THE REALITY OF ORPHANS AND ABANDONED CHILDREN IN GHANA
Kobina Annan, Jr. Ghanadot

According the latest statistics released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, there are 48.3 million orphans South of the Sahara desert, one quarter of whom have lost their parents to AIDS. In Ghana there are 170,000 orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS. Currently Ghana has over 1 million orphans and the numbers continue to grow.

How can anyone abandon his or her baby without thinking about the well-being of the infant? But, unfortunately this is the harsh reality that occurs all the time in and around Africa.

Fortunately, there are organizations throughout Africa that help orphans and abandoned children. One of these organizations is the Osu Children’s home in Accra Ghana.

When you enter the compound of the children’s home, there are several children playing while some are in small groups talking. Some orphans immediately run to any visitor who enters the home in hope of possibly finding a care provider. The sadness on some of their faces is devastating, but although one child might look sad another child will have a look of hope, and that is maybe the motivation that keeps some of these orphans optimistic about their future.

There are four houses that shelter thirty two orphans each. The goal of the Osu Children’s home is to provide substitute homes for deprived children such as these orphans and to take care of their need for food and shelter. Mrs. Milicient Nyarko an assistant who has been at the home for more than ten years says, “It can get very busy around here but we manage to help orphans and abandoned children in any possible way we can.”

Social welfare agencies and police officers usually bring wandering kids to the home. Each child’s situation varies. The determining factor as to how long they can remain in the home depends on the particular condition of the child.

A young vibrant eleven year old orphan named Sena says, “I like the home and I’ve made a lot of friends. I am happy with the way I am treated here.”

Most of the orphans and abandoned children at the Osu home attend public schools like any regular child. Orphans are cared for from birth to the age of eighteen. After they turn eighteen they are either placed in adult housing or provided with additional educational tools that will prepare them for college if they are interested.

Orphans are placed for adoption regularly and inquiries to help support the organization financially are made often. Donations are needed to keep the home running and stable, so promoting the Osu home by word of mouth is done quite often.

Mrs. Helina Obeng’ Asamoahe is the director at the children’s home. She facilitates and supervises the children when they need guidance, and oversees the entire home. Her duties also require making sure that each child is accounted for and properly taken care of.

If one orphan, out of the statistically many, is taken good care of, it will make a difference to Ghana and the world. To show support and interest in the struggle to help children in need of a basic living, contact the Osu Children’s Home.

For donations please mail checks, clothing or any gift to:

Osu Children’s Home
P.O. Box 640 Accra, Ghana.
Attention Helina Obeng Asamoahe


 

Pictures from Osu Children's Home

Welcome, their eyes seem to say to the visitor

They stare with typical curiosity of their age

“I like the home and I’ve made a lot of friends" she said

Ms. Helina Obeng Asamoahe, Director (left) and a visiting patroness of the home

Photo courtesy:  Kobina Annan, Jr.

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