Institutional care alone cannot provide the emotional support and sense of family that vulnerable children need to thrive, the Save Them Young Orphanage has said as it marks 30 years of caring for children in difficult circumstances.
The orphanage, which has provided shelter, education and other forms of support to neglected, abandoned, trafficked and abused children since its establishment, said stronger family and community support was needed to reduce child abandonment and improve the welfare of vulnerable children.
Ms Jessica Amuaben-Turay, Human Resource Person at the facility, made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the launch of the orphanage’s 30th anniversary celebrations at Bethlehem.
She said the children were referred to the facility mainly through the Department of Social Welfare and the Ghana Police Service.
Ms Amuaben-Turay said although the home provided children with basic necessities such as shelter, food and education, those services could not fully substitute for the emotional bond and support of a family.
She therefore urged young people to take greater responsibility for their reproductive choices, saying unplanned pregnancies could contribute to circumstances that eventually resulted in child abandonment.
She also appealed to individuals and organisations to support the orphanage with food, educational materials and financial assistance.
The anniversary, which commemorates three decades of service spearheaded by the founder, Rev. Dr Colleen Opoku Amuaben, will climax with a fundraising event at the Bethlehem Event Centre on December 12.
Mrs Evelyn Adzaxo Padi, a Board Member of the orphanage, drew attention to the additional difficulties faced by children with special needs, calling for dedicated facilities to cater for their specific requirements.
She said caregivers often struggled because of inadequate infrastructure and logistics and called for dedicated government funding for special-needs facilities.
Mrs Padi also urged fathers to play a more active role in caring for children with disabilities instead of leaving the responsibility largely to mothers.
Nana Kwesi Asante, a philanthropist associated with the centre, called for stronger state involvement in supporting orphanages and ensuring that essential supplies reached them regularly.
He appealed to the Department of Social Welfare to establish structured supply arrangements for items such as infant formula and learning materials.
He further called on major health facilities, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Ridge Hospital, to extend healthcare outreach programmes to orphanages caring for infants and children with special medical needs.
Nana Asante said the orphanage had helped instil discipline in the children and prepare them for further education, but sustained institutional support remained necessary to maintain its operations.
Management of Save Them Young Orphanage appealed to corporate institutions, civil society organisations and individuals to support the December anniversary and fundraising event.
It said proceeds from the event would help improve the welfare, care and future prospects of the children under its protection.
