Thomas Adongo Fadola (left), Deputy District Director of Education, Gomoa East District, and Gladys Osei (right), the Club Patron, cutting the tape to inaugurate the newly renovated classroom block

Brightstars renovates learning centre for special students

Diana Mensah Oct - 09 - 2025 , 09:57 4 minutes read

Brightstars Autistic Club UK, a non-profit organisation committed to supporting children with autism, has renovated a four-room classroom block into a modern training centre for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The facility at Gomoa Dominase in the Central Region is to serve as both a learning centre and a skills training hub for special students, particularly children living with autism, providing them with a safe space for education, development and community integration.

An eight-member local team has been set up to manage the project, with Hannah Williams and Philip Parkoo leading operations at Gomoa Dominase.

The launch of the centre also marked the inauguration of the Brightstars Autistic and Community Club Ghana, an extension of the UK-based initiative.

The Ghana branch aims to focus on empowering children with autism through inclusive education and advocacy, while also offering training and support to their families.

A Ghanaian based in the United Kingdom (UK), Suezanne Awotwi, and a British, Vida Black, founded the club.

The construction of the building was made possible through Suezanne and Vida’s fundraising efforts in the UK and the generosity of their Patrons Mr Frederick Twum (a Partner at McKinsey & Co) Justine Lutterodt and Elias Westerdahl of Centre for Synchronous Leadership and their numerous supporters including Dr Gifty Edila, Kwabs Owusu-Osei, and others, all based in the UK.

The launch attracted community leaders, parents and educators.

Rationale

Ms Awotwi said they decided to redirect their efforts from Accra to rural communities.

“We wanted to give back to Ghana, and we realised that nobody was focusing on the villages. Everything is centred in the cities, but children in the rural areas are left out.

That motivated us to start here,” she said.

Ms Awotwi described the Ghana project as a step towards ensuring that children with autism were given opportunities to thrive and not be left behind.

She added that the centre would not only help children with autism develop essential skills, but also raise awareness within the community about inclusiveness and the need to support neurodiverse learners.

She expressed the hope that the project would break down barriers of stigma and open doors for children with autism to participate fully in society.

Inclusive

A father of a child with autism, Ato Brown, stressed the need for inclusive educational infrastructure in the country, especially outside urban centres.

He urged educators, policymakers, and religious leaders to rethink how children with autism were perceived and supported.

“Don’t focus on what they can’t do. Focus on what they can.

These children want interaction.

They want to be part of society — not hidden from it,” Mr Brown, who is also the Founder and Director of Albert Haven Foundation and Farms, said.

He urged continued support for facilities like Brightstars and the many families still searching for answers — and for hope.

The Gomoa East District Director of Education, Francesca De Graft Johnson, in a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy Director for Special Needs, Thomas Adongo Fadola, said families with children with autism faced challenges when raising them, including the lack of access to specialised care, widespread societal stigma, and feelings of isolation.

The District Director of Education stressed the need for collective effort, saying, “This vision cannot be carried alone. It requires the support of our chiefs, our faith leaders, government, NGOs, businesses and everyday individuals.”

Appreciation

The Chief of Dominase, Okogyedom Safo-Kantanka Kwa Atta IX, expressed his appreciation to Brightstars Autistic Club UK and its partners for the gesture.