A GNA feature by Benjamin Akoto, GNA
Yawhima, (Bono), June 02, GNA-For Miss Lisa Yaa Amponsah Owiredu, the desire to care for the less privileged in society did not begin with her 12th birthday celebration, but her seed of compassion nurtured years back.
“At age 10, I woke up one morning and told my mother that I wanted to set up a charity organisation,” she stated.
It was not just a passing though; it was the beginning of a vision rooted in empathy and service.
“Anytime I see people hurt or suffering, I feel very sad and I want to attend to them”, the 12-year Form One student stated.
Inspiration Rooted in Faith
Ms Owiredu said that her guiding light was from the Holy book and referencing James 1:27 which teaches, that, “True religion involves caring for orphans and people in distress.”
She was complying with the biblical charge as her personal mission.
She said: “Orphans and widows are my main targets.” She said her dream was to establish a foundation with a global reach, extending support to orphans, widows and the vulnerable in society.
Why Giving Matters
Ghana’s orphan population remains significant, with available data from the Ghana Statistical Service and UNICEF consistently pointing to thousands of children living outside parental care in orphanages.
Many others also live with their extended family members. Others are on the streets, and depend largely on support from institutions, faith-based organisations and individual philanthropists and groups to meet basic necessities of life.
Nationally, many orphanages and children’s homes continue to operate under chronic financial strain.
Emotionally, many of the less privileged children in those homes and orphanages are mostly separated from biological families due to deaths, poverty and other circumstances beyond their control.
Those vulnerable and less privileged children rely heavily on the generosity of individuals, communities and donors to bridge gaps.
This is basically because the government alone can’t shoulder the responsibility of their proper upbringing and development.
Marking a Birthday Through Giving
On a bright afternoon at Yawhima, a community in the Sunyani Municipality, Ms Owiredu and her friend, Ms Eliesse Boro Mwin Yeliviel, walked through the gates of the Compassion is Love in Action Orphanage with varieties of gifts.
Convincingly, the pair believed that celebrating their 12th birthday with the children at the orphanage would be more meaningful and impactful.
This is because, according to them, many under-privileged children rarely get the opportunity to celebrate their birthdays.
Ms Oweridu and Yeliviel are Form One pupils of the KNAS International School, and they donated assorted soft drinks, toiletries, bags of rice and packs of sachet water to the less privileged children at the orphanage.
Beyond that and touched by their predicament, the girls cut and shared their birthday cakes and feted with the children of the orphanage.
They also distributed non-alcoholic beverages in a brief, joyous and momentous celebration, putting smiles on the faces of the highly excited children.
Ms Yeliviel, who echoed a similar philosophy of Owiredu remarked: “Not everybody on this earth gets the opportunity to celebrate his or her birthday.
”So, since I have that opportunity, I decided to spend the anniversary doing something for the less privileged.”
An Act Worth Emulating
Though modest in scale, the girls’ act of kindness speaks to something much bigger than the importance of building a culture of giving in societies where public resources often fall short of addressing the needs of the vulnerable in society.
The Reverend Mrs Charlotte Osei Kwateng, the Founder of the Compassion is Love in Action Orphanage, commended the girls for their generosity.
“In fact, these children have really done well by thinking about their fellows who, for one reason or another, find themselves in this situation”, she stated and praised the families of the girls for nurturing in them the sense of empathy and compassion.
A Mother’s Support
Behind Ms Owiredu’s vision stands her mother, Mrs Eunice Effah, watching the celebration unfold with pride.
“I am not surprised to see my daughter sharing what she has with others. Even as a young girl, she has always loved children and loved sharing,” Mrs Effah stated and recollected the time Owiredu first spoke about her ambition two years back.
“She woke up one day and said Mummy, I want to have an NGO and I said,” Why not? That’s a good idea,” Mrs Effah recounted.
She added that her support to her daughter went beyond encouragement, providing Owiredu with the required financial support, guidance and direction to make her daughter’s dream become a reality.
Mrs Effah, who said she believes that generosity remains an important part of character development, remarked: “If you have a child who wants to share with others, then that’s a good idea to support.”
She encouraged families to support their children’s desire to give, describing giving as an investment, not only in moral development, but also determines the kind of adults they will grow to become.
Challenges
Anyway, turning compassion into sustained action is uneasy, especially for a child as Ms Owiredu acknowledged the limitations.
“This time we don’t really have enough money to help all orphans and so we start small”, she stated.
Her touching words reflect the practical realities involved in running charitable initiatives, where logistics, supplies, outreaches and operational costs require resources beyond goodwill.
Rev Mrs Kwateng admitted the same challenge, saying that: “Managing an orphanage comes with many difficulties”.
She mentioned irregular donations, limited government support, aging infrastructure, as well as the daily burden of feeding and providing healthcare for the growing children as some of the pressing challenges confronting orphanages.
Appeal for Support
Rev. Mrs Kwateng called on corporate institutions to invest part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes into building orphanages.
Her appeal looks clear, welcoming and timely as caring for children in orphanages is an integral part of community development and nation building.
In fact, the proper upbringing and development of the less privileged and the vulnerable in society remain shared and collective responsibility.
Advice to Families
Mrs Effah also gave words of encouragement to families of children Living with Disabilities and urged them to embrace their acceptance as the first act of love.
“No matter how your child is, you have to accept them”, she advised, saying, “Because I know families who accept and care for their children without arms or legs, and those children grew to become very successful and assets.”.
Starting Small, Dreaming Big
Ms Owiredu’s message to other children is simple but powerful as no one is too young to make a difference in society.
“I am now 12 years old and I have started this, so if you start small, it will take you somewhere big”, she stated and inspired others to start caring for people, saying that: “It’s not too late to do so”.
Ms Owiredu said she had plans to formally register her charity organisation, saying that with sponsorship and other support she could expand her outreaches globally.
From all indications, she is already making her dreams a reality as her visit to the orphanage was not the end of a story. However, it is the beginning of her tale.
Undoubtedly, the warmth and joy that characterised her birthday celebration is an indication that Ms Owiredu’s chapters of life hold a great promise.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah
Writer: Benjamin Akoto
[email protected]
Caption: Picture shows the pair