B-HeCK Africa NGOs Alliance holds candlelight memorial durbar for COVID-19 victims

The B-HeCK Africa NGOs Alliance, as part of its COV-WEEK 2020 observation has organised a candlelight memorial durbar to pay homage to those who succumbed to COVID-19 and to mark the one year of the outbreak of the pandemic.

The durbar was also used to honour individuals who played various roles in helping curb the spread of the virus in Ghana and Africa at large.

Five frontline doctors who recovered from the coronavirus were given cash donations as a special initiative to provide them with special health financing support.

The Alliance through its commerce arm, the Brands Ambassador Africa Foundation (BAAF) also crowned five Ghanaians and other foreign nationals as the most outstanding brand ambassadors in Africa.

According to the group, these personalities used unique ways to add distinct significant market value to the brands they represent in this COVID 19 era.

Speaking at the event on Friday (November 27, 2020), the founder and chairman of B-HeCK Africa NGOs Alliance, Mr. Martin Kaphui Tamakloe Jnr. said the well-being and growth of every person, organisation and continent depended on the vibrancy of the corporate world for a booming economy.

He was therefore of the view that B-HeCK Africa have taken a special stance to appreciate the carriers of the most outstanding brands across the globe, “especially those of African origin to empower African brands and Corporate Africa to boost the African economy vis-a-vis enhanced continental free trade and regional integration as an act of inspiring brand equity and productivity to foster quality livelihood across board especiallyin these trying times".

He added that the Brands Ambassador Africa Honours (BAAH) has come to stay at the GRAMMY of Corporate Africa.

Hence, the 2021 edition of BAAH is expected to parade over 120 distinguished brand Ambassadors across Africa who are impacting their brands and charities in a very unique way based on 22 categories to be decorated with gold.

In her welcoming address, the Global President of HELEH Africa Foundation (the health arm of B-HeCK), Dr Benedicta Ohene-Manu said, “The candlelight memorial durbar was dedicated to all individuals who succumbed to Covid 19 this year especially health frontline workers. The lighting of the candles was in remembrance of colleagues, relatives and friends along with the thousands of health care workers who lost their lives due to COVID 19”, she said.

For his part, the special guest of honour, Abel Antonio Cardenas Tuppia, Head of Mission of Peru in Ghana, called for a united front to fight the pandemic. He said, “These are times in which we must all fight this war together, because we know that illnesses and viruses do not respect borders, nationalities, and cultures or beliefs, it means that we are facing a human threat and we all must as humans”.

Awardees

Some of the awardees of the night are the host of Peace FM’s morning show Kokrokoo, Mr Kwame Sefa Kayi, Mikki Osei Berko, Nana Ama McBrown, and Jackie Appiah alongside their comperes from Zambia, Angola, Nigeria and Ethiopia, Cloe Ice, Chibamba Kanyama, David Moses, Geneveive Nnaji, D’Banj and Hannah Godefa respectively.

The objects of honour for the aforementioned personalities were a citation in their honour and a 9-carat gold-plated plaque in the shape of Africa held by hands purported to be those of the distinguished brand ambassadors helping Africa stand stall.

Wreath laying

The event also saw the laying of wreaths and the signing of a Book of Condolence by the Head of Mission from Peru in Ghana, Abel Antonio Cardenas Tuppia, Cuba’s Ambassador to Ghana, Pedro Luis Despaigne, 3rd Counsellor of Iran’s Embassy, Mr. Mahdi Marvi, Vice Consul of the Embassy of Mexico, Alejandro Siqueiros Falomir, Secretary for the Ambassador of Angola, Mauride Domingos and Col. Vincent Manengo, from the Embassy of Zambia, in honour of those who lost their lives to COVID 19 as well as stakeholders in the fight amidst tribute reading.

Supporters

The event was supported by Oxfam, The Ghana Red Cross Society, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services, Bui Power Authority and Star Assurance.

For their contribution and support in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic in partnership with the Government of Ghana through the COVID 19 National Trust Fund, Zenith Bank, Volta Regional Authority, Vitol Ghana Service, Petroleum Commission, National Petroleum Authority, Lebanese Community, Ghana Gas and Interplast Ltd. were recognized and honoured with citations which were received on their behalf by the COVID 19 National Trust Fund.