Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the Asante historical figure and the late Queen Mother of Ejisu, will significantly contribute to Ghana’s economic development through the celebration of her positive struggles.
Mrs Dentaa Amoateng, Founder, Grow Unite Build Africa (GUBA), said the Asante Warrior Queen, whose 100th year of passing was celebrated on Sunday, October 17, 2021 would be the main focus of this year’s GUBA Awards to honour and enlighten the world on her courage and resilience which remotely contributed to the independence of Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.
In that regard, women of substance with the ‘Yaa Asantewaa spirit’ in them who have contributed in diverse ways to human and economic growth would travel from across the world to Ghana to be honoured in the Awards ceremony.
Mrs Amoateng said the two-day ceremony to be held on November 7 and 8, 2021 in Kumasi and Accra, would provide an avenue for the guests including four British Black female politicians and Members of Parliament and the first Vice President of Costa Rica to look for business opportunities in Ghana and build bilateral relations with Ghana.
The ceremony, which would start at the Manhyia Palace, Kumasi, with cultural display and issuance of awards by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is also expected to promote tourism and attract investors into the country, she said.
The GUBA Founder said the ceremony would also honour two market women who had contributed to food security for the past 30 to 40 years in the country.
“It is because of them that we are able to eat and buy food. They wake up every day at 3’oclock in the morning, take care of their children to make sure they go to school and then go to the market to feed us. We are recognizing women who have broken barriers,” she explained.
Mrs Amoateng appealed to the public to post the struggles and toils of Yaa Asantewaa and her images on their social media platforms to remind Ghanaians and educate the world on the hard work of the heroine.
“We shouldn’t forget our history and how Ghana became Ghana through some people. In a 100 years’ time, do you want your name to be mentioned or celebrated? Yaa Asantewaa is laying peacefully in her grave right now because she has people like us celebrating her,” she said.
She, therefore, encouraged the youth to stand up to persevere and take steps over what seemed impossible to do if they wanted to excel.
“Sometimes you need to be bold, sometimes you need to be confident, sometimes you need to sit back and listen. These are all attributes of Nana Yaa Asantewaa that I want the youth to learn” she added.
Mr Prince Anthony Bart, a Global Senior Executive, GUBA, said although the GUBA awards was recognising only outstanding women, he was personally enthused with the idea as Yaa Asantewaa having led soldiers to a successful war, deserved to be celebrated.
“She also kept the spirit that unites our people, especially the Asantes. The programme is not just a female affair because it has a huge impact on the social and economic status of our country,” he said and called on all men to support the initiative and the celebration of Yaa Asantewaa.