Airtel Ghana has congratulated Dr. David Abdulai, a winner of Airtel’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative “Touching Lives”, for winning the 2011 Martin Luther-King Award for Peace and Social Justice (Ghana). The award is instituted by the Embassy of the United States of America to recognize a Ghanaian citizen who has best personified the philosophy and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by building a culture of peacemaking, taking active measures and producing sustainable results in the promotion of nonviolence, social justice, human rights, and peace in the communities in which he or she lives. Dr. Abdulai, a medical doctor and philanthropist runs a clinic in Tamale where he has put his training and resource to the benefit of the deprived and neglected in society. His selfless service came to public light when he was nominated by several people as someone who deserved support in the Airtel Touching Lives corporate social responsibility initiative in 2010. Through the TV series that formed part of the programme, Dr. Abdulai’s years of selfless community service was widely applauded leading to his nomination for the Martin Luther King Peace and Social Justice Award. The Managing Director of Airtel Ghana, Philip Sowah said Airtel is proud to be associated with the success of Dr. Abdulai. “At Airtel we believe not only in granting people the freedom to inspire, but we also want to be at the forefront of helping people who have laid aside their own luxuries and comfort and are looking out for those of others too; that is why we are proud that what we saw in Dr. Abdulai, the panel of the Martin Luther King Award for Peace and Social Justice also did and have awarded him accordingly”, he said. Mr. Sowah added that“It’s a show about giving back – we want to assist Ghanaians across the country to recognise their full potential and to show people that this is possible - it is also about recognising the unsung heroes in our community and acknowledging the difference they have made to the lives of many.” Dr. David Abdulai was nominated no less than 4 times the first “Call to Entry” in season one of Touching Lives. His clinic takes in the worst cases in the area and even has live-in patients from Benin and Togo. Many mentally ill in the vicinity rely on his feeding programme. The highlight of the year is his Christmas party where over 3000 lepers, mentally ill and misfits gather and celebrate the holiday. He is the 5th recipient of the Martin Luther King Peace and Social Justice Award since its inception five years ago. Previous winners have included The Right Rev. Vincent Boi Nai, Bishop of Yendi and Alhaji Al-Hussein Zakaria, Director, CODEYAC, Tamale; Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, Executive Director, Ark Foundation in 2009; Janet Adama Mohammed, Director, West African Human Rights and Democratization Project for IBIS (West Africa) 2010; and George Archibra, Founder of Partners in Community Development Programme (PACODEP) for 2011.