Lepers Aid Committee organizes Carol festival to raise funds

Accra, Dec. 18, GNA – The Lepers Aid Committee, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has organised a Night of Music and Carol festival to raise funds in aid of the Cured Lepers Project at the Christ The King Church in Accra.

The Music was performed by the Angelic Orchestra and Choir, from the Western Region and the Winneba Youth Choir from the Central Region.

The fund raising event is to complete Leprosy Unit project at Kokofu in the Ashanti Region, which is expected to be completed by the end of February next year.

The Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, Founder of the NGO, estimated the cost of the project to be GH¢548,067.00.

He said the Common Fund Secretariat has supported the project with GH¢250,000, out of the total amount. “The rest we are raising through voluntary contributions and fundraising activities; the construction is at the roofing level and we want to finish it in God’s Name by the end of February and commission it to commemorate the World Leprosy Day celebration in March”.

Rev. Father Campbell said the project when completed will help break the transmission chain of the disease by identifying, treating and managing lepers at the early stages of the infection and would also help prevent disabilities and the stigma attached to the disease.

He said the Lepers Aid Committee has led to the creation of many leprosy units in the country including one at Weija in the Greater Accra Region, Ho in the Volta Region and Nkanchina near Kpandai in the Northern Region.

This he said, were all being catered for through the fundraising activities and the benevolence of organisations and individuals.

Rev Father Campbell said leprosy was an infectious disease that causes severe disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms and legs, adding, ‘The disease has been around since ancient times, often surrounded by terrifying, negative stigmas and tales of leprosy patients being shunned as outcasts”.

He said the outbreaks of leprosy have affected and panicked people on every continent, adding that, people worldwide are affected with the disease and appealed to the government, benevolent organisations and NGOs to contribute generously towards the project.

Mrs Matilda Amissah, Former First Lady and Chairperson of the occasion called on Ghanaians to support the project in any form that they could.

She said this was a very worthy cause taken by the Rev. Father Campbell, and that, irrespective of which religious denomination one belongs, “you could contribute to this worthy cause championed by the Priest”.    

GNA

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