Aundrey Flewellen Installed As Development Chief In Ekoo Community – Cape Coast
Aundrey Flewellen, an Atlanta actor, first set foot on Ghanaian soil in 2022, he had no idea that two years later, he would return not just as a tourist but as royalty.
On Saturday, April 19, 2025, in a ceremony rich with tradition and celebration, Aundrey was installed as Nana Kwame Foya I, the Development Chief of the Ekoo Community in Cape Coast, Central Region of Ghana. In a heartfelt conversation with Ameyaw Debrah on the A-Z Show on Ameyaw TV, Aundrey shared the whirlwind journey that led to this life-changing honor.
“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” Aundrey said, reflecting on the ceremony. But what greeted him was overwhelming: “There were people wearing T-shirts with my face on it… pamphlets, posters, billboards. I’ve never had this before — it was crazy!”
His connection with Ghana began in 2022 when he visited with a friend, Rashid. “I really love the culture. I love the people. Everybody’s like really respectful. I was like, I feel at home here.”
It wasn’t until a casual conversation with his friend, filmmaker Dennis Bentil, that the idea of a deeper bond with Ghana surfaced. “We were just talking in passing and I was like, ‘Yeah, I went to Ghana back in 2022, and I really fell in love. I would love to get a passport and become a dual citizen,’” he recalled.
That conversation opened unexpected doors. “He was like, ‘You know my dad’s like the big chief in Cape Coast.’ I was like, ‘Oh really? Okay.’” Through Dennis, Aundrey connected with Nana — the chief — and discussions began. “He’s like, you can do your citizenship the mainstream way or… become a chief. I said, ‘Of what?!’”
As he learned more about the layered traditional structures of Ghanaian chieftaincy, Aundrey decided to take the leap. His journey to Cape Coast for his installation was an adventure on its own. “On paper, it’s supposed to be three hours,” he laughed. “But the roads were being fixed… It ended up being like four and a half, close to five hours.”
Travel challenges aside, including an Uber driver who tried to charge extra for using air conditioning, Aundrey stayed focused on the purpose. “We met with the Central Region Minister… he said, ‘Once you do your installation, you can buy land and find a way to become a dual citizen.’”
At the ceremony, Aundrey was given his new title: Nana Kwame Foya I, Development Chief of the Ekoo Community. His role is about driving real, lasting change. “As a Development Chief, you set up an NGO or a nonprofit… you find ways to uplift the community by bringing funds — whether it’s from America, Europe, wherever.”
Initial conversations with the local chairman revealed some immediate needs like clothes and school supplies for kids. But Aundrey has a broader vision. “I was like, I don’t have a problem with clothes and shoes. That’s great. But I think we can do more,” he said. “Because it’s like, if you give a man a fish today, he’ll eat today. But what happens after the clothes wear out? After the shoes wear out?”
His focus is on sustainability through education and business empowerment. “What if we have a focus on education? Empowering people to make stuff themselves so they can sell it for commerce — bring money to the community.”
Aundrey’s passion for giving back isn’t new. “Through my life, like in church and through school, my family always instilled in me to always find a need to give back to people because people poured into me.”
Although he’s new to holding a traditional leadership title, Aundrey has years of service behind him, from mission trips during college to community work in the U.S. Now, he’s ready to channel all of that into the Ekoo Community.
“It’s not about me,” he said simply. “It’s about the people. And I just want to be a part of something bigger than myself.”
From Hollywood sets to the royal traditions of Cape Coast, Aundrey Flewellen’s story is one of connection, purpose, and a heartfelt return to a new kind of home.
