Matthew 25 House Ghana

Category: Media

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.
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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
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 marks breast cancer month
Matthew 25 House marks breast cancer month| The Matthew 25 House has observed the breast cancer month with activities at its monthly socialization meeting this October. October has been observed as the breast cancer month with a lot of activities happening around the country.
During this month’s socialization meeting, clients of the House marked this observation of breast cancer with a public education presented by the JICA volunteer at the House, Kyotani Eri aka Abena Eri.
During the meeting, Abena took time to explain to the House what breast cancer is.
Matthew 25 House marks breast cancer month
Abena demonstrating how to do self-check for lump
She made it clear that breast cancer is not a curse and is not caused by spirits as percieved by others.
To make a strong case, Abena quoted Dr. S. B. Ofori, a retired dematologist who spoke at the breast cancer week program jointly organized by the Koforidua Regional Hospital and the JAED Foundation that, “many people report breast cancer when it is too late”
Using an improvised meniature breast with a lump inside, she took time to show participants present how to locate a lump. She then demonstrated how to do self check on one’s breast.
Abena demonstrating how to do a self-check from a standing position
She urged the clients of the house to report any abnormality that they observed in their breasts to the hospital for further examination.
She also noted that men were also at risk of getting breast cancer and that it is not only a disease for women.
Sisters from the Catholic Church who had visited the House took turns to express their satisfaction at the presentation and demonstrations.
Matthew 25 House
October 26, 2019
Matthew 25 House – Providence College undertakes testing services at Nkurakan
The Matthew 25 House, together with students and two Professors from the Providence College in the USA have undertaken voluntary testing services at Nkurakan.
The exercise was part of a three day intensive educational tour undertaken by the College.
For years, students of the college have been paying such educational visits to the house.
These visits mostly end up at the monthly socialization programs held at the House.
This year, under the Maymester program funded by Dr Robert Gallo six students and two lecturers embarked on the program and were involved in the activity at the Nkurakan on Thursday.
The students are:
1. Haylee Morgan, who will be a Senior (fourth year) majoring in global & social studies
2. Kyra Foss, who will be a Junior (third year) studying health policy
3. Hannah, who will be a Junior (third year) health policy
4. Joleen will be a Junior (third year) studying biology and psychology
5. Deyssa will be a Junior (third year) studying biology
6. Kaila will be a Sophomore (Second year) studying biology
The two lecturers who accompanied the students are Prof Comfort Ateh Phd, an Agronomist and Science Education Professor, and Dr Dr. Terence McGoldrick, who is a member of the board responsible for handling issues related to studying abroad programs.
The main task of the students was to encourage people to voluntarily access the testing services to know their status.
Within the day, the students worked hard, despite the language barrier. They however, through interpreters managed to speak to many people in the market and on the streets of Nkurakan.
Through their efforts, 566 people got tested to know their status.
The program was with the collaboration of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Ghana Health Service and PROMDEL Group Consult, led by Golda Asante, Former Technical Coordinator at the Ghana AIDS Commission.
During the debriefing period after the hectic day, Professor Ateh said, it would an unforgettable experience for the students.
May 26, 2019
Providence College Visit Matthew 25 House
Six students and two lecturers from the Providence College in Rhode Island, USA have visited Matthew 25 House.
The visit is part of an intensive three day educational trip to the NGO.
For years, Students from the college have been paying such visits to the House.
This year, the College together with the House put together an intensive program for the visiting students.
Providence College | Presentation time at Koforidua Regional Hospital
The guests first visited the ART site at the Koforidua Regional Hospital.
This was for them to get to know how People Living with HIV are treated in Ghana.
Presentations were made to them, after which they were taken to the various sections of the site.
This was followed by questions from the students.
After the question and answer time, they made their way to the Matthew 25 House to join the usual monthly socialization meetings with the PLHIV.
At Matthew, they joined the worship session, and then were divided into groups to interact with the PLHIV.
Providence College | Taking notes while interacting
They had the chance to listen to harrowing experiences of some of the PLHIV on how they have been stigmatized in society.
Commenting on their experience, they expressed surprise at the intensity of stigmatization and wondered if enough education had not gone on in Ghana about what HIV is.
During debriefing period after the visit, Dr Comfort Ateh said, it was good that the came to Ghana to hear these stories for themselves, adding that, mostly, people in the developed world do not believe some these stories, and so when students such as these get to hear such stories, it helps them to appreciate what goes on in other parts of the world.
She also mentioned that, it would inform how they take seriously the issue of what had to be done to help with improving the lives of other people elsewhere after their education.
Matthew 25 Communications
May 25, 2019
Matthew 25 House Holds Orientation for Providence College Students and Lecturers
The Matthew 25 House has held an orientation for six students and two lecturers from the Providence College.
The guests from Rhode Island have come to have an intensive three day program.
The Program, unlike other visits from the College will involve a lot of activities
Addressing participants at the orientation, Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson, Director of the House narrated how, for years, students from the college have been visiting the House to learn about activities of Matthew 25 to interact with Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV). This usually took just a day.
According to Monsignor Bobby Benson, the College decided, together with the House that this year, the students be taken through some more activities to really get to know the state of HIV in Ghana, at least within the Eastern Region.
Former Technical Coordinator for the Ghana AIDS Commission in the Eastern Region and Currently Administrative Director to the Regional Minister, Golda Asante took time to present to the team and participants the current state of HIV in Ghana, data of HIV in the Eastern Region, current terminologies used in the field of HIV and a brief description of the Region.
She also took time to list out all the activities that the team was going to be involved in within their next three day stay.
Dr S. B Ofori, a former Regional focal person for the Ghana AIDS Commission and a retired Dermatologist, who chaired the program pledged his support to the entire exercise.
He reminded attendants of the orientation that HIV was still a threat and still needed the attention that it deserves.
Matthew 25 House
May 24, 2019
Matthew 25 House hosts Rev Fr. John Mockler and Sally Baffour
Once again, Matthew 25 House in Koforidua received the honour of being visited by Rev. Fr. John Don Mockler all the way from Ireland.
The Rev Minister came in the company of Sally Baffour who had previously donated a Poly tank to the house.
Enjoy the pictures. Matthew 25 House
Fr Mockler taking a look at the gallery at the House

Fr Mockler interacting with one of our worker
The Rev Minister in addition to interacting also gave his widows mite to those he interacted. He showed his support the House and promised to tell the story of the good work of Matthew 25 House to the People of Ireland upon his return.
A round table discussion on activities of the House
Sally Baffour in a tete-a-tete with Monsignor Bobby Benson
Sally has been a supporter of the Matthew 25 House for years. Through her initiative the House has a Poly tank for storage of water.
After the visit in the House, Fr Don Mockler visited the ongoing Hospice Project
On going Hospice Project | The Hospice Project has received several visits as it is upon completion going to be the only one in the country. Visit the Matthew 25 House in Koforidua to learn more about our activities
March 22, 2019
PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE YOUTH AS CARDINAL DERY DID – MSGR BOBBY BENSON
The Catholic Church in Ghana has been urged to play more attention to issues pertaining to the formation of and transformation of the youth. The call was made during a homily at a Mass held at the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), recently, by Rev. Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cardinal Dery Foundation (CDF)
According to Msgr. Bobby Benson, the youth in the Church seem to be neglected at the Parish, Diocesan and national level, saying that “our attention tothe youth is woefully inadequate.” All the youth groups, he noted, were very vibrant in the late 1970s, the 1980s, and the early part of the 1990s.
He observed that this was made possible through the great efforts of the Bishops’ Conference of Ghana and in particular the personal interest dedication and commitment of the late Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery.
Msgr Bobby Benson told the congregation that “the Old Man, as we used to refer to Cardinal Dery, came down to the level of the youth and knew how to encourage, scold and commend those of us who were either leaders or members of the various youth groups not only in Catholic Educational Institutions but also those who were in Secular Institutions”
Rev. Fr Prof. John Appiah-Poku, a Lecturer at KNUST gave a personal testimony of the invaluable services that Cardinal Dery rendered the youth who included Catholic and non-Catholic and even Muslims, “He helped to form me in my youth Ministry”, Fr Appiah-Poku emphasized.
During one of the three Masses of that Sunday, Msgr. Bobby Benson, on behalf of the Parish Priest, Rev. Dr. Peter Addai Mensah, inducted into Office a new Parish Pastoral Council for the KNUST Chaplaincy.
Msgr. Bobby Benson and other members of the Board of Trustees of the Cardinal Dery Foundation were at the KNUST Chaplaincy to create awareness about the Beatification Process of the Servant of God, Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery and to raise funds for the activities of the Foundation in the realm of education, particularly the girl-child; water and sanitation and health.
In another development, a meeting of former Young Christian Students (YCS) took place at the KNUST Chaplaincy to look at what could be done to salvage the YCS National Training and Formation Centre at Oforikrom, in Kumasi which is in a very deplorable state.
The meeting also discussed the need for the formation of a Committee to prepare a National Strategic Plan for the revival and strengthening of all Catholic youth groups in the Church in Ghana.
The plan will eventually be submitted to the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for consideration.
Source: The Catholic Standard
Matthew 25 House |
March 7, 2019
PEACE CORPS VISIT MATTHEW 25 HOUSE
The Matthew 25 House has hosted personnel from peace Corps in the East Akim Municipality on a familiarization tour of its activities and current hospice project.
The team, numbering about 24 was made up of eighteen (18) Foreign nationals from various states in the United States of America and 6 Facilitators.
The team, who are in Ghana to volunteer in various Health related areas, took turns to interact with People Living with HIV who are cared for by the House. They asked questions related to Stigma Reduction, Support Services for PLHIVs and other HIV and AIDS related issues.
Peace Corps at Matthew 25 House, Koforidua
Their questions were answered by Rev Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson who has been running the House for close to 20 years.
Rev Monsignor Alex Bobby Benson took time to introduce the People under his care to the team, they team then took time to interact with them as well.
They listened to the sad stories of how each of them through unbearable stigmatization and from family members had to leave and could not find any other place than to turn to the house for solace.
Currently most Philanthropic Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that rum programs in the area of HIV and AIDS have become dormant, while others have folded up due to lack of funds.
The Matthew 25 House is currently the only NGO in Ghana that still houses and provides care for People living with HIV and AIDS and Orphaned and Vulnerable Children. (OVCs)
After their interaction, Monsignor Bobby Benson took them on a tour to the current Hospice that is being built in the Osabene suburb of Koforidua.
The team was impressed to see a hospice, the first of its kind in the country, and in West Africa.
The leader of the team Richard Yaw Agyarko expressed surprise at the shear magnitude of the project.
The Hospice when completed will house 24 bedrooms, a community room, dining halls, physiotherapy rooms, offices and gardens.
The Executive Director of the House, Monsignor Bobby Benson was happy with the visit and encouraged the team to frequent the house anytime they wanted to know more.
Matthew 25 Media
February 27, 2019
Matthew 25 House fetes over 2000 people on Xmas day
Mathew 25 House, an HIV and AIDS care centre in Koforidua, on Christmas Day feted over 2000 people including the sick at hospitals, prison inmates and beggars on the streets.
[stm_iconlist icon=”stmicon-chevron-right2″ iconsize=”7″ margins=”6″]Monsignor Bobby Benson, Founder and Director of the Mathew 25 House, joined by the New Juaben North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Madam Comfort Asante, and Dr S. B. Ofori, an HIV consultant, distributed packed foods including water and drinks to beggars on the streets and the inmates of the Koforidua Central Police Station cells.
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“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me – Matthew 25 : 40”
Jesus Christ
Others were the St Joseph Hospital and the Koforidua Regional Hospital as well as the staffs on duty at the Hospitals and the Police Station to show them love.
A host of friends of the Centre and a youth group from about eight senior high schools across the country called Youth Alive, were also at hand to support the serving of the foods amidst singing and dancing at Asokore, Effiduase and Zongo, all suburbs of Koforidua.
The feting of the vulnerable on Xmas Day was instituted many years ago as part of the outreach activities of Mathew 25 House, which cares for HIV and AIDS patients by providing them shelter, medication, food as well supporting the education of orphans and vulnerable children whose parents had been affected by the disease.
Some relatives of those on admission at the Hospitals told GNA that they were happy for the food because most of the canteens around the hospitals were on break so they were finding it difficult to get food to buy.
Others on the streets also said they were not able to provide food for their kids due to several reasons and thanked Monsignor Benson for the gesture.
Monsignor Benson explained that, many people for various reasons could not shared in the joy of Christmas by providing food for their families due to ill health, lack, or other conditions and therefore he instituted this program to at least put smiles on the faces of such people on Xmas Day.
He said over the years, the support from well wishers and his friends had been massive and thanked all those who made the time to roam the streets and hospitals to serve the foods to the needy.
January 8, 2019