Victims of persistent clashes between natives and nomadic herdsmen at Agogo in the Ashanti Region are to receive support, as an education fund is established by a local businessman.
Children of deceased members of the community are being targeted for assistance from the initiative by Managing Director of Asadu Royal Waste Management, a private waste collection, and management company.
Edward Asadu will contribute twenty thousand Ghana cedis every year to support the education of children whose parents have died.
It follows a Joy News Hotline Documentary, Violent Shepherds which recounts the story of the murder of 50 local farmers in Agogo as a result of herdsmen-farmers clashes in the last 15-years.
Ohemeng Tawiah’s 7-month investigative piece highlights herdsmen-farmer clashes in Ashanti, Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions.
Residents of Agogo have been battling with activities of nomadic herdsmen who allow their cattle to feed on crops.
Confrontations between the two have led to bloodshed and reprisal attacks as breadwinners are killed.
The situation means many children whose parents or guardians are killed in the attacks are sacked from school for non-payment of fees.
The documentary also shows how many affected families have been struggling to make ends meet with single parents being unable to raise funds for their children upkeep.
Mr. Asadu who is touched by the documentary says the fund will help ameliorate the pains of affected families as their education needs are addressed.
“We want to set up an education fund that can help widows and their kids. Now their breadwinners are no more so we need to think about them — how are we going to help those people who have lost their mothers and fathers? So we just want to set up an education fund to help those who have lost their families or breadwinners,” Mr. Asadu has revealed.
The fund is expected to start disbursement in earnest, at least from next week as board of directors is constituted.
Asadu Royal Waste Management provides both commercial and residential waste collection, hedge cutting and cleaning services. It has over 10, 000 clients across the country, providing services to top-notch public and private entities in Ghana.
According to Mr. Asadu, he and his company owe it as a corporate social responsibility to give back some of the company’s gains to address the concerns of the people.
“Always we have a social responsibility as an individual and as a company as Asadu Royal Waste Management. We have to help our society as a social responsibility,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Asadu is asking individuals and corporate entities to support the families by contributing to the fund.