Mr. Robert Gasper Akandagba, Manager of Remar Orphanage in Tema Community 11 has appealed to corporate organizations and the public to help reintegrate street children into society.
Remar Orphanage is a Christian rehabilitation center for drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, Street children, orphans, and needy children.
Remar Orphanage was established in 1994 and has branches in Tamale, Sunyani, Kumasi, Takoradi, Ho, and Accra.
The Orphanage gives care to children and women in need as they are categorized into children and female communities.
Mr. Akandagba told the Ghana News Agency in Tema that the idea behind the establishment of the Orphanage was to help the marginalized in society especially drug addicts from various parts of the world.
He said although young drug addicts are adopted for rehabilitation, there was a need to move beyond that and empower them to become part of society so they do not fall back into the old habits again.
“Street children are left to wallow and no one pays attention to them. The situation is dire as some are brought to us by social welfare, police, and benevolent persons who noticed their plight but are unable to offer them the needed help,” he said.
Mr. Akandagba spoke to the GNA during a pre-Xmas activity organized by the Tema Gentlewomen Lions Club, Tema Industrial Lions Club dubbed “Fun time with Remar Orphanage’ as part of the ‘Hunger Relief Activities’ which seeks to improve human flourishing.
He noted that the Remar Orphanage offers street children a new home and caretaking while social welfare regularises, monitors, and stands as a guarantee for the children they admit.
” I and four other caregivers have dedicated our lives to seeing these children’s lives improve. And social welfare visits us quarterly to undertake periodic assessments.
“There are times they pay us surprised visits and talk to the children in our absence to have good monitoring so the children won’t be intimated by our presence,” he said.
He described the management of homeless children as a calling, “it is a calling by God to surrender yourself all the time for these children. It is challenging because taking care of 28 minors simultaneously takes a lot of goodwill and energy.
“We build a strong family bond with all and build in them the essence of peaceful co-existence”.
He said the children are enrolled in some schools while some learn vocational skills and by the age of 18 years they are better able to cater to their needs and begin an adult and independent life.
Mr Akandagba however said the Remar Orphanage has challenges including payment of rent, school fees, logistics, food, and other related domestic needs.
He also classified the placement for Senior High Schools as a major problem, stressing that as challenged children the authorities most often attempt to ensure that they are enrolled in the same school for proper monitoring and resolve issues of transportation.
He commended the parent orphanage in Spain and other benevolent individuals who have served as supporting pillars for the home since its establishment in 1994.
“Container full of items comes from Spain every year to support all the branches and parts of those items are sold to carter for expenses while the other part is used by the children and we appreciate that a lot,” Mr. Akandagba said.
