2 NGOs To Support Single Mothers, Orphans And Vulnerable Children

The African Development Programme (ADP) in partnership with Holt International Children’s Services have met stakeholders in Accra to discuss in detail the implementation of two (2) projects that would contribute to addressing the identified problems of women (single mothers) and vulnerable children in the country. This was necessitated by the Holt Mission to Ghana on two (2) occasions with the aim of preventing child abandonment and addressing the problems of orphan and vulnerable children.

Speaking at a stakeholder’s inception meeting in Weija, ADPs Executive Director Charles Othniel Abbey was grateful all selected partners were present. In a brief, on ADPs vision and mission Mr Abbey said the partnership was a way for Holt International to enter Ghana and operate fully with their services. He noted "after the Holt mission and document study of the Ghana Living Standards Survey and some needs assessment which was conducted, the problems of single mothers and vulnerable children was inevitable” “It is for this reason we are here to share with you the interventions we have outlined to contribute to addressing the root causes of poverty and deprivation in the country”.

The Senior Executive of Holt International Children’s Services for Africa and Haiti Mr Charles Abbey said Holt International is child-centered and committed to seriously work with the partners and make their presence felt in Ghana and in the process ensuring every child has a loving and secure home.

He stressed on honest performance, transparency, integrity and accountability as key principles the partners should uphold during the project period. He advised them “the budget may be small for now, but it might grow in the future when we begin our next financial year and the possibility of this happening depends on your honest performance with the little to be given to you”

He also pledged policy support with the BACs in the future. He called on the partners to put up their best since they are directly linked with single mothers, orphaned and vulnerable children. He was hopeful that the success of these interventions will result in more advocacy work and more resources to support such projects in the future.

He was hopeful the beneficiary partners will collaborate and cooperate with the ADP management team with timely reporting.

The 2 projects
Project 1-Single Mothers Initiative for Livelihood Empowerment (SMILE). The intervention will support 73 women in Vocational Skills Training, Business Management Skills, Micro Loans and Tooling Assistance. There would be a temporal child care giver for the women undergoing the training. The beneficiaries are the Crystal Garden Institute and Kpobiman Women Association in the Central and Greater Accra Regions respectively.

Project 2-Child Interventions for Protection and Educational Development (CIPED). The intervention targets orphan and vulnerable children (special needs and orphaned) with the objective of addressing both socio-economic challenges that deprive them of their full potential. The interventions include supporting their access to universal healthcare coverage; educational supplies for the girl-child; child educational sponsorship for an academic year; and addressing some institutional challenges that hamper the provision of safe and quality food to the children. The beneficiaries will be the Mampong School for the Deaf, Prince Immanuel School and Royal Seed Orphange in Eastern and Central Regions.

It is estimated that more than 73 women will be economically empowered and over 420 vulnerable children and families benefiting from this interventions. Evidence-based monitoring and ICT tools will be utilized in the management process. An amount of $17, 000 is committed for the implementation of the projects from June to September 2017.

Partnership agreement documents were given to partners for their study and signatures to be appended. The partners were happy with the interventions and promised to support the projects to the best of their abilities. Some were very happy of the nature the monitoring and reporting will be done as the lack of this has accounted to loss of ownership and sustainability of similar projects in the past.

The project beneficiaries were from various institutions and associations. Crystal Garden Institute and Royal Seed Orphanage in the Central Region. Kpobiman Women Association in the Greater Accra Region and Mampong School for the Deaf and Prince Immanuel School also in the Eastern Region. Some of the Business Advisory Centres (BAC) of the Rural Enterprise Programme (REP) in Gomoa East and Ga West attended as part of efforts to get local authority support as well as reducing duplication of development effort.

Background
ADP is a Ghanaian NGO based in Accra-Ga South, with a focus on social development through policy, research, training and direct community intervention. Holt International Children’s Services is a U.S–based organization in Eugene-Oregon that seeks a better world for children through strengthening families and uplifting children.

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