The International Help of Missionaries (IHM), an American based humanitarian organisation has donated a ford ambulance to the Catholic Archdiocese in Ghana’s capital city of Accra at a short ceremony in Accra.
Making the donation on December 30, 2021 on behalf of the IHM, Rev. Fr. Cletus Forson, a Trustee of the IHM said the gesture was to support Catholic Health facilities at Korledor, the IHM Clinic and Battor Hospital. He thanked the president, and all members of IHM who helped to procure and ship the ambulance.
He expressed his gratitude specially to Mr. Peter Cardone and family, Rev. Msgr. Guy Massie and his parishioners at Sacred Heart and St Stephen’s Parish, New York, Marie Ray Guido and family for all their help and support.
Fr. Forson, who once worked in the Accra Archdiocese as the Priest-in-charge of Holy Rosary Catholic Church at Adenta, officially presented the keys of the ambulance to the Metropolitan Archbishop, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie.
Receiving the ambulance on behalf of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Kwofie expressed his gratitude to IHM, Fr. Cletus Forson and Don Magnotta, President of IHM for all their support.
The Archbishop handed over the ambulance to Very Rev Fr Peter Rocky Hesse, the Director of Health for the Archdiocese of Accra, recalling how during the Covid-19 crises, IHM immensely supported the Archdiocese of Accra.
In a remark, Fr. Hesse thanked IHM for their support so far as quality health care delivery for the Archdiocese of Accra is concerned.
He assured IHM that the ambulance would be well kept and maintained to serve the intention of the donors and expressed the hope that the good relationship that existed between IHM and the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra would grow from strength to strength.
He added that as part of the Archbishop’s vision for the Archdiocese, he has a great quest to help improve the health care system of the Archdiocese, hinting that the Archbishop would very soon launch what is called ‘LEGACY OF HOPE’ as part of the package in ensuring that Health Care delivery in the Archdiocese is prioritized.
Present at the short handing over ceremony were the Financial Director of the Archdiocese of Accra, Very Rev. Fr. John Neumann Tettehfio the Secretary to the Archbishop, Rev Fr. Emmanuel Appah.
IHM is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in New York City, that provides assistance to missionaries and the religious in deprived communities across the globe.
IHM, since its formation in 2008 has contributed greatly to developments in the rural areas of Ghana. Through the drilling of bore-holes, building of a clinic renovation of dilapidated classroom blocks in the Volta, Ashanti and Eastern Regions.
As part of its humanitarian gesture, the International Help of Missionaries (IHM), through the charity department of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, Caritas, recently reached out to the vulnerable and the needy in Accra amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, Fr. Forson told newswatchgh.com in an exclusive interview at a presentation ceremony at Ashaiman to selected Catholic Churches that the IHM was poised in helping to alleviate the sufferings of people living in deprived communities in Ghana.
He noted that IHM’s humanitarian support is a widow’s mite that cannot completely eradicate the sufferings of people but only help to reduce their plight, saying the decision to reach out to the vulnerable and the needy was a suggestion from the President of IHM, Mr. Donald Magnotta, before Easter this year.
Fr. Forson revealed in the interview that IHM responds to requests of the needy and there were plans in the offing to support other regions of the country whenever such request come.
He explained “Accra became the first focus because the lockdown affected Accra and Kumasi,” noting that “it is also because the greater majority of the poor folks- kayayei (Head Porters), people sleeping in kiosk and many artisans are in Accra.”
Last year also, through the support of IHM, Caritas Accra purchased food items such as bags of rice, oil, tin tomatoes and mackerel, which has been distributed to about 24 selected communities so far within the Accra Metropolis and Tema-Battor communities. They include Tema New Town, Dawhenya, Prampram, Koluedor, Afienya, Kordiabe among others.
