Accra, Ghana, September 12, 2020//- Ghanaian radio/TV personality Abeiku Aggrey Santana and his partners Derrick Cobbinah, Africa’s Project Officer for the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and GUBA Foundation defied the heat of COVID-19 pandemic to join World War II (WWII) veteran Joseph Hammond on his last charity walk.
Earlier this year, Mr Hammond, 95-year old was recognized for his efforts both locally and internationally after walking a total of 14 miles during the height of the pandemic.
The Ghanaian World War II veteran walked 3.2 kilometres (two miles) each day to reach his target on Africa Day in Accra and raised almost £43,000.
Mr Abeiku Santana supported and brought to light the activities the veteran who recorded a walk of 14 miles in a week as part of a fundraiser to support Africa’s COVID-19 front-line workers.
This gesture by this noble man went viral in the international media including Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, DW, France 24 and Washington Post.
It also attracted a number of corporations and individuals to reciprocated the goodwill and stretch their arm of support to the veteran.
Today, the First National Bank that launched ASPIRE (Accelerated Support for Pandemic Intervention and Relief Effort) a few months ago to assist government and its stakeholders in mitigating the impact of the pandemic donated an amount of Ghc12,000 to Mr Hammond.
Speaking to a session of the media, Dominic Adu, the first Ghanaian CEO of the bank said they were proud to be a part of his last walk and to share in his story.
The donation according to him was their way of motivating him to keep up the food work, saying: “it is our fervent hope and prayer that First National Bank will look back in the future and also tells their story as the best bank that ever existed in Ghana”.
Consequently, Ghanaian philanthropist and Prince of Africa, Nana Kwame Bediako proudly known as Freedom Jacob Caesar and his New Africa Foundation who has been showing a greater level of generosity amid the pandemic also donated a fully furnished house to the veteran who lived 75years of his life in his family home in Accra.
WO1Joseph Hammond who was inspired by the story of Captain Tom Moore becoming a national hero in the United Kingdom for raising 33 million pounds ($40m) to help NHS before turning 100 was full of praise to the philanthropist and the First National Bank and thanked them for leading the path.
He admonished selfishness in the Ghanaian populace and urged the all to continue to support the less privileged in any way they can.
African Eye Report
