By Damian Avevor
Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, Director of Matthew 25 House at Koforidua and winner of the MTN Heroes of Change 2017 Programme in the Health Category, says he has been humbled by winning a cash prize of GH¢30,000 at a ceremony at the National Theatre in Accra on Friday, May 20.
In an interview with The Catholic Standard, he said “I felt very happy and humbled to get this far”, saying that he would use the money to continue the construction of a Hospice for persons with terminal illness from all diseases at Koforidua which is still in progress.
He thanked the Management of MTN for putting the programme together to recognise the efforts of individuals who were making an impact in their communities through their initiatives.
Msgr. Bobby Benson said he was happy that the ultimate prize went to a lady who had worked hard to establish a School for people of her own status. “She really deserved to be the overall winner.”
Asked how he got involved in the competition, he said a niece of his, a Nurse, visited him and was overwhelmed by what she saw him doing in the area of HIV/AIDS and promised to find him support.
“I got to know later that she had nominated me for MTN Heroes of Change award. That was the first time I heard of the programme and the process started,” he stated.
He noted that stigmatization of HIV and AIDS patients could be reduced through constant education at all places, calling on Pastors to use their pulpits and Ghanaians in general to champion this cause. HIV/AIDS is still with us and all hands must be on deck to fight it.
“Our health is our wealth. I appeal to every Ghanaian to take good care of his or her health to reduce cost on medication and treatments.
The Third Edition of the Heroes of Change programme was organised by MTN Foundation, where ordinary Ghanaians who were transforming lives in the areas of Health, Education and Economic Empowerment were recognised and rewarded for their selfless and extraordinary work in their communities.
Msgr. Bobby Benson was shortlisted for the Award for catering for the needs of marginalized persons with HIV/AIDS and providing spiritual, emotional and financial support to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.
He was among ten finalists who were shortlisted from over 1,700 entries. Three prizes were awarded to three winners in the Health, Education and Economic Empowerment categories.
Rev. Fr. Moses Awinongya, SVD, the Founder of Regentropfen Education Foundation (REF) and Regentropfen College of Applied Sciences (ReCAS) at Kansoe in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, also won a GH¢ 30,000 cash prize for the Education category.
Mr. Jack Dawson, a Social Worker, who set up the APPLE Foundation to rescue children from trafficking, emerged the winner in Economic Empowerment Category.
The three winners were presented with a cheque for GH¢30,000 each, a Plaque, Certificate, Citation and a variety of MTN gifts.
The overall winner was Genevieve Basigha, a speech and hearing impaired lady who has established a Special School at Obuasi to assist deaf and dumb children with education. She took home a cash prize of GH¢100, 000.
The other competitors were, Joseph Asakibeem, Dr. Michael Adusei-Nsowah, Ibrahim Bafara Alhassan, Nana Prof. Osei Kofi Darkwa III, Joanna Mansa Deegbe, and John Amankrah-Essel.
Msgr. Bobby Benson founded Matthew 25 House, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Ghana, to help those infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS as well as give aid to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).
Matthew 25 is a formidable partner in the fight against HIV and AIDS to help check the spread of the pandemic, offer care and support to People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) and their orphans whilst sensitizing them to be bold and go out to tell the world the disease is real.
According to him, the idea of the establishment of Matthew 25 was conceived in 1996 when he was studying in the United States of America (USA) as a Student Chaplain, where two people living with HIV were brought to him and his colleagues in one of their classes.
“I was touched so much that after they had spoken to us and I hugged them, sat and chatted with them. It was then that I realized that people living with HIV were also humans, who needed to be encouraged in diverse ways. Before this moment, I had said I will not get nearer to them because I was afraid but my action broke the barrier”, Msgr. Bobby Benson said.
When he came back to Ghana in 1997, remembering the experience he had when in the USA, he decided to help in his small way to form a support base by opening a Centre at the old Parish Hall of St. Anthony Catholic Church at Akwatia where he was then the Parish Priest. He christened it Matthew Chapter 25 Project, which started in 1999 with nine HIV patients who met every Thursday at the Parish Hall and later increased to 20. Now the number is 90.
Msgr. Bobby Benson, a Priest of the Koforidua Diocese, said “Society forgets that the disease is no respecter of persons and that anyone can fall prey irrespective of one’s social, political, religious or economic background.”
On his part, Fr. Awinongya was nominated for the Season III edition of the MTN Heroes of Change award for standing out as the voice of the under-privileged and for leading to speak out the message of sustainable change.
Regentropfen Education Foundation supports over 200 beneficiaries in various towns and villages across Ghana; it has established the Regentropfen College of Applied Sciences in Kansoe in the Bongo District; currently constructing the Regentropfen Basic School and the construction of Rausmayer Institute for Technical Training both at Namoo.
It is also constructing the Sternstunden Happy Home for Children in Namoo. Further to that it has constructed mechanised boreholes for Namoo Primary A and Azeem-Namoa Senior High School (financed by Grundschule Neuried, Germany).
The Foundation is constructing a six classroom block at Azeem-Namoa Senior High and Technical School through the financial support with Rhein-Sieg-Gymnasium in Sankt Augustin, Germany.
It has also helped many young people to establish their businesses. Both ReCAS and REF are creating jobs for many a people in Namoo and the country at large. These are things which speak a clear language: “the reality of a better tomorrow begins with a dream today”.
