Francis Asenso-Boakye
The Deputy Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has paid a glorious tribute to the Rotary Club for the impact it continues to make in improving the lives of individuals and groups.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye, who is a Rotarian himself, indicated that the club played a vital role in modelling him to become who he is today.
He was speaking at the Rotary International District 9102 Conference – Foundation Lunch at the Accra International Conference Centre last Friday.
“I owe you eternal gratitude above all, for I am one of the millions of people the world over whose lives have been improved or transformed because of the vision and generosity of the Rotary Foundation”, Mr. Asenso-Boakye stated.
He recalled how the intervention of the club spared him the misfortune of dropping out of school – a privilege some of his childhood friends could not get.
“As a young boy growing up at Bantama in the heart of Kumasi, I was spared the misfortune of many of my childhood friends who dropped out at the basic school level. As I made my way step by step up the educational ladder, my close-knit community kept encouraging and urging me on”, he disclosed.
He also recounted the opportunities the club offered him during his school days in Michigan State in the United States through a scholarship programme.
“My Rotary opportunity and experience also helped cement my interest in public service as a way of giving back to my society and helping to make it a better place for all. While still at Michigan State, I had the opportunity to work as a legislative intern at the Michigan House of Representatives, thus getting my first taste of the inner workings of the policy-making and legislative process of government,” he added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak