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In Ghana, the rate of COVID-19 infection is decreasing, with an average of 70 cases being reported per day. As of 5th April, the country of 29.3 million had administered 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, enough to fully immunize 0.8% of the population. Wearing of face masks is required in public spaces. Many centres in Ghana have restarted programming, welcoming small groups of children and youths on a rotating basis.
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Thank you for praying for children and families in Ghana who have been impacted by COVID-19—and the local staff and churches who continue to serve them in difficult circumstances.
When Comfort fell pregnant at 17, she not only faced fear and confusion at the prospect of being a parent, but her family disowned her. “My father had plans for me to further my education, but he was disappointed in me for getting pregnant. He washed his hands of me and did not care what became of me,” says Comfort. Read more open_in_new
The situation
Heavy rainstorms on 24th April caused flooding and extensive damage to homes in the community of Portor, which is in the Kintampo North District of the Bono East region. The affected families temporarily relocated the homes of friends or relatives. Our local church partners visited the families and their homes to assess the impacts of the flooding on their lives and livelihoods. Relief items are being provided, based upon need.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 17
New information
Relief items such as mattresses, food, clothing, school supplies, bedding and toiletries are being provided to affected families. Local staff have ensured all affected families have a suitable place to live.
Prayer
Thank you for praying for the affected children, families and church partners in Ghana.
The situation
A rainstorm and subsequent flooding caused damage to many homes in the Central region of Ghana in the adjoining communities of Breman Anhwiam and Nyamebekyere. Damaged homes have had their roofs blown away, household items destroyed and rendered some affected families temporarily homeless.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 17
New information
The affected families are stable and well, and some are temporarily living with friends or relatives. The local staff are supporting affected children and families with relief items, based on their needs. They are also assisting in next steps for accommodation for displaced families.
Prayer
Please pray for the families who have been displaced by the storms and flooding.
The situation
Heavy rainstorms caused flooding and extensive damage to homes in the community of Portor, which is in the Kintampo North District of the Bono East region. The local staff have been providing relief support to children and families affected by the flooding.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 13
New information
The local staff have been conducting home visits and have confirmed that all affected children and families are safe and well at this time. Almost all of the affected families will require financial assistance in making necessary repairs to their homes. The local partners in Ghana are working to arrange this support.
Prayer
Please continue to pray for the children and families as they recover from damages and losses caused by the flooding.
The situation
Heavy rainstorms caused flooding and extensive damage to homes in the community of Portor, which is in the Kintampo North District of the Bono East region.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 13
New information
Local staff are working to provide affected children and their families with basic supplies and relief items. Some of the affected families are temporarily living with relatives or neighbours.
Prayer
Please pray for the affected children, families and church partners.
The situation
A rainstorm and subsequent flooding has caused damage to many homes in the Central region of Ghana in the adjoining communities of Breman Anhwiam and Nyamebekyere. Damaged homes have had their roofs blown away, household items destroyed and rendered some affected families temporarily homeless.
Global Compassion impact
Number of local church partners affected: 0 Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 17
New information
The affected families are temporarily living with friends or relatives. The local staff are assessing the impact of the flooding and supporting affected children and families with relief items, based on their needs.
Prayer
Please pray for the protection and provision of affected children, staff and their families.
Please note: Due to the current pandemic, many Compassion child development centres have started inviting children and youths back in small groups for classes on a rotating basis, to take updated photos and to write letters. Some centres remain closed to group activities.
Compassion’s program is contextualised across countries and communities, as well as age groups.
Compassion assisted children in Ghana typically attend program activities at their local child development centre on Saturdays. Here is an example of what a typical program day looks like for children in Ghana.
9:00am - A time of prayer and devotion and breakfast. A typical breakfast usually consists of maize porridge, milk, sugar and bread.
9:30am - Spiritual lessons, when children sing songs and learn Bible stories.
10:30am - Break time, when children can play in a safe environment and develop friendships.
11:00am - Social-emotional lessons ranging from conflict resolution to developing healthy self-esteem and godly character. Children often come from challenging home environments and are taught social and personal skills.
12:00pm - Lunch and social time. A typical lunch generally consists of rice with sauce and either chicken, fish or meat, with seasonal fruit. Food is usually provided as children don’t always have access to nutritionally balanced meals at home. Parents are educated to provide nutritious food for their children, and highly malnourished children are given extra support, including a package of nutritious food such as eggs, milk, beans, rice and oil, once a month.
1:00pm - Health lessons, in which children learn practical health and hygiene tips including how to prevent malaria and HIV.
2:00pm - Letter writing and career planning. Older children work with local staff to identify their strengths and interests and set goals for their future.
Older sponsored children also take part in skills training workshops such as bead and batik making, soap preparation and basket weaving. Parents and caregivers are offered health education classes as well as quarterly training on children’s rights, parenting, and business and financial management.
of people live below the poverty line
of people lack access to improved sanitation
mothers die from pregnancy related causes per 100,000 births
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan nation to throw off colonial rule and the first to halve its extreme poverty rate. It continues to be a leader in West Africa as more children pursue their education and living conditions improve. Yet growing inequality means that the poorest are falling further behind.
Ghana has changed significantly in the past few decades. More people are moving to live in urban areas; more children have the opportunity to stay in school longer; the economy is diversifying away from subsistence agriculture (although agriculture remains an important source of employment and income) and it continues to grow.
Despite fluctuations in the economy, millions of Ghanaians have risen out of poverty, particularly from extreme poverty. Between 1991 and 2012, the poverty rate dropped from 52 per cent to 21; the extreme poverty rate fell even more sharply, from 37 per cent to nine. The under-5 mortality rate in Ghana has also come down in that time.
But economic conditions have worsened in the past five years and these gains are under threat. A gap is widening between the richest and poorest. Those left in rural areas bear the brunt of low incomes but the people crowding into expanding cities face the problems of rapid urbanisation: greater congestion, dangerous pollution, lack of access to safe drinking water and other basic necessities.
Nana Akufo-Addo won the presidential election in December 2016 and recently declared that his nation would be a “shining example” when it came to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and lifting people out of poverty. He also announced 2019 to be the “Year of Return”, marking 400 years since African slaves were taken from their homeland and shipped to the USA—and encouraging the African diaspora to return to Ghana.
At the coming 2020 election, President Akufo-Addo will face off against the opposition party’s John Mahama (himself a former President) for the third consecutive time. A key issue will be who has the stronger plan to restore a faltering economy and help the most vulnerable Ghanaians to overcome the challenges of poverty.
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