Kofi Owusu Aduonum
16 November 2009
Accra — Chelsea and Ghanaian ace, Michael Essien, last Saturday begun a journey intended to touch so many lives and improve the wellbeing of ordinary people at the launch of the Michael Essien Foundation (MEF).
The MEF, the midfielder's long cherished dream was launched at the Banquet Hall, State House in Accra, by former World's best footballer George Opong Weah in a classy occasion that drew the elite in society.
Essien, in the company of his skipper, Stephen Appiah, Eric Addo, John Paintsil and Sulley Muntari stormed the Banquet Hall under police escort and were met on arrival by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Rashid Pelpuo, where a brief interaction and photographs preceded the occasion.
Telecommunication Company, MTN, pledged mouthwatering annual 20,000 pounds assistance to the Essien Foundation.
It was Adom FM's Kofi Asare Brako (Abatay) who conducted the auction segment, where an Essien autographed shirt he wore in the Chelsea-Man U Community Shield game went for GH¢40,000.
In solidarity for their team mate's project, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Peter Cech and Chelsea FC offered their autographed sports kits which went for GH¢31,000, GH¢3,000, GH¢8,000, GH¢500 and GH¢1,000 respectively. In all, GH¢88,000 plus the MTN hard currency pledge was realized.
Describing the Foundation as the beginning of his long awaited dream, narrating the story of his elder soccer loving brother who died in search of water for the family, as well as helping develop the basic amenities in Awutu and its immediate environs, and to mentor the youth to engage more in education and sports.
He and his colleagues left the program close to the end because they had to report to camp for the Ghana-Mali game. Hon. Pelpuo expressed the wish that the Foundation will not become a nine day wonder but rather will be a story of hope and inspiration as Essien puts it.
The Foundation primarily seeks to give the under privileged in Awutu and its immediate environs access to basic amenities in health, libraries, public toilrets and clean drinking water, and to raise funds to support some of the local projects in the Awutu area as well as to mentor and encourage the youth through sporting activities.
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I always knew essien had much more greater things 4 his community, ghana n africa @ a whole. We will always be with u. Go essien.