OrphanAid Africa holds annual youth rally

Accra, Jan. 10, GNA - OrphanAid Africa, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), supporting orphans and vulnerable children, on Saturday marked its Annual Youth Rally with a health screening and counseling for the underprivileged in society.

This year's event, which was the fourth in the series, took place at Osu Children's Home in Accra and brought together wards or orphans from the NGO's foster village at Ayenyah near Dodowa and inmates of the Home.

Mrs Lisa Love-Smith, founder and president of OrphanAid Africa, called on government to implement social interventions to support poor families to cater of their children rather than sending them to orphanages.

She said the family was the best place for providing care and comfort for children and that studies indicated that consigning children to orphanages for a long period could be detrimental to their development.

Mrs. Love-Smith the NGO had drawn up a four-year strategic plan aimed at improving the capacity of the Department of Social Welfare to implement a family-based care system for vulnerable children in society.

She said the NGO has initiated care reform, family support, education and development plans to support more than 400 vulnerable children through cash transfers and payment of school fess.

Mrs Love-Smith said the National Health Insurance Scheme was a good policy and asked government to ensure inmates at orphanages received free medical care under the scheme.

She introduced Ms Celia Wechenk as the new Country Director for Ghana.

The NGO has adopted Ayenyah as a foster village and receives sponsorship from France, Spain and Italy.

GNA