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At just five years old, Albert was sent to live with his aunts in Larteh after his mother returned to her hometown. His aunts were kenkey makers, and before long, the young boy became part of the family business.
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The royal cloth was immaculate. The ceremonial powder had been carefully applied. The palanquin stood ready.
At Akwasidae, all eyes may be drawn to the splendour of the Larteh chief, but beneath the regalia is a story that began far from the palace
Before he became Osabarima Enyinɛ Asiedu Okoo Ababio III, chief of Larteh and Benkumhene of the Akuapim Traditional Area, he was simply young Albert, a boy who spent his evenings selling kenkey to help his family survive.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey during the Akwasidae celebration, the chief looked back on a childhood that was anything but royal.
At just five years old, Albert was sent to live with his aunts in Larteh after his mother returned to her hometown. His aunts were kenkey makers, and before long, the young boy became part of the family business.
“I sold kenkey between 5 and 7,” he recalled.
His routine was remarkably simple. He would go to school during the day, return home and take over at the family stall, sell kenkey into the evening, then head home to bathe, eat and study.
There were no royal privileges waiting for him. Just school, work and the responsibilities that came with growing up in a hardworking household.
Yet, the chief says those early years were not a burden he wishes away.
Instead, they became part of the foundation on which his life was built.
Far from describing his childhood as one of deprivation, Osabarima Ababio III spoke warmly of the care he received from his aunts. Despite the work, he said he never went without food.
“There was not a single day” he went without food, he stressed, crediting his aunts for ensuring that he was properly cared for.
That memory takes on an even deeper meaning during Akwasidae — a celebration in which chiefs and their communities come together to honour tradition, reaffirm their connection with their ancestors and reflect on the values that bind the community together.
For Osabarima Ababio III, the occasion is therefore about more than the colourful display of royalty.
It is also a reminder of where he came from.
The boy who once stood behind a kenkey stall after school would go on to build a distinguished career in the civil service before eventually ascending the Larteh stool.
And perhaps that is why his childhood story resonates so strongly with the young people of Larteh.
The chief sees his journey as evidence that humble beginnings do not have to determine the limits of one’s future.
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