By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Teshie, Feb. 02, GNA – The founder of the Teshie Children’s Home, Mrs Janet Anyeley Parker, has been laid to rest following a funeral service at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Peniel Congregation, Teshie Salem.
Mrs Parker, affectionately called “Maa Jane” or “Grandma,” passed away on September 12, 2025, after a short illness at the age of 80.
She began her formal education at the Teshie Presbyterian Primary School (Salem) and later attended the La Presbyterian Middle Girls’ School, where she obtained her Middle School Leaving Certificate (MSLC) in 1962.
After school, Mrs Parker engaged in petty trading, assisting her mother, and later ventured into the fisheries business through Mankoadze Fisheries, where she purchased fish in cartons for resale.
She subsequently entered the confectionery business, supplying products to Ghana Airways Catering Limited, a subsidiary of the former Ghana Airways Corporation, for over a decade.
In her early 50s, driven by compassion and empathy, Mrs Parker turned her attention to humanitarian service and with support from others, she established the Teshie Orphanage, now known as the Teshie Children’s Home.
Beyond caring for orphans, she extended her humanitarian work to widows, widowers, vulnerable persons, and the needy at Teshie, its environs, and other parts of the country with a dedication earned her local and international recognition, including awards associated with the United Nations.
Her biological children in a tribute, praised her motherly love stating that “What a mother and a woman; industrious, generous, full of empathy and God fearing. You never relent but showed a lot of resilience and will not waver in whatever you desire or decide to achieve.”
They said their formative years with her was like leaving with a ‘step’ mother or being at the military camp as she instilled in them Christian values and gave them hard training to the core, shaping them into what they were today.
“You appreciated our efforts in those days and readily rewarded us accordingly by giving us tips or gifts. Even in your last years you lived with those traits. You became a beacon of hope for the fatherless, vulnerable and needy in society,” they added.
In a tribute, inmates of the Teshie Children’s Home described Mrs Parker as more than a founder and caregiver, calling her their shelter, comfort, inspiration, and greatest blessing.
“Grandma, as we affectionately called her, was the light that shone into our lives when the world felt dark. You looked at each one of us not as abandoned or forgotten, but as precious children deserving of love, dignity, and a future,” the tribute said.
They noted that she taught them that family was built not only by blood but by compassion, adding that her gentle smile brought peace, her words offered guidance, and her arms provided a sense of home.
The children said Mrs Parker believed every child had a purpose and worked tirelessly to ensure they never forgot their worth.
“Your footsteps still echo in every corridor, every room, and every playground. Though your chair is empty, your presence fills every corner of this home,” they added.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
