The Save Them Young Orphanage has launched its 30th anniversary celebrations with a call on the government, corporate institutions and individuals to strengthen support for vulnerable children and children with special needs.
The milestone marks 30 years of providing shelter, care and education to neglected, abandoned, trafficked and abused children referred to the facility through the Department of Social Welfare and the Ghana Police Service.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the launch at Bethlehem, Ms Jessica Amuaben-Turay, the Human Resource Person at the orphanage, said the main anniversary celebration and fundraising event would be held on December 12 at the Bethlehem Event Centre.
Ms Amuaben-Turay said the celebration would commemorate three decades of service spearheaded by the founder, Rev. Dr Colleen Opoku Amuaben.
She stated that although the home provided necessities, including shelter, food and education, institutional care could not fully replace the emotional support provided by a family.
She therefore urged young people to take responsibility for their reproductive choices to help prevent unplanned pregnancies that could contribute to child abandonment.
She also appealed to the public to support the home with food items, educational materials, and financial assistance.
Mrs Evelyn Adzaxo Padi, a Board Member of the orphanage, called for the establishment of specialised care facilities across the country to accommodate children with special needs.
She described the situation of children with special needs as concerning, saying caregivers faced significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure and logistics.
Mrs Padi called on the government to make dedicated budgetary allocations for special-needs infrastructure and urged fathers to share responsibility for raising children with disabilities rather than leaving the burden to mothers.
Nana Kwesi Asante, a philanthropist associated with the centre, also urged state institutions to play a more active role in supporting orphanages.
Mr Asante said although the orphanage instilled discipline in the children and prepared them for further education, sustained state intervention remained important to the home’s operations.
He appealed to the Department of Social Welfare to establish structured and regular supply arrangements for essential items, infant formulas, and learning materials for orphanages.
He also appealed to major health institutions, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Ridge Hospital, to extend healthcare outreach services to orphanages caring for infants and children with special medical needs.
Management of the orphanage appealed to corporate institutions, civil society organisations and the general public to support the December anniversary and fundraising event to help improve the welfare and future prospects of the children.