33 parents of children suffering from cerebral palsy and other child deformities in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region on Friday were given two nannies each and food supplement by Afrikids Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization.
The gesture which aims to lighten the burden parents of these kids go through complements the organization’s efforts at ending a ritual killing of innocent children dubbed “spirit children.”
Children born of deformities in some communities in the Bongo, Kasena Nankana West and East districts respectively were killed using poisonous concoction by men known as ‘concoction men.’ This traditional practice was done perceivably to save the lives of parents and family members of these children. However, after series of durbars organized by Afrikids Ghana to sensitize chiefs and people of communities engaged in the act, the practice ceased.
Aside the livelihood support by the NGO, it has also opened up a physiotherapy training center at Feo Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) center, in the Bongo district to cater for the health needs of the kids.
Afrikids Country Director, Nicholas Kumah revealed that the practice existed in Bongo as contained in an investigative report by a renowned investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas but noted that “since we started working here (Bongo district) for the past two years we have not heard of any of such accusation because we also have informants on the ground so if you hide and do it definitely other people will come out and inform us.”
Mr. Kumah admonished parents of the children to use the gesture purposely for what it is meant for.
Mathew Abagna, Afrikids Ghana’s Kasena-Nankana Area Program Administrator stated that the fight against the “spirit child phenomenon 2” is being funded by the Common Wealth Foundation and implemented in 11 communities in Bongo after an end of the practice 2013 in the Kasena-Nankana area.
“So far four communities have even declared an end of the spirit child phenomenon and we are left with seven more to go” Abagna said.
In order to provide a livelihood support to the “concoction men” now known as Right to Life Promoters, Mr. Abagna said Afrikids Ghana has supported them with bicycles to carry out the sensitization exercise. He added that a support of microfinance has been given to these men to go into alternative business so that they will not lose out the monetary gain they were getting out of the practices.
Alore Freda, a staff midwife at the Feo CHPS said home visits, personal hygiene and counseling have been organized for parents of the kids to restore the lost hope of some parents of these kids.
By: Joshua Asaah | A1RADIOONLINE.com | Ghana
