While traveling with Simon, I really had a chance to talk with him about the future orphanage in Denu. After being there helping I had even more questions about the project. I learned that this orphanage will serve mentally and physically disabled children from all over Ghana, and will continue to be completely funded by STAESA
In Ghana when a child is born differently abled it is believed that the parents are cursed and these children are often left to starve or just not taken care of. I loved what Simon said, he said if you make an orphanage just for these children it is not helping them, you would confine them and prove to them and society that they are different; so children without disabilities will also be living there. In addition, children from the community who are not orphans will be able to go to the school. This concept will show all the children the importance of acceptance and how to help one another by empowering all of them to be successful and teaching them how important they each are.
The orphanage will house about 60-70 children and each room of the living quarters will have a "mother" who will care for that group of children so that they will always feel loved. Many orphanages only have 1 or 2 Madame’s for many children, so here each group of 7-10 children will have their own mama.
There is nothing like this currently in Ghana, which is why it is so important that the orphanage be completed sooner than later. The living quarters are close to completion and they are focusing on the school walls now that will take about 5,000 blocks of which 1,500 are completed. I am also happy to report that two more volunteers arrive August 3rd from Los Angeles to help with the progress. Hopefully there will be even more volunteers soon and even groups coming to help in the near future so that the need for both funding and workers can help with the completion by 2012.
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