The Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area, Naa Di-Naa Donlabong III, has called on residents and natives of Jirapa living outside the community to take greater responsibility for its development instead of relying solely on the government.

He made the call at the launch of the Anwelle Foundation in Jirapa in the Upper West Region, where he urged citizens to bring their resources, expertise and networks home to help tackle poverty and youth unemployment.

“Development does not always have to begin from Accra. It can begin here. It can begin from a young man who refuses to give up on his community; it can begin from a woman farmer, a teacher, a student, a philanthropist, or from the traditional palace. And sometimes, it can begin with nothing more than a decision to care,” Naa Di-Naa Donlabong III said.

The foundation is focused on addressing resource gaps in rural communities through interventions in education, youth empowerment, sustainable livelihoods and rural development.

The Paramount Chief said sustainable development required communities to look beyond government for solutions and encouraged sons and daughters of Jirapa across the world to return with their capital, academic knowledge, professional expertise and networks.

Naa Di-Naa Donlabong III also defended the recent decision by the Jirapa Traditional Council to confer a chieftaincy title on social media influencer Parrot Mouth, who was enskinned as the Jirapa Development Social Media Influencer Chief.

He said the move reflected the need for traditional institutions to adapt to modern communication platforms and use them to promote the community.

“The palace must not become disconnected from the tools of the modern world. A story about Jirapa can travel across the world before the Traditional Council has finished its meeting,” he said.

“We cannot complain that the world is not hearing about Jirapa and, at the same time, reject those who have the capacity to make the world listen to us.”

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Anwelle Foundation, Frank Anwelle, said his decision to establish the charity was influenced by his own experience of receiving educational support at a critical stage of his life.

He said many talented young people in rural communities miss opportunities simply because they do not have access to information or financial support.

“At a critical moment in my life, someone saw potential in me and opened a door. But support was largely a matter of chance,” Mr Anwelle said.

“Sometimes, scholarships exist, but the brilliant student in the village never hears about it. The Anwelle Foundation exists to close that gap. Help should not be hidden; opportunities should not be accidental.”

The foundation had undertaken a number of interventions before its formal launch, including emergency support for students affected by the Jirapa Senior High School dormitory fire, the distribution of sewing machines to vocational trainees and the drilling of boreholes to provide communities with access to clean water.

One beneficiary, Abdul Karim Hakim, a Level 400 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science student at the University for Development Studies, recounted how the foundation supported his university education.

Mr Hakim, a native of Walewale, said Mr Anwelle met him while he was working as an apartment security guard in Dansoman, Accra, in 2022 to raise money for his tertiary education.

He said the foundation subsequently covered his tuition, accommodation and living expenses throughout his four years at university.

The foundation also announced plans for an automotive apprenticeship programme in partnership with industry operator Johani Annie.

Under the initiative, selected young people from Jirapa will receive technical training at automotive branches in Tamale, Sunyani and Accra.

The foundation plans to establish an automotive workshop in Jirapa after the training to provide employment opportunities for the beneficiaries.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, commended the initiative and personally donated GH¢20,000 to the foundation.

He encouraged stakeholders to develop integrated agricultural value chains covering production, processing, storage and market access to make farming more attractive to young people.

Mr Puozuing, however, cautioned residents against placing excessive demands on the new foundation, warning that such expectations could undermine its ability to operate sustainably.

“When one person undertakes to help, we shouldn't break the fellow's back,” he said.

“In Jirapa, we are over 200,000 natives. If one person comes to support and our demand seems to quadruple because there is an Anwelle Foundation, the foundation will collapse before we get the necessary impact.”

Leader of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Bimoba Youth Chief, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, also donated GH¢5,000.

He urged political actors not to view youth-led development initiatives through partisan lenses or undermine them through what he described as the “Pull Him Down” syndrome.

Board Chairman of the Anwelle Foundation, Prof Williams Angko, said the name Anwelle translates from the local dialect to mean “no one should be left behind”.

He pledged that the foundation would operate according to principles of transparency, non-partisanship and merit-based assistance.

“The board will ensure that every resource entrusted to us is used transparently and reaches out to those in need—not those who are related to us. Everybody is our relative,” Prof Angko said.

The launch also attracted international participation, including Daniel N. Kolubah, Presidential Envoy for Trade, Investments and Special Duties of Liberia, for whom Mr Anwelle serves as Special Aide for Ghana.

Mr Kolubah urged African leaders and development organisations to focus on measurable community impact rather than the number of programmes they announce.

“The true measure of leadership lies not only in what we achieve for ourselves, but also in the opportunities that we create and the lives that we positively impact,” he said.

Chairman of the occasion, Prof Osumanu Issaka Kanton, said the foundation’s success would ultimately depend on sustained work in communities.

He called on the Jirapa Municipal Assembly, traditional authorities and development partners to collaborate with the foundation in addressing poverty and other development challenges in the area.