Abdallah Salifu was dozing off on his sofa when the phone rang. Half-asleep, the 76-year-old picked up, and when he confirmed his identity, he was congratulated for winning the weekly prize of GH¢20,000 in the Telecel 2Moorch Money Promo.
“I sat up immediately. I had leg pains, but the moment I heard the news, the pain just disappeared. Instantly, I felt young again,” the father of five recalled.
For Abdallah, the announcement was a moment of relief, gratitude and his life coming full circle. The phone number that brought him this fortune was given to him over a decade ago by Ghana Telecom engineers when they arrived in Tamale to work on new cell towers.
Abdallah, then with Ghana Water Company Limited, ensured their construction sites had reliable access to water.
“That number is the same one Telecel called me on to announce my win. For me, this win is a full-circle moment. In life, you get what you give.”
Decades earlier, in his 20s, Abdallah said he was a goalkeeper. He spent five years keeping nets in the Northern Region and briefly played with Accra Hearts of Oak football club. But the constant diving left him with a hip injury.
After football, he built a steady life with the Ghana Water Company, working in the Tamale and Wa offices until his retirement. Retirement, however, has not been easy. His pension barely stretches to cover daily expenses, let alone the ambitions of his children.
With the money, Abdallah has already lifted some of his heaviest burdens, including paying his daughter’s tuition and preparing his younger children for the next phase of their lives.
“The pension money is not enough. Two of my children are about to start national service, and my daughter is pursuing her master’s degree. I didn’t know how I was going to support them financially.”
Though he couldn’t attend the prize presentation event over 100 kilometres in Buipe because of his current mobility issues, Telecel staff presented the prize money to him at the telco’s Tamale office.
“I’m so happy to win. I can’t describe the excitement. This money will help me in ways I couldn’t imagine. This promo is truly life-changing, and I will always thank Telecel for this.”
With the oversight of the National Lottery Authority through its Caritas platform since its launch in June, the Telecel 2Moorch Money promo has rewarded over 10,000 customers through daily and weekly cash prizes totalling GH¢ 2.1million as of Friday, 5th September.
Each day, 120 Telecel users win GH¢100 and up to eight lucky customers win GH¢20,000, with the grand prize of GH¢1.2 million up for grabs at the end of September.
Aneth Muga, Director of Consumer Business at Telecel Ghana, said Abdallah’s win proves that age is not a barrier and everyone is eligible to win the daily, weekly and grand prize in the promo.
“Abdallah’s story is a beautiful reminder that our 2Moorch Money Promo truly touches every corner of Ghana and every generation.
“Seeing the oldest winner so far use his prize to support his children’s education is exactly the kind of life-changing impact we love to see.
“At Telecel, we are proud to bring moments of joy and relief to our customers through this promo,” Aneth said.
All Telecel customers are eligible to participate and can opt in by dialling *500# or sending the word “WIN” via SMS to 500, or activating the promo through the Telecel Play App.
Once subscribed, customers earn entries into the daily and weekly draws by recharging airtime or purchasing bundles of GH₵ 5 or more.
All weekly and grand prize winners receive their winning announcement through a phone call from an official Telecel representative via this phone number: 0203000004.