The Kessben Outreach Foundation a subsidiary of the Kessben Group of Companies has donated GHC50,000 to the Appiatse Support Fund.
The Foundation on Monday, February 14, 2021, presented dummy cheque to the committee and also indicated plans to donate 3000 bags of cement to support the reconstruction of the community.
Speaking during the presentation, the General Manager of Kessben Media, Mr. Andrew Danso Aninkorah said the company finds it compelling to donate to the fund as a means of assisting government to cater for the peculiar needs of the community.
He indicated that the Kessben Foundation is collaborating with other benevolent persons and institutions to support the government with 10,000 bags of cement.
Mr. Andrew Danso Aninkrah said that “we believe it’s an opportunity for us to show that media is not just criticizing but also leading the way and bringing people together. It’s our way of showing how media can be used for development.
“Nobody wished Appiatse happened but we also want to use the opportunity to learn so that we prevent it from happening,” he said.
Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, the chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund expressed the gratitude of the committee, government and the people of Appiatse to the Foundation.
She also promised Ghanaians of transparency and accountability and assured that all donations will be used for the intended purpose.
She tasked members of his committee to work in ways that will inspire confidence in them and not create perceptions of diversion of donations.
“The reconstruction committee through the support fund will ensure that be it bags of cement or iron rods, they will be sent through the Support Fund for onward disbursement to the Reconstruction Committee.
“We don’t want to disperse what we are doing. We don’t want to disturb people and make people accuse them. We will receive the donations and direct where it should be sent.
“There is so much mistrust, cynicism and misrepresentation but if we can use what happened in Appiatse to redirect the hearts and support of Ghanaians to support one another, it will bring a lot of satisfaction”, she said.
The committee was set up to raise support funds and supervise the disbursement of funds for the sole benefit of the people of Appiatse.
The intention is to help in the rehabilitation of persons affected by the explosion at Appiatse, a community near Bogoso in the Prestia Huni Valley District in the Western Region, on January.