At least 20 children with cerebral palsy in the Ashanti region, along with their families, are seeking relief after being evacuated from a facility they have always considered home. Due to the lack of an appropriate establishment provided by the government, a non-governmental organization obtained a safe facility from a private property owner and transformed it into the only care home in the region for these special children.
After four years of renting the facility, the NGO is now facing financial challenges that jeopardize its ability to continue operating, leaving the children in uncertainty. Solomon Evans, a recent graduate who has called this place home for several years, is concerned about where he and the other children will go next. “Right now, I’m very confused and don’t know where to turn. I’m just waiting for my mother, the founder of the home,” he said, his voice filled with sadness and confusion. “This whole situation feels like a nightmare I want to wake up from. I don’t understand why we have to leave,” he added. The facility, located in Kenyasi, is run by the Appiahene CP Respite and Home, the only private establishment in the Ashanti region that provides specialized care for children with cerebral palsy who are highly dependent.
After investing all her resources into the initiative to support the special kids, Founder, Martha Opoku Agyemang, is now financially drained to keep the facility. “Funding has been difficult. Caring for these children is very expensive. We are late on rent and now the owner needs his facility for something else,” she said.
She, together with the kids, faces the daunting reality of eviction after they failed to pay up for the facility. The special home brought relief to parents and guardians of these kids. “Kojo is an orphan that I took in as my own and it’s difficult caring for him. Bringing Kojo Mensah here has been of great help to me. I have been crying since I got here today. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. I will take him home and hope help comes,” Kojo Mensah’s mum said.
Esther Boatenmaa, mother said, “it’s not easy, I am really saddened. I have 4 other children and taking care of him at home was stressful, the stigmatization alone was too much,” she explained, wiping away tears. “When I got here, I saw the demolishing, aunty Martha asked me if I can take him home for the meantime.”
A speech therapist at the facility explains that the situation could impact the care provided to differently-abled children. “Their treatment should be consistent; there should be no breaks, or else we risk starting all over,” she lamented. Catering to the needs of children with cerebral palsy requires both technical expertise and patience.
Stephen Adu Gyamfi, the Social Welfare Director at Kwabre East, stated, “We knew we had to move out, but this has come as a shock to me. It’s unfortunate. For those who can return to their parents, we are making arrangements for them, but others have nowhere to go. Kwabre East does not have permanent accommodations for them. The challenge we face is a lack of resources.”
With the belongings already evacuated from the house, the kids, their caregivers, and guardians are unsure of their next place of abode. The special kids and their parents are appealing for aid to support them in finding a permanent place of abode, convenient for their physical, social and cognitive development.
By: Emmanuel Quaicoe
