As part of its commitment to empowering women and fighting domestic violence, Vodafone Ghana has donated a cheque of GHS 5,000 to the Ghana Ark Foundation, an NGO that provides shelter for abused victims.

The donation was in response to the Foundation’s calls for support to enable it to reopen and run its shelter.

The shelter, which has become a safe haven for victims of this global issue, was closed down in December 2016, due to lack of funds.

Presenting the cheque to the Foundation, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, Human Resource Director (HRD) at Vodafone Ghana said:

“Our commitment to fighting domestic violence goes beyond the walls of our organization. We are particularly interested in the role your Foundation plays in housing and reintegrating victims of domestic abuse especially women and children. A victim’s condition worsens when they continue to stay at the place of violence because they have nowhere else to go,” she said.

“At Vodafone, we believe domestic violence has a significant impact on people at work, affecting confidence, self-esteem and career progression. This is why we have launched a Group-wide policy to protect and offer support for victims,” she added.

 Receiving the cheque, Executive Director of Ark Foundation, Mrs Angela Dwamena Boakye: “We grateful to Vodafone Ghana for this gesture. Your commitment to fighting domestic violence is unquestionable.

This donation will certainly help in the reopening and running of the shelter, which we had to close down due to lack of funds.”

Vodafone has a 24-hour hotline service, which allows its employees to call and get the help that they need in relation to domestic violence. Employees who have been victimized also have up to ten days of paid leave in any calendar year for medical appointments, legal proceedings and other related domestic violence activities.