Melcom Care, the philanthropic arm of the Melcom Group of companies, has donated to enrich three causes within the media fraternity.

On Friday, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) received donations towards various purposes for which they had requested the assistance of Melcom.

The GJA, received a 42 inch LED television and a DVD player as Melcom’s sponsorship package for one of the award categories in its upcoming GJA Awards. IFEJ received a similar package for a similar award scheme as well

The GNA on the other hand was given office furniture and printers in response to a request that the national cable news disseminator had made to Melcom.

Mr. Godwin Avenorgbo, Director of Communications at Melcom, said the donations were an end of year token in appreciation of the role that a notoriously under resourced and under appreciated media in Ghana plays in national development.

“Melcom, associates with the Ghana Journalists Association, for the GJA AWARS, the Institute of Finacial and Economic Journalists for the IFEJ Flamingo awards and the Ghana News Agency, GNA, who are recipients of our end of year token donations.”

Mr. Avenorgbo, a media legend with evergreen cult in radio, decried the poorly resourced nature of the 4th Estate of the Realm in Ghana saying the culture of poor conditions of service for journalists is a source of worry.

“In spite of the very competitive media landscape featuring numerous radio, television, print, online, magazines and other media practitioners in Ghana, work under very difficult conditions.

“They lack security of tenure, majority are paid slave wages while quite a large number are not paid at all and so have to fend for themselves,” he noted.

But he said, “A vibrant media creates awareness. Professional media practice ensures good governance and in consequence business growth and investors confidence.”

Melcom’s Director of Communications hoped that going forward, things will improve for journalists even as he touted Melcom’s conditions of service and culture of appreciation for its workers which perceivably, is far better than that of the generality of journalists.

Madam Audrey Dekalu, Treasurer of the GJA, Mr. Rayborn Bulley, President of IFEJ and Ms Beatrice Asamani Savage, News Editor of the GNA, had received the donations on behalf of their organizations.

Speaking to GhanaPoliticsonline.com , They all expressed gratitude to Melcom for the kind gesture.

GhanaPoliticsonline.com