Offinso Children’s Home, Ghana

From my previous posts, you will already be aware of my main reason for visiting Ghana so often. My main purpose has always been to work as a volunteer and it is something I am passionate about. So on my third trip I of course visited a lot of village schools again but this time I managed to visit a very special children’s home (Offinso Children’s Home). We had planned out an event for the kids to have fun and also give out clothes etc. But before the date of the event I got the chance to meet up with the owner of the children’s home.  On the morning I arrived at the children’s home I was shown around briefly before sitting down with the owner to go over the plans for the event. So this wonderful lady Sat in front of me greeted me and began to tell me the story of how Offinso children’s home came about. I knew this was going to be a wonderful story but what she told me next touched me so much that I really wanted to just pick her up and squeeze her tightly lol so she began to tell me how it all begin. Many years ago she was at her home just not too far from where the orphanage is now located, and she had heard a child’s cry from near by the house. So of course she eventually started to wonder why this crying was continuous so she went to check things out. To then discover a baby who had been abandoned by the parents. So her next action was to take the baby in. She then tried to locate the parent but from what I remember, no one stepped forward to collect the baby.  So, she raised the baby by herself instead.  She then went on to tell me how after this first time, she then started to take care of other abandoned babies and people also would approach her for help or to take in abandoned babies and raise them. She of course did. (There is way more detail to it that this but it was a lot to take in so excuse me for the missing details).

After some years of this wonderful role she had taken on, she then realised she will need a bigger place for these kids to stay so that was when she started to form a children’s home. From what I remember, given this was almost 1 year ago she told me the story, she then started to build a Small home with the little money available for these kids to stay. Gradually more and more people were dropping kids off to her leaving her with little space for all of them. So through the years she started to gradually bit by bit build more and more parts of the orphanage and also build a small school area for them to be taught and learn too. There were also some Americans she told me about who heard about this story and came by to see how they could help. They then provided her with a lump sum of money to help towards building this orphanage up. Today, the orphanage is what I would call, rather massive! There are four (or five) buildings on one plot of land, female bedrooms, male bedrooms, dinning hall area, school and of course the owners own living area. The owner is now getting older and that very weekend I visited she had just celebrated her 80th birthday if I am not mistaken.  So, her next plan for the orphanage is to have concrete floors put down on the orphanage grounds and a new roof for the dinning hall. This of course showed how she still doesn’t give up regardless of age. This lady is a blessing to these children.

So during my visit to the orphanage I had the pleasure to meet the first orphan she raised, who is now in his 20’s and completed university. Might I also add, this lady pays for these orphans tuition and pays for them to go to university. She told me how she wants to be able to send one orphan per year to university. Given there aged by then of course. So not only does she raise these kids but she also makes sure she gives them a future even after they grow up into adults! I don’t quite have the words to describe how wonderful and amazing this woman is but I wish everyone had the chance to sit with her and hear her story. As it was so detailed more than I can type. I felt extremely touched and till this very day I Still remember her every time I think of Ghana.

So, now in 2016 and its just 4 weeks left until I fly back to Ghana for the 4th trip. (I just booked my flight today ahhhh I’m so excited) and I will definitely be visiting the orphanage again to help in every way possible. Below I have posted some pictures of the event we held at the orphanage along with some pictures from my first visit to the orphanage. Oh, another touching part about his visit for me was, this one baby in particular, who I carried and played with at the orphanage, when I returned the second time, on the day of the event, she recognized me and reached her arms out to me and didn’t leave my side the whole event. I was so unbelievably touched and felt like she was my own daughter. I wished I could just take her home lol I pray she remembers me again this year. Below is her pictures. The first day she met me and the second time when she recognized me again.

Enjoy the pictures below and oh, I will of course update everyone on my next visit in four weeks 🙂

A few pictures from the event.