By Kodjo Adams
Accra, August 3, GNA – Best Buddies Ghana, an NGO in partnership with Colgate PalmOlive Ghana, a local subsidiary of a multinational consumer goods corporation, has presented essential learning items to Nature’s Sprout Academy (NSA), a special school for autism in Accra.
The items include puzzles, play items, playdough, pencils, erasers, and related materials in support of the centre’s ongoing work.
The staff of the school also received boxes of toothbrushes and toothpaste from Colgate PalmOlive Ghana to reinforce healthy habits.
The donations were to mark this year’s United Nations International Day of Friendship, which falls on July 30.
The event, which is on the theme “Inclusive Friendship Day Programme”, involved a painting and puzzles session with NSA children to promote creativity, interaction, and inclusive friendship.
Mr Kojo Danquah Amankrah, Country Director, Best Buddies Ghana, said the programme was to promote inclusion among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We selected NSA because the school had been in existence for some years and have been engaged in some positive awareness activities around persons with intellectual disabilities.
“So we see the Academy as a key partner in achieving the inclusion agenda for persons with intellectual disability,” he said.
He said the collaboration with Colgate PalmOlive Ghana was to promote the needs of persons with disabilities in the country.
“This is the second time we are partnering with Colgate-Palmolive Ghana, and with the feedback from them, they said the company will use the programme as one of its key corporate social responsibility activities going forward,” he said.
Mr Edward Sonkor, Customer Development Lead, Colgate PalmOlive Ghana, said the company was poised to create an environment that would allow persons with disabilities to bring out their very best.
“The society needs to understand that we have children with such challenges, and we should not leave the responsibility of nurturing them or helping these kids to the teachers or instructors alone,” he said.
He said the company prides itself on exhibiting inclusion because we do not segregate among human beings.
“We will admonish other corporate institutions and philanthropists to support such interventions and put smiles on their faces,” he said.
Ms Susana Simpson, Marketing and Corporate Relations Lead, NSA, commended the leadership of the two institutions for their support to advance financial inclusivity.
“We are Africa’s best centre for neo-diversity because of our holistic approach.
“We don’t just prescribe therapies for our children; we are careful to include their mental health and their physical well-being, and that is done through our health programme or interventions.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Kodjo Adams