Another investigative
expose by ace investigative journalist Anas Amereyaw Anas at Countryside
Children’s Welfare Home at Bawjiase has revealed what is wrong with us, as a
people and society-the excessive exploitation of the vulnerable.
In the story carried in
the Daily Graphic (2nd Feb. 2015) the founder of the home, Mrs. Emma
Boafo Yeboah is accused of using the home as a conduit to enrich herself.
Donations from individuals to the homes are according to the report, sold to
the public and not used on the children for whom the donors have intended.
The shocking revelation
was how these orphans are left to starve for days through the tacit knowledge
of the founder of the home.
‘Even worse, some days are
declared fasting days and the children are given mango and water at the end of
the fast’. The story continued ‘…the children are made to live on a cup of
gari, which is poured into their shirts, and uncooked noodles’
Such display of
callousness not on any crop of people but orphaned children must not to
tolerated. It is highly reprehensible!!
This is where the
Department of Social Welfare comes in. The state institution is mandated to
monitor the operations of such homes and the children residing in the homes.
Whether the Department of Social Welfare is doing its job is another issue all
together.
Department
of Social Welfare
The Department of Social Welfare (DSW) is the
state institution ‘mandated to regulate the operations of these institutions
through the enforcement of the guidelines for the registration and operation of
these establishments. There is to be a
sustained monitoring of the activities of children’s home, in order to
safeguard the interest and wellbeing of the children involved (Children’s Act, Section 105-110)
So, to the big question: Is the Department of
social executing its mandate fully? The protection of the wellbeing of the
vulnerable in society must be the prime concern of any serious nation. But in
Ghana, it appears the vulnerable have been neglected, left to be exploited by
anybody, sometimes even foreigners.
One cannot wholly blame the Department of
Social Welfare. The DSW need resources to work with and sadly, these resources,
which must be provided by the state, are not forthcoming. The DWS itself is in
dire straits.
I recall Joy FM carrying out a story on DSW somewhere last year.
The revelations were staggering. One of the officers spoken to revelead that the,
department lacked such basic office items as stationery and equipments to work
with. They have to either borrow or contribute to buy a ream of paper to use
for their work. Again, they use their own monies to undertake photocopies of
documents and that they have no light to work with because of unpaid
subventions. They either have to contribute to buy electricity units for their
metre or risk sitting in the dark. This had come about as a result of the
government inability to release their quarterly subventions to them.
Just imagine.
Way Forward
There might be many other orphanages in the
hinterlands doing worse than what the authorities at Countryside Children’s home
are perpetuating on these innocent children.
The next step following this revelation will be a one-day wonder by the
Ministry of Women, Children and Gender to inspect other homes and their state
of affairs.
Until the DSW is adequately resourced to monitor
the activities of some of these orphanages, such reports of abuse would prevail.
Any serious country makes the protection of the vulnerable in society-children,
elderly, and women- a top priority. Sadly in Ghana, we are about to wake up to
the need to tackle this unfortunate issues head on despite numerous well
polished policy documents.
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