Twifo Ntafrewaso(C/R), April 17, GNA - The Management of Twifo Oil Palm Plantations (TOPP) has donated GH¢1,000 to Ebenezer Foundation, a charitable organization, which caters for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in the Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira District. The money is seed money for a bakery to generate income to support HIV victims and it is the second time workers and management of TOPP had raised funds to support the Foundation.

Mr Harris Adu-Agyei, Human Resource Business Partner/Plantations manager of TOPP who made the donation on behalf of the company, expressed the hope that the bakery project will soon begin to generate income to assist people living with the virus.

He said last year under the company's Compassion Project funded by Ghana Aids Commission, 138 follow-up visits were made by HIV counsellors to persons living with HIV/AIDS in 32 communities in the district and offered them support. In addition TOPP also refunded all transportation expenses made last year by the PLWHAs who visited the TOPP clinic on monthly basis to collect drugs.

He commended the Foundation for supporting the company's campaign against HIV/AIDS stigmatization and discrimination adding that the company's clinic is not only committed to the prevention of HIV infection amongst its work force, but also residents of the district. Mr Adu-Agyei said the clinic encourages people who are infected to access treatment and care to help prolong their life and remain productive.

He said TOPP clinic has since 1990 recorded 184 HIV cases and gave the breakdown of detected cases since the establishment of a VCT centre in 2005 as 14 in that year, 30 in 2006, 36 in 2007 and 55 in 2008. Dr Cyril Kwame Krah, Resident Medical Advisor, urged people around the area to go for voluntary counselling and testing to help stem the spread of the virus. Ms Adelaide Dapaah, president of the Foundation who received the cheque, thanked workers and management of TOPP for the money. 17 April 09