In December 2006,
Ronke Ampiah,
Farida Alabo,
Felicia Hanson, and co started a project called
Smiles For Christmas where they got friends to donate gifts, items, provisions and cash to kids in a Ghanaian orphanage. I joined them to
Orphanage Africa in Dodowa. Later in 2008, I remixed their efforts to do
Smiles For New Year where I joined others to donate similar items to kids at King Jesus Charity in Boadi. Today, I joined
Nehemiah Attigah and a few others to do a similar deed at the
Lords Arm Christian Home & Foster Care in Teshie. Today's episode touched me a whole lot more and I have been more driven to act around helping orphanages and foster care homes. I hope to be involved in more efforts like this in 2013.
Nehemiah created a
Facebook event inviting us to this. He chose to celebrate his birthday by giving and spending time with others who were not as privileged. This was such a noble cause and a fulfilling one to be a part of. His workmate captured what was happening best in what inspired this tweet below.
The kids welcomed us.
Auntie Evelyn, the caretaker, gave us a tour. She showed us the classrooms for the kids - one for kindergarten & class 1, another for class 2 & 3, another for 4 & 5, another for class 6 & JHS 1, and another for JHS 2 & 3. She also showed new mattresses for the girls' room. The boys' room was nicer but the explanation I got was that there were many older boys. Many of whom had stopped school after class 5 or 6 and were being rejuvenated. Auntie Evelyn revealed their food preferences -->
After the tour, we were treated to various performances by the kids. I wouldn't have asked for it but it turns out it's common practice for orphanages and foster homes to put up a show when they are being supported publicly. A few of the kids performed to a number of songs, gospel, secular and even Francophone music.
Every event like this where I had been with kids like this, I took the opportunity to share a few words to inspire them. After the kids had had their lunch, drinks and biscuits, I felt it was the right time. But...
Auntie Evelyn is such a
Sweet Mother though. God really bless her for the work she is doing. The intros flowed later and after speaking in English, it became evident that the kids would love to hear us in Ga. So..... we introduced ourselves and
Qwophi Opare and
Seyram Ahiabor who understood Ga translated for us.
I left a message with the kids encouraging them to ask if they needed any information. "
Ask your teachers, your friends, your mates". We have to spark curiosity and knowledge seeking in Ghanaian kids. We can't emphasize this enough.
I first heard this song amongst friends of mine in MIT. To hear the kids replicate it for their foster home was tres cool. Yet another blog post posted at 23:33pm. I could get used to this. You could say along with
Nehemiah, Priddy, Emmanuel, Seyram, Francis, Qwophi, Augusta, Mavis and Kate, we made Ghana better today.
Comments