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The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, urged all Ghanaians and corporate bodies to deploy the spirit of volunteerism and social responsibility in building a strong nation together.

She said, particularly, private sector participation in governance and in the provision of essential services to better the lot of all citizens was very crucial because Ghana could achieve much more with the pooling of human and capital resources of all stakeholders.

Mrs Akufo-Addo said this when officials from the HFC Bank called on her, in Accra, to present a cheque for GHC 270,000 as proceeds of contributions collected from staff, customers, family members, and friends of the Bank, in  fund raising events.

The funds were mobilised from Tamale to Accra by some 13 cyclists engaged by the HFC Bank.

The team, led by Mr Issah Mohammed, the icon cyclist, also included Mr Charles Zwennes, HFC’s Board Chairman.

They made the 688-kilometer journey within eight days, raising funds to help build a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound for the people of Nyanshegu in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region.

The HFC Bank partnered the First Lady’s Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation on the campaign to mobilise the funds.

While commending officials for the gesture, Mrs Akufo-Addo said by the generosity of the Bank, “A child will be saved; and a pregnant mother will be assured of a decent healthcare.

“Because of you, the people of Nyanshegu can boast of a community health centre. Because of such selflessness, humanity can have hope for the future”.

She emphasised that the total eradication of malaria in Ghana was very dear to her heart, saying that, it was that passion to see a Malaria Free Ghana that led to the formation of the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation.

She said over the years, her Foundation had made significant strides in the prevention of malaria campaign and that the concept of the CHPS compound played a central role in the fight against malaria, while it rendered other services that were essential and fundamental to human health.

The First Lady expressed her resolve to contribute her possible best to mobilise more resources to improve the welfare of mothers and children.

Mr Zwennes, who presented the cheque to the First Lady, said the HFC Bank decided to partner the Foundation in August this year, to help mobilise resources to build the CHPS facility.

He gave the assurance that the Bank would continue to gather more funds to support the Infanta Foundation to provide support to the needs of the country.