By D.I. Laary
Accra, Dec. 08, GNA – The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (HDMF) at the weekend launched a nationwide donation box campaign to support persons with disabilities (PWDs) and vulnerable girls, urging Ghanaians to give generously this festive season.
The launch, held at the A & C Mall in East Legon, Accra, marked the official activation of donation boxes placed at strategic locations, including 10 branches of the National Investment Bank (NIB) PLC and other public spaces.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the programme, Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation, appealed to the public to contribute spare change toward life-changing interventions.
She said, “Today is a very special day for the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation. Your small change can bring big change to one person with disability or girl at a time,” emphasising that every coin or note dropped into the boxes could transform lives.
“We established the Foundation in 2018, and working with persons with disabilities and vulnerable girls is very challenging. Many cannot sponsor themselves, so we decided to mobilise support through donation boxes,” she added.
Madam Djaba expressed gratitude to Mr Andrew Kwabena Asamoah, CEO of A & C Mall, for hosting the event and accepting three donation boxes at the mall and its corner shop.
She also expressed thanks to the NIB PLC for permitting the Foundation to place these donation boxes at 10 of its branches including Osu, East Legon, Tema, Parliament House, and Cedi House.
“This is not just about money. Even giving us space is an act of kindness,” she said. “Every coin, every cedi, every act of generosity counts. Whether it’s one cedi or a million, we will accept it with gratitude,”she said
The initiative, supported by STAR Ghana Foundation and the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), aims to fund scholarships, assistive devices, boreholes, medical equipment, and vocational training in cosmetology, fashion design, beadwork, and soap making.
Madam Djaba said “This donation box campaign is about dignity, empowerment, and ensuring no one is left behind. “Let the donation boxes be full this Christmas. Together, we can build an inclusive Ghana.”
She indicated that over 1,000 vulnerable girls and persons with disabilities in Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality have already benefited from the Foundation’s programmes.
She called for support to expand training at the Foundation’s centre in Somanya and appealed to telecom companies and the Ministry of Roads and Transport to address mobile phone network and road infrastructure challenges in underserved communities.
“No one should have to climb a tree for mobile coverage,” she said.
Mrs Esther Agyemang Prempeh of NIB’s Corporate Affairs Department, who represented the bank, reaffirmed NIB’s commitment to inclusive development.
She noted that the donation would greatly empower women, girls, and persons with disabilities, while helping to reduce poverty among vulnerable groups.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo