Matthew 25 House Ghana

Author: matthew25house

Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson, Founder of Matthew 25 House Received a Doctor of Public Service from Providence College, Rhode Island – USA
Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby Benson ’97G, a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Koforidua, Ghana, has spent a lifetime following the directive of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew — to care for the hungry and thirsty, strangers, prisoners, and the dying. Citing the greatest commandment Jesus gave mankind — to love one another — he urges support for those living under difficult circumstances, especially those with HIV/AIDS, who are most often stigmatized.
In 1998, after completing a master’s degree in religious studies at Providence College, Rev. Msgr. Benson returned to Koforidua to found Matthew 25 House, a ministry dedicated to helping people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The non-governmental organization began with nine HIV/AIDS patients and now serves upward of 1,000 people, including orphans and vulnerable children. It provides food and shelter, medical screenings, counseling, training in income-generating ventures, and interest-free loans to start businesses. Children receive help with school needs, including books, fees, transportation, clothes, food, medicine, and shoes.
A leading supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Goals agenda, Rev. Msgr. Benson worked collaboratively with the late PC physics professor Stephen J. Mecca, Ph.D. ’64, ’66G, ’19Hon. on sanitation initiatives to improve health in Ghana. He has been a valued partner in PC’s Maymester program, welcoming students, faculty, and staff on service and learning trips to his country. He visited PC in 2018 to discuss his charitable work.
With the help of students, he distributes packed food and drinks each Christmas to the inmates of the Koforidua Prisons, those in cells at the Koforidua Central Police Station, and to patients at three hospitals, and has fed the hungry in the streets on Christmas Day for the past 10 years.
Rev. Msgr. Benson was born in Mampong Ashanti, Ghana, studied for the priesthood at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in Cape Coast, and was ordained in 1981. He is a consultor for the diocesan curia. As a young priest, he pursued studies in Clinical Pastoral Education in Ireland and the United States and now is a renowned CPE educator in Ghana. In 2004, he began construction of a 24-room Palliative Care Center to care for terminally ill patients. He still needs support to finish the project and run it by 2024.
In 2017, he won the MTN Heroes of Change Award for his work in Ghana, including his efforts to feed 1,000 needy people each month. He also received the Exclusive Men of the Year Africa Humanitarian Award in 2021.
Source: https://news.providence.edu/rev-msgr-alex-bobby-benson-97g/
July 3, 2023
Matthew 25 House feeds over 1000 on Christmas day
Matthew 25 House feeds over 1000 on Christmas day – Matthew 25 House has fed over 1000 people on Christmas day. The program dubbed Christmas soup kitchen is normally organized in collaboration with Youth Alive, a youth group of students from several tertiary and second cycle institutions.
This year’s edition of the program which began 10 years ago saw the youth group and staff of Matthew 25 distributing food, drinks and other items to people on admission at the Children’s ward of the Koforidua Regional Hospital, St Joseph’s Hospital, the Koforidua Prisons and several hundred vulnerable on the streets of Koforidua.
Matthew 25 House feeds over 1000 on Christmas day
Getting ready to enter the children’s ward at the Regional Hospital
The Municipal Chief Executive of New Juaben North Municipal Assembly Ms Comfort Asante who also donated towards this year’s event joined in the event.
She joined the Director of Matthew 25 House Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson to visit patients on admission at the St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Packing food items before setting off
She encouraged the staff of the hospital and patients to also take advantage of the festive season to show love to those in need.
Speaking to the Youth Alive group on the Pope John’s Senior High School and Minor Seminary before the distribution began, she advised them to take up volunteering. She noted that volunteering “isn’t a common culture in Ghana but is part of nation-building”.
Three Catholic Nuns from the Mother Marie Postulancy at Atekyem joined in the program and expressed their joy to be with the team distributing food to those in need during Christmas.
Matthew 25 House
December 27, 2020
Monsignor Benson appeals for adequate ART drugs for HIV patients
Monsignor Bobby Benson, Founder and Director of Mathew 25 House, an HIV and AIDS care center, has appealed to the Ministry of health to ensure Persons Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) get adequate supplies of the ART drugs to enhance their health.
Monsignor Benson, a Catholic priest who supports over hundreds of HIV patients and their children and Orphans and the Vulnerable (OVCs) whose parents had died from the disease said the ART drug was a lifeline for the PLWHAs and everything must be done to address the inadequate ARTs in the system.
Making the appeal at an annual Christmas party organized for clients of the Mathew 25 House and their families in Koforidua, Monsignor Benson noted that lately, when the PLWHAs visited health facilities, some were given two weeks or a month’s supplies instead of the usual three months.
He explained that most of the PLWHAs were faced with financial challenges so when they had to visit the facilities frequently for the drugs it became a challenge for them, leading to default in taking the drugs.
The Mathew 25 house, established 15 years ago by Monsignor Benson, provides shelter, medical care, food, and clothing for People Living with HIV and AIDS and their children and over the years had seen scores of orphans of HIV patients through education to the tertiary levels.
The annual Xmas party was also instituted along as a recreational programme to bring PLWHAs all over the region together dubbed “Xmas soup Kitchen which feted over 2,000 people each year on Christmas day.
Madam Comfort Asante, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive who graced the party advised the PLWHAs not to look down on themselves, but to take their ARTs religiously to ensure their survival.
She urged them to take keen interest in their children’s education and to follow the medical protocols regarding the mode of transmission of the disease and expressed immense gratitude to Monsignor Benson for his continuous care and support over the years for the underprivileged in society.
Source: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Monsignor-Benson-appeals-for-adequate-ART-drugs-for-HIV-patients-1138115
December 21, 2020
The Story of Matthew 25 House
Matthew 25 House Ghana — The NGO Matthew Chapter 25 has it name extracted from Matthew 25:45 which reads “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren you do to me”. This statement is the pivot for the establishment of the NGO in 1998 at Akwatia and incorporated in 2005 for the legal commencement of its business. The key merit of this NGO is to provide care and support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs). Though the NGO is a branch of the Clinical Pastoral Education, C.P.E, it is under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua.
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Prior to its operations at the St. Dominic Hospital Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana, it had eight (8) PLHIVs and 120 OVC’s as its clients.
In December, 2003 documentation, information and counseling center was setup at Koforidua by Rev. Fr. Alex Bobby Benson Director of (C.P.E) under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua. The Centre serves as the headquarters of Matthew Chapter 25 project.
Matthew Chapter 25 is governed by a six member Board of Directors. Currently it has permanent Staff and one National Service Personal.
The House is open to all persons regardless of creed, race, tribe, or political persuasion. The facility welcomes and assists persons living with HIV, affected families and the public to access information on HIV/AIDS. Matthew 25 House has gradually become a home for PLHIV and OVCs in the New Juaben Municipality where they attend their socialization meetings. The facility also serves as a resource center for students on attachment from various institutions and also for researchers.
The clients receive psycho-social counseling, medical care, and food supplement from qualified medical practitioners who come to the house to render such services to our clients.
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“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me – Matthew 25 : 40”
Jesus Christ
Now the House has fifty-fifty (55) Persons Living with HIV/AIDS to which three are children. There are seventy four 74 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC’s). The OVCs converge in the House periodically for educational programs, go on tours and receive their school materials and other necessities.
October 15, 2020
Hospice Project on going
Matthew 25 House Ghana — The NGO Matthew Chapter 25 has it name extracted from Matthew 25:45 which reads “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren you do to me”. This statement is the pivot for the establishment of the NGO in 1998 at Akwatia and incorporated in 2005 for the legal commencement of its business. The key merit of this NGO is to provide care and support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs). Though the NGO is a branch of the Clinical Pastoral Education, C.P.E, it is under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua.
[stm_iconlist]
Prior to its operations at the St. Dominic Hospital Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana, it had eight (8) PLHIVs and 120 OVC’s as its clients.
In December, 2003 documentation, information and counseling center was setup at Koforidua by Rev. Fr. Alex Bobby Benson Director of (C.P.E) under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua. The Centre serves as the headquarters of Matthew Chapter 25 project.
Matthew Chapter 25 is governed by a six member Board of Directors. Currently it has permanent Staff and one National Service Personal.
The House is open to all persons regardless of creed, race, tribe, or political persuasion. The facility welcomes and assists persons living with HIV, affected families and the public to access information on HIV/AIDS. Matthew 25 House has gradually become a home for PLHIV and OVCs in the New Juaben Municipality where they attend their socialization meetings. The facility also serves as a resource center for students on attachment from various institutions and also for researchers.
The clients receive psycho-social counseling, medical care, and food supplement from qualified medical practitioners who come to the house to render such services to our clients.
[/stm_iconlist]
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me – Matthew 25 : 40”
Jesus Christ
Now the House has fifty-fifty (55) Persons Living with HIV/AIDS to which three are children. There are seventy four 74 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC’s). The OVCs converge in the House periodically for educational programs, go on tours and receive their school materials and other necessities.
October 15, 2020
Youth Alive on Excursion
Matthew 25 House Ghana — The NGO Matthew Chapter 25 has it name extracted from Matthew 25:45 which reads “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren you do to me”. This statement is the pivot for the establishment of the NGO in 1998 at Akwatia and incorporated in 2005 for the legal commencement of its business. The key merit of this NGO is to provide care and support for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs). Though the NGO is a branch of the Clinical Pastoral Education, C.P.E, it is under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua.
[stm_iconlist]
Prior to its operations at the St. Dominic Hospital Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana, it had eight (8) PLHIVs and 120 OVC’s as its clients.
In December, 2003 documentation, information and counseling center was setup at Koforidua by Rev. Fr. Alex Bobby Benson Director of (C.P.E) under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua. The Centre serves as the headquarters of Matthew Chapter 25 project.
Matthew Chapter 25 is governed by a six member Board of Directors. Currently it has permanent Staff and one National Service Personal.
The House is open to all persons regardless of creed, race, tribe, or political persuasion. The facility welcomes and assists persons living with HIV, affected families and the public to access information on HIV/AIDS. Matthew 25 House has gradually become a home for PLHIV and OVCs in the New Juaben Municipality where they attend their socialization meetings. The facility also serves as a resource center for students on attachment from various institutions and also for researchers.
The clients receive psycho-social counseling, medical care, and food supplement from qualified medical practitioners who come to the house to render such services to our clients.
[/stm_iconlist]
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me – Matthew 25 : 40”
Jesus Christ
Now the House has fifty-fifty (55) Persons Living with HIV/AIDS to which three are children. There are seventy four 74 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC’s). The OVCs converge in the House periodically for educational programs, go on tours and receive their school materials and other necessities.
October 15, 2020
MATTHEW 25 HOUSE AND OUR SUPPORT TO PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19
1.0 BACKGROUND
Matthew 25 House has its name extracted from Matthew 25:45 which reads “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren you do to me”. This statement is the pivot for the establishment of the Faith Based Organization (FBO) in 1998 of the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua and incorporated in 2005 for the legal commencement of its operations.
The key merit of this NGO is to provide care and support for Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).
It started its operations at the St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana and currently housed in Koforidua and support many PLHIVs across the Eastern Region and other parts of Ghana.
1.1 BRIEF ACHIEVEMENT OF MATTHEW 25
We are happy to acknowledge that the House has supported over 500 adults and 200 children who are now healthy and are on their feet. Four of the OVCs we supported have completed their First-degree courses, one is pursuing a PHD course in Australia, three (3) have completed Technical Universities, among others.
Presently, Matthew 25 family comprises 100 persons mostly women who are living with HIV but most of them are not in any gainful employment and COVID-19 has worsen their economic situation.
2.0 EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV (PLHIV)
The advent of COVID –19 has brought untold hardship on the vulnerable in our society who do not receive any salary and most of the time depend on going out daily to sell before getting their one meal a day;
our members are part of these affected seriously affected victims.
Various studies have pointed out that, PLHIV need good nutritional support to stay on antiretroviral (ART) treatment and prolong their lives. Many PLHIV in vulnerable communities in Ghana were worried about COVID-19 while staying on their medication as well as working to sustain themselves and families, especially those who live from hand to mouth. Most of them were anxious and depressed in respect to their survival due to loss of income and scarcity of essential supplies and food.
2.1 MATTHEW 25 HOUSE SUPPORT TO PLHIV IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Matthew 25 House made enquiries from three hospitals namely: St Joseph’s Hospital, Koforidua, Akuse Government Hospital, Akuse and St Martin de Porres Hospital, Agomanya for PLHIV who have been adversely affected by COVID-19. 10,000 PLHIV from the above health facilities were presented to me, out of which, 2000 PLHIV have been badly affected by COVID-19.

To address their needs, Matthew 25 House provided essential groceries such as bags of rice, cooking oil, tin tomatoes, tin fish, vegetables as well as face masks and money to support 150 of the PLHIV. Matthew 25 House has also been facilitating the supply of medicines to the PLHIV and their families. Additionally, we provide education on COVID-19 to PLHIV and their families as well as psychological support. Our phone lines are opened daily for psychological support and counselling.
2.2 Presentation of Food Items to Network of PLHIV

3.0 REQUEST FOR SUPPORT
Unfortunately, we still have OVCs and PLHIV who are bed ridden and others still struggling to make ends meet because of COVID-19. We are therefore humbly appealing for donation (food items and cash) to support them especially about 600 from the aforementioned hospitals who are in critical need to continuously stay on treatment and put their lives together again. We would continue to collaborate with the health facilities and the Executives of the Network of Persons living with HIV to share the essential supplies including food to the affected PLHIV.

Thanks to all our benefactors and friends as we anticipate more support to better the lives of PLHIV to stay strong, healthier and have prolonged live, especially in this unusual time of COVID-I9.

MONSIGNOR ALEX BOBBY BENSON
June 25, 2020
We must do away with traditions that infringe on rights of women
‘We must do away with traditions that infringe on rights of women’
Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, Wife of the former Vice President, has stated that there must be concerted efforts to do away with some traditions that infringe on the rights of women, especially during bereavement.
She said traditional rites where women were restricted in so many ways during the death of their husbands aggravated the pain of losing a dear one and also infringed on their rights.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur was delivering a lecture on the theme: “Journeying with Grieving People – A Reflection on Traditional Beliefs and Practices,” in Koforidua.
It formed part of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programme to cater for the vulnerable, organised by Mathew 25 House, an HIV and AIDS care centre.
She mentioned that ways of dressing, time of eating and bathing, restrictions on speaking among other rites “originally had good intensions and meant good, but in today’s world such practices have long outlived their usefulness and must be stopped.”
Mrs Amissah-Arthur, who has written a book, titled: “Strength in the Storm,” said she had researched into the traditional rites during bereavement and had come to the conclusion it had outlived its usefulness and that “in many instances men were let off the hook”.
She cited the perception of wearing black clothes during the loss of a loved one to signify mourning saying it was a wrong perception because mourning a loved one was a personal affair and people must be allowed to grieve their own way.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur indicated that women continued to suffer dehumanising treatment during the death of their husbands under the guise of tradition and charged the church to lead the crusade of changing some of those traditions to help create a conducive environment for women, especially in times of bereavement.
She charged women to be advocates of the change as it was their fellow women who subjected them to the dehumanising treatment during the loss of their husbands.
Most Reverend Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, the Bishop of Koforidua Catholic Diocese, commended Mrs Amissah-Arthur for sharing her experience of loss through advocacy to change some of the archaic traditional rites for the benefit of women and society.
Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson, the Director of Matthew 25 House, said there was the need to change some of those practices and urged the congregation to spread the message.
Source: https://newsghana.com.gh/we-must-do-away-with-traditions-that-infringe-on-rights-of-women/
April 23, 2020
Matthew 25 House fetes PLHIV
Matthew 25 House fetes PLHIV – The Matthew 25 House has feted its clients prior to the Christmas holidays. The party which was held on December 20, was part of the House’s last socialization meeting for the year 2019.
The well-attended meeting saw almost every client in attendance. Each month the House holds socialization meetings for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who are its clients.
This month’s meeting was unique in that awards were given to deserving clients who had been consistent in their attendance and adherence to treatment regimes. The awards included silver basins, cooking utensils, and some foodstuffs.
The director of the House, Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson encouraged all PLHIV to take their medications religiously as it was the surest way to live healthily without being prone to opportunistic infections which could deteriorate their health condition.
During the meeting which was graced by four Roman Catholic Sisters from the Mother Marie Postulancy at Atekyem, the clients sang and danced in praise to God for taking care of their lives throughout the year.
Foodstuffs of rice, oil, canned fish, biscuits, and drinks were also distributed to all clients to take home.
HEALTH TALK
As part of the meeting, Kyotani Eri, a JICA volunteer with the House gave a health talk on “Keeping healthy during the Christmas festivities”.
She urged clients to be careful not to overindulge in eating and drinking during the yuletide since it could have adverse effects on their health. She mentioned that two things were key to improving one’s health, i.e. Diet and exercise.
On exercise, she introduced the House to how to do squats and how to check one’s body age.
Attendants to the meeting took time to practice the body-age exercise and the squats.
She promised to speak to the House on “diet” during the January meeting.
On their part, some of the PLHIV who spoke to the Media team of the House expressed joy at being part of the family of Matthew 25. A woman in her early fifties (name withheld) recounted how she almost lost her life if not for the intervention of Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson, who forcefully took her out of a prayer camp where she had been lying for several months with the promise of a cure by the leader of the camp.
A second person, a male also expressed his excitement of being part of the House since its inception at Akwatia and how he has benefited from the services of the House.
He joyfully said, “there are times when we are given prescriptions to buy and we just cannot afford, the House in collaboration with a Pharmacy provides us with the medicines for free”. I don’t know what I would have done but for Matthew 25 House.
They thanks the director for the awards and urged him to continue to help them as some of them have been abandoned by their family members and friends because of their condition.
Matthew 25 House

December 21, 2019
Matthew 25 House holds talk on Blood Pressure
The November meeting at the Matthew 25 House was used to educate clients on Blood Pressure.
Abena Eri, as she has come to be known took the time to educate clients and visitors to the November meeting on the importance of knowing one’s blood pressure and ensuring that one was within a normal range.
Educating the clients she explained what Blood Pressure meant. She said one’s blood pressure will naturally increase with age. However, excessive intake of alcohol, excessive smoking, lack of exercise and too much salt intake would predispose one to a hypertensive situation.
After checking the blood pressure of all the clients and visited who attended the meeting for the month of November at the House, she took time to answer their questions one after the other. She noted that if one monitored his or her blood pressure and took precautions, they could keep their health in good condition.
Educating attendants, she took the time to give the various ranges of blood pressure and their implications. Accordingly, the blood pressure is measured in
Blood pressure is measured in mm Hg. The number at the top is that one that indicates the amount or power of pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts. It is called the systolic pressure while the number at the bottom is referred to as the diastolic pressure. It represents the power or pressure between beats.
Giving the various ranges, Abena taught attendants that reading under 120/80 mmHg is considered normal while a range above 120/80 mmHg to 130/80 mmHg is considered as elevated blood pressure.
Pressure readings above 130/80 mmHg to 140/89 mmHg is considered as being in a Hypertension stage one while above 140/80 mmHg to 180/120mmHg is considered Hypertension stage two.
With any reading above 180/120mmHg, Abena said the person must consult a doctor immediately.
The meeting was well attended with many asking questions on how they could maintain a good blood pressure range. In answer to their questions, she cautioned that what one could control must be controlled. She cited examples like diet, exercises, and indulgence in alcoholism and smoking.
Matthew 25 House
December 5, 2019