METHODIST CHURCH ESTABLISHES ORPHANAGE (Page 20)

Story: Joe Okyere, Gyaahadze, Winneba

The Methodist Church Ghana, in partnership with the Rafiki Foundation Incorporated, USA has established an orphanage at Gyaahadze, near Winneba in the Effutu District, to cater for orphans.
So far, five houses capable of housing 10 children each have been completed at a cost of US$600,000. It can take up to 100 inmates at full capacity.
The first six inmates, made up of two boys and four girls, aged four months to four years, have been admitted to the centre.
The Most Rev. Dr K. Aboagye-Mensah, the Presiding Bishop of Methodist Church, Ghana, who performed the official opening of the village, said the establishment of the village formed part of the church’s obligation, commitment and responsibility to care for orphans.
Rev. Dr Aboagye-Mensah said the village would be used to prepare the children for leadership positions and excellence, adding that admission was open to all children from various religious backgrounds.
The Village Director, Rev. Ekow Sey, said the village at Gyaahadze was a satellite one to the main village being run by the church and the Rafiki Foundation Incorporated, USA, at Kotoku, near Amasaman in the Ga West District in the Greater Accra Region.
Rev. Sey said since the people were part of the problems that had resulted in the high incidence of orphans, it was the responsibility of all to help to cater for them and called for support in the running of the village to alleviate the plight of the inmates.
He said Moree in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District alone had registered 230 orphans, which was more than twice what the village could accommodate.
The Director of the Rafiki Satellite Village, Kotoku, Sister Cathy Carneye, on behalf of the Rafiki Foundation Incorporated, USA, said the foundation, which started operations in Tanzania, now had villages in 10 countries in Africa.
She said it was the vision of the foundation to set up similar satellite villages throughout the country in partnership with the Methodist Church.
The Chief of Gyaahadze, Nana Heity IV, said he released 20 acres of land free of charge for the project to help cater for orphans.
He promised to release additional 10 acres of land to support the project to diversify its operations and raise funds for the running of the village.
Madam Eva Lokko, IT Consultant, Methodist Church Ghana, who chaired the function, commended the church and the Rafiki Foundation for their support and commitment to catering for orphans and urged them to use the villages to train the less fortunate to become useful citizens.