Officials of MIIF present a cheque to the Apeate Relief Fund
The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has presented relief items worth over GH₵ 250,000 to the victims of the Apeate explosion in the Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in the Western Region as part of efforts to help restore their lives.
The relief items included 50 tents, capable of sheltering 200 people, clothing, plastic cups, tubers of yam, bags of gari, various canned foods and beans as well as other provisions and spices.
This donation is in addition to a GH₵200,000 gesture made on February 22, 2022 to the Apeate Support Fund, set up purposely to receive cash donations towards supporting victims and the general reconstruction of the community.
The relief items presented were to redeem a pledge made by MIIF following a needs assessment visit to the Apeate Relief Camp in February 2022.
Presenting the items, the Chief Executive Officer of the MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, told an enthusiastic gathering at the camp: “Today, we have brought what you requested of us when we came to see you”.
“At MIIF, we believe that whatever happens to you happens to all of us. And we do that in the spirit of Ubuntu, which requires us to burden-share with the disadvantaged in the community. We are, because you are. It is our prayer that this token would help reduce your burden and bring you some restoration,” the MIIF CEO noted.
He added: “For us at MIIF, we made a promise and we have delivered. We are proud that we could bring some measure of hope and restoration to this community. Having seen that level of tragedy, we believe it is a victory of the human spirit for them to be able to even laugh and have hope and expectations for a better tomorrow”.
Relief fund/appreciation
Thirteen people died and hundreds got injured in Apeate, a small Western Regional town along the Bogoso-Tarkwa road, when a truck carrying explosives to a mining site exploded.
Several companies and organisations have since responded to the humanitarian emergency by contributing to the Apeate Support Fund.
The Chairperson of the Apeate Support Fund, Dr. Joyce Aryee, was happy about the donation from MIIF, saying: “I know you have been there on the ground to do some needs assessment.”
According to her, the Fund’s main duty is to restore hope and facilitate the construction of a new community for the victims.
“I wholly applaud your decision to also make a physical donation as a top-up on the cash. This is brilliant. We want other companies to emulate your example,” Dr Aryee said.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Prestea Huni-Valley, Dr Isaac Dasmani, on behalf of the Apeate explosion victims, registered his sincere appreciation to the MIIF team.
“We were here when they came. We told them we needed tents, food, among others. They have brought all of that and still given a donation in Accra. Many companies have come to donate to us, and for that we are grateful,” the MCE added.
About The Author
