About 300 street children, aged and persons living with various forms of disabilities have been fed, clothed and given free health screening at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The vulnerable persons were given hot meals, used clothes and screened for diseases such as high blood pressure, weight, sugar level, malaria, temperature, eye test, ear test, among others.
Treatment and medications were also given to those whose conditions required so, while others were referred for further examinations and treatment at major health facilities.
The gesture was organised by the Children’s Ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, Bolgatanga, in collaboration with the Centre for Child Development, a child development and protection organisation, on Wednesday.
It was supported by Aide a la Vulnerabilite, an organisation that offers free health screening for the vulnerable, Plaza Health Centre in Bolgatanga and Endswell Pharmacy.
Mr Jacob Alhassan, the Parish Coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Sacred Heart Cathedral, noted that the annual exercise which begun in 2019 was part of activities marking the festive season.
He said the initiative was not to only put smiles on the faces of the vulnerable people through the various activities, but to also inculcate in the children the fear of God and love for humankind, and the need to share with the less privileged.
This, he said, would enable them to grow, develop and become responsible citizens in society and contribute significantly to the development of the people and the country at large.
“I believe that one of the reasons we have numerous social vices such as armed robbery in the country is because they feel neglected growing up, they think people do not care about them and so they do not have human feeling,” he added.
Mr Alhassan noted for instance that one of the beneficiaries in the 2020 exercise was supported to undergo surgery, adding “what we are doing for them, it is our believe that they will feel loved and have the fear of God and love for their neighbours.”
Mr Felix Frederick Amenga-Etego, the Project Manager, Centre for Child Development, noted that street children and their parents faced numerous challenges and the focus of the organisation over the years had always been to rescue, restore and reunite the children with their families.
“Children living on the streets have varied needs ranging from homelessness, health, training, school, feeding, among others, and so those who will be identified after this exercise will be recruited under our various programmes that we run,” he said.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BOLGATANGA