The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, has called on faith-based organisations (FBOs) to leverage their resources for business and job creation, rather than converting factories into places of worship.
Speaking at the 30th anniversary launch of the Village of Hope orphanage in Amasaman, Greater Accra, Ogyeahoho Gyebi II stressed that religious institutions have a role to play in addressing Ghana’s growing unemployment crisis.
“Instead of buying factories and changing them into worshipping places, we should rather establish business places for people to get jobs to do,” he said, urging churches to prioritize sustainable employment opportunities alongside their spiritual missions.
While acknowledging the contributions of Christian organisations in education and healthcare, he emphasized the need for greater investment in vocational training and economic empowerment. He praised Village of Hope for providing skills and tools that enable abandoned and street children to earn a living, describing such interventions as essential for reducing poverty and social vulnerability.
Ogyeahoho Gyebi II also cautioned against the rise of “charlatans” in religious leadership and the commercialization of faith, calling on leaders to embrace humility, genuine service, and respect for Ghanaian cultural values.
The National House of Chiefs president highlighted the importance of balancing religious practices with traditional social systems, noting that Western influences have weakened structures like extended family support and communal cohesion.
Village of Hope’s three-decade impact
Established in 1996 by Church of Christ ministers Jerry Reynolds, Emmanuel Alfred Asante, and Christian Nsua, Village of Hope has grown from a single home for eight children to a comprehensive social intervention hub. Its operations now include residential children’s homes, two babies’ homes, a basic and senior high school, a vocational training institute, and a 70-bed hospital.
The orphanage currently cares for about 250 children, including over 50 at the university level and more than 40 in senior high school. Group Managing Director Fred Asare appealed for increased public and private support, noting that financial constraints limit the institution’s ability to expand its services.
“Our major challenge is financial because all the children we take care of, we do so for free,” he said.
Over the past 30 years, Village of Hope has transformed thousands of vulnerable children into independent adults, with hundreds progressing through tertiary education. Its vocational institute has trained more than 400 street-connected youth, equipping them with practical skills and start-up capital to reintegrate into society.
“We don’t just train them; we give them tools and capital so they don’t return to the streets,” Mr. Asare explained, highlighting the need to provide alternatives for youth at risk of streetism.
