Eden’s Oasis Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has announced a plan to build a tertiary institution for physically challenged students, in the country.
The institution to be built at Prampram, in the Greater Accra Region, is to give easy access to tertiary education,to the physically challenged, and help them climb the academic ladder after Senior High School (SHS) education.
The founder of the NGO, with branches in the United States of America (USA) and Ghana, Esther BorleyOdamtten, announced these on Tuesday, when her outfit donated food items and detergents to the Akropong School of the Blind in the Eastern region.
The founder of the NGO was assisted by MsBarbara Gbeblewu,to present two bags of rice, sugar, maize and beans each, two gallons of edible oil, 10 cartons of detergents and an undisclosed amount of money, to the school.
According to MsOdamtten, “We have realised that our friendship to just bring few bags of food items and money would not really address the challenges of inmates. This is why we need to adopt pro-active measures to provide the basic needs to enable inmates feel being part of society”.
She said physically challenged children were very brilliant adding that “they need the right investment in their education and other aspects of their lives so as to prove their worth in life.”
MsOdamtten said physically challenged children exhibit virtues such as teamwork, dedication to each other and genuine love.
She said there was no university solely for the physically challenged in Ghana and West Africa,and that only a few of such children had the opportunity to attend tertiary institutions.
“So if we can start a university for them and we can even admit one per cent, it will mean a lot for them,” Ms Odamtten said.
She called on corporate institutions, philanthropists and other NGOs to support any initiative to build a first university for the physically challenged.
Receiving the items, an official of the school, Mr Andrew Anderson, thanked the NGO for the gesture, and promised that the items will be used for the intended purpose.
He said “the items presented are for the students and it will be used for that purpose.”
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
