Village of Hope, an orphanage in the Gomoa East District, Central Region, has appealed for increased support from government, corporate organisations and philanthropists to sustain and expand its interventions for vulnerable children.
The appeal was made at the pre-launch of the orphanage’s 30th anniversary celebrations at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.
Speaking in an interview with the media, Mr Fred Asare, Group Managing Director of Village of Hope, said the institution had grown from a modest children’s home in 1996 into a multifaceted establishment providing residential care, education, healthcare and vocational training.
“Village of Hope started on 24th February 1996 with just a married couple as house parents, one security man, one administrator and eight children at Ayawaso in Accra,” Mr Asare recounted.
“Today, we are caring for about 245 children, with more than 50 of them in the university and over 40 in senior high school,” he said.
Founded in 1996 by three ministers of the Church of Christ – Jerry Reynolds, Emmanuel Alfred Asante and Christian Nsua – the organisation was established to support orphaned, abandoned and destitute children.
It relocated from Ayawaso in Accra to Gomoa Fetteh in 1998 following land litigation, after the chief of the area offered land for expansion.
From a single house, the facility has developed into a social intervention hub comprising a residential children’s village, two babies’ homes operating in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare, a vocational training institute at Ayawaso, two basic schools, a senior high school and a 70-bed hospital serving Gomoa East and adjoining districts.
The vocational centre, now known as Hope Training Institute, has trained more than 300 street-connected youth in hairdressing, sewing, leatherworks, catering and auto mechanics, equipping them with tools and start-up capital upon completion.
Hope Christian Academy was established in 2002 to provide basic education; with Hope College added at the senior high level a decade later.
Healthcare services expanded from a small clinic in 2003 to Hope Christian Hospital, which provides specialist services including eye and dental care, laboratory services and a neonatal intensive care unit serving Gomoa East, Awutu Senya East and Effutu.
We and the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital are the two facilities that provide neonatal intensive care for preterm babies in the Central Region,” Mr Asare said, underscoring the hospital’s regional importance.
Despite the achievements, he said financial constraints remained the institution’s major challenge.
“A major challenge has been financial, being able to care for so many children.
“Each university student needs fees, accommodation, a laptop and other essentials. Providing food, clothing and healthcare for all the children is a huge responsibility,” he said.
Mr. Asare said the organisation relied largely on donations from individuals, churches, families and corporate bodies, with no direct government subvention.
“Thankfully, we have a 30-year track record. When you support Village of Hope, you can see the results, transformed lives serving Mother Ghana,” he added.
Mr Rexford Asumeng, Acting Manager, said the home operated a family-based care system where each child was placed under a married couple serving as house parents.
“When a child wakes up in the morning, they can say ‘Good morning, Daddy’ and ‘Good morning, Mummy.’ That is how our system works,” he said.
Ms Tracy Nash Adu, a social worker, said admissions were undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and supported by court-issued care orders.
“Children in need of care and protection are the responsibility of the state. We are only partnering to help,” she said.
Some beneficiaries shared testimonies.
“I started from kindergarten here, went through basic school, senior high school and university, and today I am back serving in leadership,” Mr Sappah Yahaya, Head of Operations, said.
“Many of us came here without hope, but through discipline and opportunity, we have become useful to society.”
Similarly, Ms Adriana Adu, who arrived at the age of five, described the Village as home.
“The love, care and guidance we received shaped who we are today. Without Village of Hope, we would not have come this far,” she said
As part of its anniversary, the organisation is undertaking year-long activities to raise awareness and mobilise resources to support its programmes.
