How Social Media Is Helping To Address Broken Social Systems In Ghana

In our part of the world, the extended family system was our refuge when the nuclear family gets to a point where much cannot be done for the person in need. The nuclear family never lived in isolation as seen in recent times. Our social systems have broken to the extent that, now people rarely get support from their families, churches, and state institutions. Families are now eager to go in for loans to do funerals than to do same for a member who is in dire need of school fees, health care assistance et al.

Thanks to some wonderful Ghanaian people on Social media sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram and the likes, who have made it a point to use their social media influence to come in for people in distress whom the traditional compound house have neglected. Social media has now become a virtual compound house or extended family where strangers stick out their necks for strangers while the affecter’s traditional family houses are closed to him or her.

In Ghana, some social media influencers like, Nana Tea, Wendy Boatemaa Ofori, Etweresohemaa, Francis Kennedy Ocloo, Kweku Genelord, Faisal Kofi Osei, Eugene Osei-Tutu Mr. Bones, just to mention a few are doing tremendously great with their influence in making sure social media comes to support the broken social systems.

Prisoners Reformation and Rehabilitation

Benevolent souls such as Wendy Boatemaa Ofori used her Facebook page to solicit for support for inmates of the Kumasi Central Prison, Adum, who sat for the just-ended NOVDEC. She made others see the need to bring hope to the incarcerated. Some of these young men have been stigmatized by their own families and friends. The social systems put in place to come to their aid are far away from cushioning them.

Social media came in handy when the inmates needed someone aside the officers to give them hope, something the family, church and social welfare system could not do. Mr. Ibrahim Kwarteng and his Crime Check Foundation has brought hope to dozens of hopeless prisoners via his social media sites where the late John Atsu, Black stars skipper and philanthropist joined in to be part of the virtual compound house where help comes without conditions.

Some of these prisoners who were discharged after their fines were paid by the late Astu and other benevolent souls needed not more than 300 to be set free but their families, churches and the social welfare were nowhere to be found. Most of them were given start up capitals to go into businesses of their choice.

Health Care Support
I sometimes ask myself where the family members of the vulnerable people who come to seek for help on social media are; but then again I remember our social systems are none to hold unto except some few good humans with angelic hearts.

Wendy Boatemaa Ofori, a professional nurse, wouldn’t go two weeks without posting for support for rare health cases for children. She is currently appealing to her virtual friends for fireflies to aid some health facilities fight baby jaundice. That aside, she has helped raise a lot for children who were in need of surgeries, and drugs. Sometimes she expresses her discomfort in coming out to solicit funds for children and young students she does not know, but she cannot turn a blind eye to their plight.

Another social media influencer, who is doing marvellously well with women and children, is Etewereso Mabaawa Hemaa. She is doing with her facebook page what the extended family should have been doing for distressed members of their families. The last but two cases she took up was a single parent (mother) who was starving with her kids to death. She was running around with the ailing woman from hospital to hospital, fighting for her life. The poor woman, was who was later diagnosed with throat cancer gave up the ghost in the long run.

Etwereso Maabawa hemaa, again, used her virtual platform to call on her virtual family members to support the children of late Madam Julian and truly they came to their help. From nowhere, the family of the deceased who was starving to death with her kids, requested for her remains and planned a funeral! Two weeks ago, she called on her Facebook family to raise GHC 5,000.00 for a widow who was taking care of her mentally challenged daughter and her little baby to pay off and take back her cocoa farm which she used as collateral for 10years for GHC 5,000.00.

Another great gentleman who is also using his Facebook influence to touch hearts is Faisal Kofi Osei, CEO of Kodro Concepts. Kofi does not usually do this but he is one person who will empty his wallet to see a stranger smile. Kofi uses his online influence to raise funds for strangers who are in need of medical support.

Education and Social Support
Hardly do we get Uncles and aunties coming in for needy but brilliant students in the families but our virtual families on social media will always be on standby to support such people. Francis Kennedy Ocloo, popularly known as General, Eugene Osei-Tutu of Luv FM, Kumasi and a host of others go all out to post result slips and hostel bills of students and call on their virtual family to help.

Francis has helped countless number of brilliant but needy students gain admissions, paid for hostels, wardrobe et al by appealing to his beautiful heart followers. Some of these people sometimes do not even know him from Adam. This is the kind of social support system we yearn to see off the virtual platforms.

I was watching TV 3 news days ago and at the grand opening of the 37 KFC outlet, a young man who happens to be one of the new staff at the new outlet was lauding Nana Tea for raising funds for him on face book when he was sick and again making sure he landed the KFC job he has now. Nana Tea has done more than some of our churches, social welfare departments and family members would have done; from education, health, job, start ups etc.

On job creation and employment, one name that keeps growing is Kweku Genelord. The gentleman is doing well with organizing entrepreneurial training workshops for unemployed young people, posting legitimate job vacancies and facilitating anything legitimate as job on his page.

Conclusions
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, National Health Insurance, YEA, Churches, Mosques and Families seem to be letting the people down when it comes to their core duties of social support and making life a bit comfortable. Should all our social systems get broken, criminals will take advantage of unsuspecting vulnerable people and that will be a sure way to national security issues.

I salute all the responsible and positive social media influencers in Ghana who are doing their best to stop gaps in broken social systems by using their platforms to water down dire social issues.

The writer is a Lance Corporal with the Manhyia Local Prison, Kumasi and can be contacted on [email protected]/+233-249542342