MTN Ghana has recognised 10 individuals for impacting communities in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic to mark its sixth edition of the Heroes of Change series.
For the Economic Empowerment Category, the awardees are: Cecilia Fiaka; a social entrepreneur, Patience Agana; an unemployed lady who created a COVID-19 relief fund to support her community, Rhoda Wedam Kodoa; a Development Worker and Henry A. Ankrah; HEAN1 Foundation Group President.
In the area of Education, the awardees are: Portia Gabor, the GJA Journalist of the Year 2022 and Ebeyeyie Foundation led by its Founder Mr Isaac Ofori.
Health Category had Prof. K. Bobi Barimah; the Executive Director at Center for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong Akuapim, Prof. William K. Ampofo of the Noguchi Medical Research Institute, Gloria Sarkodie Addo, a Mental Health Nurse and David Hagan, the Executive Director of the Galaxy Foundation.
Each Heroes of Change winner received, a citation, certificates, and a cheque for GH₵20,000 for their hard work and contributions to society.
The Challenge, which falls under MTN Ghana Foundation aims at identifying and recognising selfless people who continue to sacrifice their time and resources to improve their communities and brighten lives.
Mr Selorm Adadevoh, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Ghana, said, the COVID-19 pandemic had helped strengthened the frontiers of digital communication.
He said it was such digital acumen and acceleration that helped the heroes to fast-track their initiatives, reach out to the vulnerable and help transform their lives during the pandemic.
“At the heart of this transformation is you, your work and roles as heroes of change is first of heart-warming and secondly mind-blowing,” Mr Adadevoh said.
He said it would take just a person to make a change in their community and that MTN Ghana was promoting the Heroes, particularly several female empowerment programmes towards gender diversity.
Madam Addo, an awardee, who runs a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center for Mentally Challenged Persons told the GNA that the prize money would help care for the needs of the 51 patients under her care.
She said: “I always make sure that their medications are available, and some are expensive, the patients cannot afford, so the money would cushion them, ” and for support from corporates.
Since its inception, 50 heroes have been recognised and awarded for their contributions to society with five emerging as the overall Heroes of Change winners.
MTN Heroes of Change has won several awards, including 2016 IPR Best Community Relations Programme of the Year and CSR Programme 2015 by the Head of State Awards Scheme.