| THE
OSU CHILDREN'S HOME, GHANA |
| OSU Children's Home is
under the auspices of the Department of Social Welfare,
Ghana. Currently, CPSR AFRICA is in collaboration with
them to develop a website for it to have a global
dimension. The home houses abandoned children from new
born to age 12. It is a lively place with vibrant
children looking for love and attention. The OSU Home
had over 150 children. They are cared for by the Ghana
Government through the Department of Social
Welfare. |
|
| WHO
ARE WE? |
| Osu Children's Home is a
community for orphaned, abandoned and needy children
from ages zero to eighteen years. It was started in 1949
by an NGO known as Child Care Society. It was then
located in the premises of the present Cripples Home at
Kaneshie, a suburb in Accra, the capital of Ghana. In
March 1960 the government took over and moved it to its
present location. It was put under the management of the
Department of Social Welfare and has been as such up to
date. |
|
| Our
Aim Is: |
 To provide a future of
hope through Quality residential care Education
Counseling |
| To children who for
some reason have no access to normal family lives To
protect and preserve the rights of children in difficult
situations |
| To afford needy
children the opportunity to realize their potentials |
|
| Which children are
admitted? |
| Abandoned children
Abused children Children whose mothers are serving
prison sentences |
| Orphaned children
Children whose mothers have to be hospitalized for a
long period and Children infected with the HIV
virus. |
|
| How
do we get the children? |
| Children are referred
by; |
| Hospitals |
| The
courts |
| The
Police |
| Social Work
Agencies |
|
| In order for a child to be
admitted the home satisfies itself that there is a
medical report to state that the child is fit to live
with other children, and a report to state how the child
was found, and efforts the agency has made to trace
parents/relations. This is to help to ascertain that
institutionalization has been considered as a last
resort. |
|
| What
happens to the children
admitted? |
| After admission we make
several efforts to locate parents or other family
members. With abandoned children if we are convinced
after three months that there are no known family
members we recommend that they be placed for adoption.
Children who have to live in the institution are given
the opportunity to have education to any level their
capabilities will permit them. If a child is above 18
years and is in school or has to live in the home
because there is no where else to go, we continue with
care until he/she is able to secure a job and live on
his/her own. Children with special problems i.e.
disabilities, HIV/Aids, etc are referred to specialist
agencies or given special care. |
|
| Housing |
| The children live in four
separate HOME UNITS. One is a nursery unit which houses
babies zero to two years. Three other units house
children three years and above. Each of these units has
a head that lives in the Home Unit with two subordinate
staff. |
|
| Education |
| All children of school
going age attend schools in the neighborhood. This is to
afford them the opportunity of meeting and interacting
with other children. The home has an early childhood
development center that caters for those of preschool
age and prepares them for basic school. |
|
| 79 Children are enrolled in
schools in the neighborhood. Their fees have to be paid
by the home. School fees of 38 out of this number are
being paid by the school themselves, individuals or
Organisations. There are 9 children who have to be
enrolled in primary school in September 2004, making it
a total of 88 who will be in school, and from September
2004, school fees of 50 children will have to paid. |
|
| Educational Fund |
| In order to ensure that all
school going children have equal opportunity; an
educational fund has been established. This fund is yet
to be launched officially. Monies collected so far have
been put in HFC Investment Services and donors
interested in the educational fund are encouraged to pay
into it. |
|
| Dormitory |
There is an emerging problem
which has to be tackled before things get out of hand.
Many children who have been admitted have no known
relatives, they live at the home until they are able to
complete school and fend for themselves.
Out of the 124 children now
resident in the home, 119 are likely to stay for a very
long time or till they become adults and can fend for
themselves. Sleeping arrangements are likely to create a
problem as many 60% of those above 9 years. It has
become necessary to get a new dormitory to accommodate
such children. Currently the 20 rooms which were built
in the early sixties to accommodate 48 children take one
hundred. The growing children need to have a place that
is spacious enough to allow them play and learn suitably
for their ages. The home now has planned to solicit for
funds to build a three storey building on the premises,
and also have some of the rooms used as a library and
sick bay. |
|
| Who
funds the running of the home? |
| The home is funded through
quarterly subvention from the Department of Social
Welfare but this is totally inadequate considering the
kind of services rendered. A large percentage of the
expenditure is through the goodwill of individuals,
groups, Organisations and churches. |
|
| What
do we need? |
| Cash, food, items
Vitamins food supplement |
| Antibiotics,medicine
Educational materials Soaps, disinfectants |
| Body creams Clothing,
bedsheets,towels, blankets Baby formula Diapers Toys,
T.V set for educational programs |
| Volunteers |
|
| Address to inquire
information: |
| OSU
Children's Home |
| Department of Social
Welfare |
| P. O. Box 640 Accra, Ghana |
|
| Osu Children's
Home Press Statement. Learn more |
|
| About Ghana |
Ghana, a former British
colony known as the Gold Coast, is a country in Western
Africa, bounded on the north and northwest by Burkina
Faso, on the east by Togo, on the south by the Atlantic
Ocean, and on the west by Cote D'Ivoire. The total area
is 238,537 sq. km. ( 92,099 sq. mi.) The capital and
largest city is Accra. Some important cities are Tema,
Kumasi, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Tamale.
Ghana has a tropical climate
with temperatures varying with season and elevation. The
climate of Ghana is tropical with monthly temperatures
ranging from 24oC to 35oC. The annual average
temperature is about 26oC. Ghana has an estimated total
population of about 18 million (2000) with an average
annual growth rate of 3%. Average population density is
50 persons/kmsq. About 66% of the population live in the
rural areas. 27% of Ghanaians is estimated to be living
in extreme poverty (less than $100 per annum), with 30%
having no access to safe drinking water. 72.5% of
children are enrolled in primary school, 60% in primary
Junior Secondary School, and 18% in Senior Secondary.
87% of children attend public school whilst 13% attend
private school. Adult literacy is about 48% in general,
with adult literacy for men standing at 62%, and 36% for
women. |
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