First Lady supports street children

The Rebecca Foundation, headed by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has presented assorted food items worth about GH¢15,000 to some street children in Accra.

The donation, which was made through a street children project dubbed: ‘Enhancing the Youth through Education and Health (EYEH) Soup Kitchen’, was made up of bags of maize, sugar, rice, cartons of milk, boxes of canned fish, gallons of vegetable cooking oil and medical supplies.

The EYEH Soup Kitchen is run by a group of retired career women — Ladies with Ladles of Love — who on every Wednesday, bring together between 60 and 80 street children at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park where they feed and counsel them.

The children who come from different parts of the streets in Accra are taken through medical screeing, spiritual upliftment, career and educational guidance and recreational activities.

Presentation

The Director of Operations at the Office of the First Lady, Mrs Akosua Newman, who presented the items to the management of the EYEH Soup Kitchen project, said the First Lady was touched by the work of the Ladies with Ladles of Love and, therefore, wanted to support and encourage them to do more.

Mrs Newman was hopeful that the items would go a long way to help cater for the needs and welfare of the children who found themselves on the street.

A Director of EYEH, Ms Adwoa Amana, thanked the First Lady for the gesture and called on other benevolent organisations to come to their aid so that they could make more impact in the lives of the street children in order to get them off the streets in the long run.

Another Director, Ms Elizabeth Quarshie-Idun, said so far, six of the street children who expressed a desire to go back to school were in a government shelter where they were receiving vocational training in auto mechanics, electricals and building construction, among others.

The Medical Coordinator, EYEH, Ms Charlotte Gardiner, was grateful to the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (CPPAG) for the regular health screening.

She also commended the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for its continuous support to them.

Writer’s email-rebecca.quaicoe-duho@graphic.com.gh