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Ghana Project
Dr. Sakyi Awuku Amoa, director general for the Ghana AIDS Commission recently noted that between five and 11 per cent of the population in the tiny West-African country of Ghana are infected with HIV or AIDS. Amoa states complacency towards protection and treatment of HIV/AIDS is one of the main problems official face. He also states areas of high rates of malnutrition and poverty suffer from a greater number of HIV/AIDS cases.

"We have until today around 65 million people infected (with HIV), 25 million of whom have already died and 40 million living with the virus, of who 30 million are living in Africa." These numbers have increased in the last two years. In Ghana, hard hit by pandemic, morbidity and mortality continue to rise.  400,000 adults and children are burdened by this disease and projections are expected to reach 500,000.
The Matthew 25 House was established by Father Alex Bobby Benson, a Catholic priest, in the Diocese of Koforidua in the Eastern region. The program has over 300 participants.  A vast majority are women.  Women are more vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS. As a result young women constitute the major risk group for AIDS in Africa. HIV/AIDS transmission is gendered because of the unequal distribution of power in most social systems in Africa, which manifests itself in the vulnerability of women in relationships with men, be they strangers, boyfriends, sexual clients, or husbands.
 
Matthew 25 Mission Statement is to establish a partnership in the battle against HIV/AIDS through the provision of care and support for "people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) , orphans and vulnerable children, creating awareness as well as educating the population of GHANA about the pandemic.
 
The Matthew 25 House provides four aspects of it's mission.
 
  1. Care and support for people living with AIDS/HIV (PLWHA)
  2. Care and support for orphans of those who died from AIDS
  3. Peer education and information, education and communications for those affected and their families
  4. Train volunteers who arrange for visits to PLWHA's in their homes when needed.
Father Alex Bobby Benson recently came to Rhode Island to study and was met by President Richard Lemay and the World Community Service Committee, chaired by Charles Seavor. He outlined the many needs of support to continue the mission of Mathew 25 to educate as well as feed the PLWHA's so the few medications available may work to assure a reasonable quality of life to those afflicted who will die and the children left behind. A major focus of education for prevention requires funds to support these programs. Committee members were deeply moved to hear that there are so many deaths that funerals are "batched" to one day a week rather than have funerals every day for victims'  of AIDS.
 
The Rotary Club of Woonsocket Board of Directors voted to send $3,000.00 to Father Benson in support of nutrition and to those afflicted.
Clubs interested in assisting Father Benson are welcomed to contact him
 
Father Alex Bobby Benson
Mathew 25 Ministires
P.O. Box 2807
Koforidua-Ghana
E-Mail: bobbylarteh@yahoo.com