By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa (UW/R), July 31, GNA – Mwinsonbu, a Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) survivor at the Jinsung Shelter for Survivors of SGBV in Wa, is hopeful of becoming a nurse in the future after benefitting from Relcaso Ghana’s educational scholarship.
Mwinsonbu is presently transitioning to Basic Seven at the Willi Gif College of Arts and Technology, a basic school in Wa, in an effort to rewrite her story after surviving the ordeal of early and forced marriage.
During a visit to the school by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), it observed that Mwinsonbu was joyful among her peers and actively participating in academic activities.
The support by Relcaso Ghana, a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), had renewed the urgent need for support to the Shelter, to help restore hope for the vulnerable women and children there.
The Jinsung Shelter was established to accommodate survivors of SGBV and served as a safe abode for survivors, to prevent influences in the process of seeking justice for them.
However, meeting their basic needs at the Shelter, including feeding, education and apprenticeship training, remained a major challenge due to inadequate resources.
As part of its support, Relcaso Ghana donated assorted food items to the Shelter and extended educational scholarship support to two survivors at the Shelter.
That gesture was a wake-up call to benevolent organisations, philanthropists and the public to support and ensure the survivors were given a second chance at life through education, skills development and psychosocial support.
In an interview with the GNA in Wa, Mr Williams Ayaaba Akongbabre, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Relcaso Ghana, said the organisation’s support followed the need to contribute to rewriting the stories of the survivors at the Shelter.
He noted that most survivors at the Shelter came from deprived communities and vulnerable backgrounds, and that educational and economic empowerment interventions for them were critical to their recovery and reintegration into society.
“Being abused means you are already vulnerable. We believe that offering education to them will go a long way to make them self-reliant. Investing in their education and empowerment will not only benefit the individuals involved but will also enable them to contribute to community and national development,” Mr Akongbabre indicated.
He indicated that Relcaso Ghana was exploring additional interventions, including Occupational Skills Development (OSD) programmes for the survivors who were beyond school-going age.
Mr Akongbabre said vocational and entrepreneurial skills training would help equip the survivors with tradable skills to become economically independent and build their resilience against further abuse.
Madam Charity Batuure, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, commended Relcaso Ghana for the scholarship initiative and appealed to the public to emulate the gesture.
She said the Shelter played a critical role in protecting SGBV survivors and required sustained support to provide them with the needed support.
She observed that supporting the Shelter was not merely an act of charity but an investment in restoring dignity, hope, and opportunities for the survivors.
Madam Batuure emphasised that every contribution, whether financial or material, would help improve the quality of care and rehabilitation services provided at the Shelter.
The Jinsung Shelter was constructed by ActionAid Ghana and its partners and managed by the Upper West Regional Department of Gender, Domestic Violence and Victims’ Support Unit (DOVVSU) and the Wa Municipal Department of Social Welfare, among others.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Philip Tengzu, GNA
Email: [email protected]