There is this quote by Paul Hawken that says: “Being a good human being is good business”, and this depicts how many people sacrificed at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to keep others safe, and to feed the less-privileged.
For a businessman, Henry Asumen Ankrah, it was time for him to exhibit what he believes – God blesses you to be a blessing to others. “I come from nothing so I know how hard it is to have nothing. When COVID-19 hit, the economy became hard; and I thought if it is hard for business people, then how much more for the people who have nothing? I thought God has blessed me not for myself, but for people. That is why I do what I do.”
It is on this tangent that Henry and his team drilled mechanised boreholes in many deprived communities including Abrodien in Suhum-Koforidua, Nii Abradja in Assin Fosu, and Kpeve in the Volta Region to provide water for better COVID-19 management.
They also distributed hot meals and water to about 600 aged people in Taifa market and Bukom. The team went ahead to share personal protective equipment (PPE) which were necessities during the time, in Mallam market, Regent University, to inmates in Airport police station, Dansoman, and Weija in the Greater Accra region, as well as Kpeve in the Volta region.
Though things were difficult for businesses as well, Mr. Asumen Ankrah did all these using profits from his business activities. “I use the profits from my businesses. I am an importer of all kinds of wine. I have not received any money from anyone to support these projects. It has always been my team and me,” he said.
Speaking about the impact of the project, he said: “I believe we have touched over a thousand lives. You could clearly see from the places we shared food in Bukom, Taifa, and all the other places that people were really struggling because of the pandemic.
“But what stands out in all of these is that we were able to provide a good source of water to these communities during a time that water was pivotal in the management and prevention of COVID-19. It is heartwarming. I feel fulfilled and I believe helping people is my true calling. I am particularly grateful that life is happening for other people through me.”
Having faced challenges such as bad roads to these communities and the fact that the team was the sole funders of these projects and therefore faced some financial difficulties along the line, Henry indicated that he would not give up on helping others, especially the less-privileged.
He highlighted their plan for the future, saying: “We want to continue doing this. Wherever the road takes us, we want to continue helping people, especially by providing water to deprived communities outside Accra.
“Most NGOs and non-profit organisations are targetting communities like James town and orphanages in Accra neglecting the actual rural communities in other regions that need help the most. It will be great to have support to facilitate other projects going forward.”
MTN Ghana Foundation
The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in November 2007 as the vehicle to select and implement MTN’s Corporate Social Investments. MTN Ghana Foundation has three areas of focus – Health, Education, and Economic Empowerment. From its inception to date, the Foundation has undertaken 158 major projects across the country. This includes 87 Education Projects, 53 Health Care Projects, 13 Economic Empowerment Projects, and 4 Community Support Initiatives.
