Mrs. Matilda Okyere (right) presenting the items to Emmanuel Affram (left)
FORTY ORPHANS and vulnerable children face being cast off by the Asiakwa SOS – a well known orphanage in the East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region – due to financial challenges facing the home, DAILY GUIDE has learnt.
This came to light when Mrs. Matilda Okyere, wife of the Chief Executive Officer of Antarctic Construction Company in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital, made a few remarks during a donation to the Orphanage at the weekend.
Mrs. Okyere said that the donation formed part of her birthday celebration which fell on 20 June. She called on philanthropists and corporate organizations to support the poor and the needy in the society.
She advised the kids not to be discouraged by their present condition. Instead, they should study hard for a brighter future.
Mr. Emmanuel Ekow Effirim, Director in-charge of the Home, told the donors that the facility was facing serious financial challenges thereby making it impossible to admit 40 new orphans brought by the Social Welfare and other organizations nationwide this year.
He recounted that 18 of the children had so far completed tertiary institutions, integrated into society and now working in professional fields as doctors, bankers, land economists, nurses, among others; adding that seven of them were pursuing various courses in both public and private universities in the country.
The Asiakwa SOS boss asserted that eight of them participated in the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), whiles another eight would this year write the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Mr. Effirim disclosed that currently, there are 110 kids in the Home receiving comprehensive care and quality education, adding that the centre depends only on donor support.
According to him, the donations had declined, affecting the purse of the Village, which is making it extremely difficult to maintain the teachers, adding that the work environment was not conducive.
Mr. Effirim therefore appealed to government and other agencies to come to the aid of the Orphanage.
He commended Mrs. Matilda Okyere for donating bags of rice, boxes of Indomie, assorted soft drinks, toiletries, biscuits, and a lot more, which according him, would help to reduce their financial burden.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Asiakwa
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.