By: Akpabli Daniel Yao/IGnetwork/Ghana
Also Published in The Finder Newspaper
The Chief and people of Awudome Avenui in the Ho West Municipality have witnessed a sod cutting ceremony for the construction of Pope Francis Children’s Home and School (PFHS) for distressed children affected with HIV.
The total cost of the PFHS project is estimated at $363,277.64 and shall be completed in a two-year duration.
The project, when completed, will comprise 50 pupils capacity dormitories for both boys and girls, dining hall, kitchen, clinic, one 9 Unit classroom with auxiliary facilities with fence wall and a security post.
Founder of the project Mr. Michael Barry, expressed optimism that their outfit was capable of doing the project but said any additional funding for any particular programme to enhance the children’ welfare was always welcome especially in the area of education in terms of supply of Ghanaian books.
Father Jeremiah Ankutsitsia, the co-founder of PFHS was happy the project was moving on smoothly as envisage.
According to him, the clinic, when completed, would not only serve the PFHS alone but go a long way to serve the whole Awudome Avenui community.
Ms. Stella Agbzuhlor -Acting Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, reiterated that the department in line with its mandate to integrate the vulnerable, marginalized and disadvantaged persons into mainstream development, has always extended an open arm to partners and like-minded individuals to ensure its vision of “a socially developed Ghana, where nobody is left behind” materializes.
She said this with the fore knowledge that, government resources alone cannot adequately meet every need in view of the enormous demand on the public purse.
She observed that, the Social welfare department had a long working relationship with Pope Francis as an NGO and has greatly appreciated their activities in providing support for the vulnerable in the society.
Ms Agbzuhlor expressed the hope that the Board and Management of PFHS would take cognizance of discussion in respect of fine-tuning this project even as they together develop and evaluate innovative ways to better serve their clientele.
Background
Pope Francis Children’s home and school (PFHS) was formed in 2015 by Mr. Michael Barry with the help of Father Jeremiah Ankutsitsia.
It is a Christian Gospel-based non-Governmental, Non-political aligned and profit organization led by local leaders.
At that time, a Board of Directors were locally named and an advisory Board was started in the United States of America.
The PFHS has paid and provided school fees, housing, hospital bills, feeding fees, Clothing, food supplies, medical supplies and sponsor children with HIV among others.
