Home for aged, youth training inaugurated
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, has inaugurated a facility at Adjiringanor, near Accra, to serve as a home for the aged and to train the youth in vocational skills.
Advertisement
Known as the ‘Mission Dine Home and Youth Training Centre,’ it is a subsidiary of the Mission Dine Club (MDC) of the United Kingdom.
A UK-based multiple charity award-winning Ghanaian, Ms Betty Asafu-Adjaye, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of MDC.
Govt’s commitment
Ms Djaba stressed the need for all to take keen interest in the development of the youth of the country.
She noted that the life cycle approach of providing for the youth and the elderly, which the home had adopted, had been proven to be effective in reducing vulnerabilities and also ensuring that all classes of people were included in the socio-economic development process.
“This is the path of development we need to chart and actively encourage. The government intends to partner all institutions and organisations to help promote the welfare of the elderly and the youth. We encourage the acquisition of life-long skills for the youth which will make them productive,” she said.
Purpose of MDC
Ms Asafu-Adjaye said the facility would provide support for targeted aged persons in society and also train the youth in moral and vocational skills.
“Our joint family system and family values are gradually eroding and taking away the traditional safety nets for the elderly and so we need to find appropriate measures that will provide the elderly with some support and care,” she said.
Ms Asafu-Adjaye said the club had for the past 30 years reached out to the most vulnerable people in society through social events and hospital visits.
“I realised a great need to take on the challenge to make a difference as far as the elderly are concerned and have since dedicated myself to serve the needy in society,” she said.
She added that the major objectives of MDC included providing an environment where the elderly who are less active and persons with disability would socialise and be cared for.