Christian Atsu; A Life of Philanthropy

Atsu lived his name in every sense as a ‘Christian’. His philanthropic heart extended beyond the borders of the pitch as a former Ghanaian winger. Christian’s ardent giving heart ventured into extensive charity works, transforming the lives of all those who came in contact with him.

As one of the 10 children his late father catered for from his fishing and farming occupation at the junction of the Volta lake, Atsu did not toll his father’s line of occupation as it is a common trend in most African settings. Rather, he followed his passion from which many are still benefiting today.

Affirming this during an interview with, The Guardian, Atsu affirmed “Football changed my life completely; sometimes what’s happened seems like a miracle but it’s enabled me to help my community”. To him, he is been blessed to be a blessing unto others.

All the way from Ada- Foah in Ghana to Hillsong church in Newcastle, Astu never left his Faith behind the shores of Ada, the church was a central part of his growth. The former Newcastle’s winger’s Faith has been a constant variable when all other things failed him, a great influence to his benevolent acts.

Winning the goal and player of the tournament at the 2015 African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea gave him prominence and this in turn served as impetus to his “Arms Around The Child”, a charity non governmental organization based in Ghana, South Africa and India of which he was a key ambassador.

He contributed to “Arms Around The Child” which provides social protection and support to children who are orphaned, trafficked, abused and affected by HIV AIDS. Aside that, he ensured the reunion of families by paying huge sums of money for the release of helpless people imprisoned over petty crimes.

A classical example is the case of a 62 year old grandmother and daughter who got jailed for stealing corn to satisfy their hunger. The former Chelsea star ensured this and many other similar cases were resolved. He also developed a strong sense of responsibility towards the welfare of prisoners and prison service.

Even though the Hatayspor player left with his last score in football before he went under the rubble, his memory will forever linger on in the hearts of all.