Social Welfare Unit identifies more orphans, vulnerable children

The Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) Unit at the Department of Social Welfare has identified about 1.2 million children in the country who are orphans and vulnerable, with majority being homeless, neglected and having developmental disabilities.

The National Coordinator of the unit, Mr Fred Sakyi Boafo, said most of the children were also physically and sexually abused.

He was speaking at the inauguration of  Ghana Without Orphans (GWO), a Christian movement and an offshoot of World Without Orphans, mandated to reunite orphans with their relatives or adoptive Christian families.

The movement also aims at working to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children live in a place where they will enjoy a sense of belongingness within the Christian family environment as well as love and hope.

Trend worrying

Mr Boafo said the Department of Social Welfare defined OVC as a person below the age of 18 who had lost one or both parents and who was exposed to moral, physical and psychological danger as a result of neglect and/or abuse.

He said in Ghana, the number of orphans and vulnerable children was increasing and called for pragmatic steps to protect them from neglect and all forms of abuse.

Mr Boafo emphasised that in an effort to support and cater for such children, the public should be mindful of the policy direction of the state towards the care of OVC, which pointed towards the promotion of family-based care, with institutional care being the last option.

GWO prepared

The National Coordinator of GWO, Rev. George Kankam Abaidoo, said the vision of the movement was to help orphaned and vulnerable children enjoy a better Christian family life.

He said the movement sought to establish, promote and sustain national, regional and district networks that involved churches and their members, NGOs, business communities, the media, governmental agencies, institutions, corporate organisations, among others, who could help develop orphan advocacy movements.

Touching on other related matters, Rev. Abaidoo said one of the biggest challenges facing the church today was the ever-increasing number of children growing up without the loving care of their parents and without knowing their Heavenly Father, and pointed out that the GWO would promote communication within and among the network groups, and help the advocates to share their successes and challenges.