ACWA

African Child Welfare Association - Humanitarian Projects / Projets Humanitaires - Association pour le Bien-être des Enfants Africains

Mardi 5 avril 2011 à 19:35


Hi all,

 

 

I hope everyone is doing well!! I just want to give those who keep up with the blog an update of what I’m doing with the projects! The two ongoing now are:

 

 
The University funding for Peter Kennedy Owusu is going well, we have enough funds and pledges so fund the three first years at the University for Development Studies, in his degree in Business with a specialization in Accounting. All that is left is 500€ / $712 / 1000 GHc to fund the final year! If you’d like to make a donation specifically to this scholarship, make sure you notify me.

The Construction of a Maternity Block at Kumasi, which we are getting ready to start (first by a competition with the local youth of who can clean up the most in the construction area!!). I haven’t been able to spend much time to this project, as I have taken on a new job with the NGO Projects Abroad, and am simultaneously taking university classes! The good news coming from that is that this project might be helped by Projects Abroad … I’ll tell more about that later, for now it’s bureaucracy time... :)

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Samedi 2 octobre 2010 à 13:54

 
http://rainbowinghana.cowblog.fr/images/CIMG0648.jpg

The Maternal and Child Health Hospital does not receive any extra funds for their rapidly decaying building (which was built in 1924 by the colonial forces).  This branch of the main hospital is forgotten and left to thirst by the government, which has just implemented a system of National Health Care.  The consequence is that the patients come in many numbers, and the hospital can no longer receive funds from private payments.

So what they need is funds to build infrastructure, a generator for a reliable electricity system, but more importantly water. They rely on old donated water tanks, currently rusted; they get their water from Ghana’s public water system, which supplies them once per week and often leaves shortages. I was told a gruesome story about doctors who were bringing a child to the world, and ran to the sink with bloody arms and … did not have water. The children whose condition requires them to be washed can often not be done quickly or with the quality water needed, sometimes worsening their sickness! It’s one of those things that we have only heard of on TV or reportages… it is so different and overwhelming to realize it is real.

http://rainbowinghana.cowblog.fr/images/CIMG0712-copie-2.jpg

Samedi 2 octobre 2010 à 13:45

 
http://rainbowinghana.cowblog.fr/images/CIMG0363.jpgThe staff is very kind and welcoming to volunteers. Children are all over the place, keeping each other company and trying to make up games as they go, often not the cleanest or safest ... but it's all they have.

I put a picture of this little girl sleeping on the floor, since that is the first thing that shocked me - the children spend most of their time on this little protected patio : eating, crawling around and, well, going to the bathroom if a bucket is not found fast enough. The caretakers manage to sweep the place if it gets too dirty, but by then many kids have already picked up things laying on the floor to chew on them.

November 3, 2009



 
http://rainbowinghana.cowblog.fr/images/CIMG0389.jpgBesides the sad things I have and will describe, there is an overall feeling of happiness at the children's homhttp://rainbowinghana.cowblog.fr/images/CIMG0362.jpge. The children are glad and giggly for the smallest things, whether it is a smile from one of the caretakers or a curious poke from a peer. It is obvious that their condition makes it logical that ils se contentent de peu, but this remains impressive. It even remains when they grow up, I can tell as I talk to the older girls.

They have one TV, and the children watch whatever's on, which is sometimes the news, and other times not-so-edifying stuff. In the picture above, you can see them dancing to the music channel and teaching the younger kids how to dance. From where I'm sitting, everyone else is clapping along and watching them, smiling.

Everyone shares everything here, and it is closer to a "children's home" as they call it, or a big family than an orphanage. As you can see at the bottom of the picture, the children learn as early as 4 how to feed the younger ones. It gives the older children something to do, and they develop really close relationships with one another.

November 4, 2009

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