FORMATION OF KPANG ORPHANAGE AND CHARITY HOME AND IT'S AIMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

A BRIEF HISTORY OF KPANG ORPHANAGE AND CHARITY HOME

The dream of Kpang Orphanage and Charity Home was initially born in the mind of Sergeant John Lowrance and his wife Dr Jessi Lowrance when they visited the villages of Kpang Sub County. It was led by Sergeant Lawrance John and Dr Jessi Lowrance in 2005 when they visited Ghana on a program and  on a business trip. Upon seeing many parent less children whose parents died of HIV/AIDS suffer and a lot street children suffering child abuse etc. She established an orphanage called Kpang Orphanage which accommodated 11 children, as there were similar cases of child suffering and abuse, they mobilized the community, which resolved to begin building an organization dedicated to helping Ghana orphan Children, in an effort to expand the services not only limited to child sponsorship, it’s registered an organization to help tackle the problems of poverty and HIV/AIDS, it was then named KPANG ORPHANAGE AND CHARITY HOME, and in 2007, Kpang Orphanage Home was increased in number about 20 children.

                                  CHILDREN OF KPANG  IN 2008

                                    KPANG CHILDREN IN 2009

VISION:

To help the poor and needy children, and also bring them up and give them a bright future or make them become what they dream to be .

MISSION

To make a real lasting difference to the lives of children through provision of quality education, care and surrounding them with God’s love.

The name Kpang Orphanage Home signifies hope that the children receive after going through the hard life that most orphan African Children go through during childhood.

THE MAIN STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

To efficiently respond to the urgent needs of orphans and vulnerable children and the communities they live in through offering formal education to them by paying for them school fees, and provision of other scholastic materials like school uniforms, books and the like, we believe that education is one of the fundamentals of success and a key to a better and bright future, provision of food supplements to weak mothers to improve on their health and provision of Income generating activities to households to boost on family incomes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO FAR

The overall goal of Kpang Orphanage and Charity Home orphanage Ghana Program is to contribute to the improvement in the quality of life of orphan children of Kpan village through interventions in Education, Sponsorship, and HIV & AIDS prevention.

• During the year, the education project aimed at increasing opportunities for registered orphan children to access quality Education and skills by contributing to payments of school fees for the orphans, provision of improved studying environment. As a result currently 50 orphans (34girls, 16boys) are benefiting from free education with fees and school supplies provided by the orphanage.

• In sponsorship the major purpose is to have quality of life of 34 girls and 16boys in the orphanage through Child Sponsorship. During the year most of the children have been able to acquire scholastic materials and clothes for themselves through the home sponsorship.


PROGRAM SUMMARY

The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Northern Region of Ghana has caused untold suffering to the people of Kpang. There are over 100 people who have been directly or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS in Kpang Sub County and their lives have been impacted by this scourge for now . Most of those affected are children and women. The areas where the children are settled are poor, isolated and rural where employment opportunities are scarce and difficult to come by.

The mode of livelihood remains chiefly subsistence farming. The children have therefore found themselves trapped in this situation of poverty, insecurity and general unemployment. Fathers, mothers and guardians find it difficult to feed their children, paying school fees, school dues and medical expenses are not possible. Having realized this situation many parents have resorted to self help employment and self help project to redress the situation.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

In a situation where parents themselves are poor and cannot get employment, it becomes even a greater difficulty for their children to access quality education and other scholastic materials. The state of abject poverty facing the children needs to be addressed. The children themselves have become increasingly concerned about their own poverty. They have felt for the need of some sort of action by either themselves or benevolent agencies to redress the situation. For example, seeing that nothing was forthcoming in regards to their education, some children have started brick laying and crop production to raise capital for school dues. It is on this spirit that I grouped some individuals to formed themselves into a project (basic support for children education project) to try to revive the hopes of these children

The project therefore addresses the following problems and benefits to Kpan;
The school dropouts find themselves in a vicious circle of poverty and helplessness, they cannot afford basic necessities for school, they barely have enough to eat, and they cannot buy school uniforms. The success of this project will address these issues.
Most of the beneficiaries are orphans and family heads as children living in a challenging world and environment, they are marginalized.

This project will empower them. BSCEP has started offering scholar materials for some needy children, but the scheme requires financial support for procuring items such as exercise books, pens, pencil, geometric sets, uniforms, supplementary food for weak.

STEPS SO FAR TAKEN;

Kpang Orphanage Home has the necessary capacity to ensure that this project attains or realizes its objectives. As an established organization, it has the basic infrastructure in terms of staff and material support to this project. As for the project team, all the members have the zeal and enthusiasms for the project. The fact that they have gone this far is a good indication. As regards beneficiaries of 50 and on going registration children have already been identified to benefit from the project.

IMPLEMENTATION TIME TABLE.

The project team will be directly involved in all phases of the project. The team however from time to time requires technical and specialized services such as that of financial management and project management.
The group has formed a local management committee from amongst themselves, consisting of chairperson, secretary, treasurer and two others members.
The committee is responsible for the running of the project, it also reports to the founders during meetings.

Ministry Of Health and Ghana Education Services are the umbrella organization rendering general supervisory and management role.

COMMUNITY AND OTHER CONTRIBUTION

The community is very positive in contributing to this project; they are willing to continue identification of more children from the community to participate in this project, however since the poverty level is very high; they are unable to contribute financially and materially.

THE BENEFICIARIES.

The direct beneficiaries of this project are orphans and vulnerable children estimated at 60 individuals. The general population of children living in the project area will also benefit from the project estimated at 400.
                            SOME BENEFICIARIES OF KPANG ORPHANAGE

CHARACTERISTICS OF BENEFICIARIES.

99% of the beneficiaries are vulnerable orphan children living in villages. These are poor people earning less than US $ 5 per month. All are dependent on subsistence farming as farming as their only means of survival. Many are young girls and boys.
They are illiterate, they are vulnerable, they are low esteemed, some have psychological handicap (HIV trauma) and Most depend on remains of their parents no longer there.
                                   KPANG CHILDREN