The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was presented with the “International Development Partner Award for Excellence” on August 19 during the second Millennium Excellence Awards ceremony in Accra, Ghana.

“The award was given in recognition of ADRA’s contribution to the development of the people of Ghana,“ said Samuel Asante-Mensah, country director for ADRA in Ghana. “We thank God for His leadership, as well as the Millennium Excellence Committee; and the government of Ghana for their support and the partnership that we have with them, and especially the donors that support the work that we do. Without [them] this achievement would not have been possible.”

The awards ceremony is held every five years to honor individuals and organizations that have excelled in their fields and made outstanding contributions to the development of Ghana.

This year’s ceremony was attended by Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations; Mathieu Kerekou, president of the Republic of Benin; Edem Kodjo, prime minister of Togo; John Agyekum Kufuor and Aliu Mahama, president and vice president of Ghana, respectively; as well as Otumfuo Osei Tutu, king of the Ashanti people and Life Patron of the Millennium Awards. The United States of America was also represented by U.S. Ambassador, Her Excellency Mary Carlin Yates.

The awards ceremony was held at the Accra International Conference Center in Accra, Ghana. ADRA was one of 25 individuals and organizations recognized during the day’s festivities, and is the first non-governmental organization to receive this award.

ADRA has been working in Ghana for 20 years in the areas of health care, education, agriculture, food security, water and sanitation, resource management, infrastructure construction, HIV and AIDS, and microfinance activities.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.