Interplast Ghana, producers of plastic pipes, ceiling panels and other plastic products has donated cash and T-shirts through the May 9 foundation for families of the victims of the Accra stadium disaster as well as other needy groups.
The donations coincided with the 23nd anniversary of the tragic stampede which occurred during a soccer game between soccer rivals Accra hearts and Kumasi Asante Kotoko on May 9 2001.
The tragic stampede claimed at least 126 lives and left many football supporters injured and their families in despair.
The May 9 2001 Accra stadium disaster remains the number one sports tragedy in Africa’s sports history. Even though the government of Ghana set up a disaster fund to support the families of the victims of the stadium disaster, very little benefit has been derived by the families, according to many of them.
Justice has also eluded the families of the victims of the disaster for 23 years as the commission set up by the Ghana government to investigate the incident found no one culpable for the fatal stampede.
As chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the time of the Accra stadium disaster, Herbert Mensah has taken a personal responsibility over the years in an effort to replace the despair of many families facing natural and unnatural disasters with hope.
Included in the past few years in the May 9 remembered charity projects are surgeries for needy sick children at KATH, gas explosion victims, flood victims, physically challenged people and school fees for many other families of the victims and other needy people.
Interplast Ghana has committed to supporting the May 9 charity project championed by Herbert Mensah as part of their corporate social responsibility to the people of Ghana, without whom their businesses will not thrive in the country.
In the past two years, a Chinese charity, the Shen Yang & Shen Yuet Children’s Heart Foundation, named after 17-year-old Shen Yang, a hole-in-heart survivor and his brother, both sons of Chinese investor Shen Yan Chang, the founder and chairman of the SUNDA & KEDA International Group of Companies joined hands with Herbert Mensah and his May 9 Foundation and paid for the surgeries of over 25 children who suffered from a hole-in-heart disease.
‘’So far successful surgeries have been done for about over 25 children with a hole- in -heart disease at Korle Bu. A few children could not make through the surgeries due to delayed intervention with each of the surgeries costing between $6000-$14000.’’, Herbert Mensah who is secretary of the Shen Yang and Shen Yuet children’s heart Foundation disclosed.
He continued, ‘’the entire costs is covered by the Shen Yang & Shen Yuet Children’s Heart Foundation which was started by one of my business associates Mr. Y.C Shen. As secretary of this children’s heart foundation I can tell you that we intend to do between 20 and 30 surgeries every year for the next 10 years.’’
Herbert Mensah also added, ‘’we’re changing lives, we’ve taken pressure off the shoulders of many families, so this for me is an extraordinary thing that is going on and I am happy that the Shen Yang & Shen Yuet Children’s Heart Foundation and the May 9 Foundation could put together this 10-yearlong project costing up to nearly $2M for the benefit of Ghanaian families.’’
“And sponsors like Interplast, Sunda International, GBfoods, Shen Yang & Shen Yuet Children’s Heart Foundation, share the value of empathy with the May 9 foundation for those who suffered that day and those who continue to suffer from other disasters such as gas explosion and flood victims. we appreciate their continued support in the years gone by and those ahead”, he added.
