Some members of the club, nurses from the health center, and the 23 artisans in a group picture
Some 23 artisans in and around Obuasi were given working tools and equipment on Saturday, June 1, 2024, to enable them to set up their businesses.
The donation was made by an Obuasi-based non-profit association, the Fifty 50 Club.
The club also presented medical equipment to the Wioso Health Center in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region.
Founded in July 2020, the Fifty 50 Club, known for its consistent donations and support to health institutions and individuals, is made up of employees of AngloGold Ashanti and its subsidiaries, as well as employees of other corporate organizations across the country and abroad.
The members of the club, which currently stands at 260, make monthly contributions in support of the club’s objectives.
Speaking to the media after donating, the president and founder of the club, Jacob Edmund-Acquah, said the donation was made on the back of similar donations in 2022 and 2023, where six health centers were given medical items to aid quality healthcare delivery.
He said the Wioso Health Center, which was in dire need of support, was given 2 crank beds with drip stands, 1 nebulizing machine, 1 oxygen cylinder with a flowmeter, 2 BP apparatuses, 2 forceps, 2 weighing scales, and 1 medication trolley.
The club also donated various tools and equipment to 23 artisans in and around the Obuasi community.
The items donated included 13 dryers, 13 hand dryers, and 13 washing basins to 13 hairdressers; 7 sewing machines and 7 pressing irons to 7 seamstresses; 2 portable welding machines, 2 angle grinders, and 2 electrode holders to 2 welders; and 1 toolbox with assorted tools to an auto mechanic.
The donation, according to Edmund-Acquah, was expected to equip the artisans to set up their own businesses and provide them with an avenue to be self-sustainable.
"This is the 13th time our club has made donations. We believe that this support will help cushion the artisans, who mostly find it difficult to acquire tools to kick-start their businesses. We are optimistic that this will go a long way toward building them up to also employ or train others," he said.
The medical equipment and working tools for artisans amounted to a total of GHC 81,526.
The president thanked members for contributing to supporting a worthy cause while encouraging others to join the club to support humanity.
Eric Atuahene Agyeman, the Adansi North District Health Director who received the medical items on behalf of the Wioso Health Center, commended the Fifty 50 Club for their support.
He called for more private sector involvement in delivering quality healthcare services.
He said, "The government cannot shoulder all the burdens associated with quality healthcare delivery. The gesture by the Fifty 50 Club opens the door for other individuals and NGOs to come on board to address key challenges in the health sector," he added.
Mr. Agyeman revealed that the directorate has been affected by the high attrition rate of nurses in the country.
He, however, called on the government to post more health workers to the district to address the shortfalls.
Emmanuel Appiah, an auto mechanic, described the intervention from the Fifty-50 Club as a welcome relief.
He recounted how difficult it has been for himself and others to get the tools to set them up properly after completing their training or apprenticeship.
"It has always been a daunting task for some of us to get tools to work with. A lot of us are engaged in illegal activities like galamsey just to get some money to buy tools. We remain grateful to the club," he said.
Parents of a past beneficiary, Petra Bimpomaa Adusei, also expressed their gratitude to the club for helping their child undergo successful heart surgery.
The Fifty 50 Club has made several donations over the past 4 years, including contributing to the cost of surgeries and/or medical treatments for kids and other individuals with various heart/medical conditions.
They have also supported community clinics with medical equipment and supplies, provided scholarships to brilliant but needy students, and set up businesses for many artisans.
