THE FIRST PROJECT – AMUDURASI COMMUNITY DAY CARE CENTRE
Many rural women in Ghana are the primary and sometimes sole providers for their families. In the past, they could rely on support from their extended family members to assist with child care while they worked on their farms or while they traded in the market. With the gradual erosion of the extended family as a result of urban drift, changing lifestyles, and a host of other factors, these women are forced to take preschool children with them, or leave them with children who should themselves be in school. Under these circumstances these mothers are not able to provide proper nutrition or nurturing for their young children.
The first project which the Africa Sankofa Fund has undertaken was the construction of a Community Day Care Centre in Amudurasi, a village located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. This Day Care Centre when completed in its entirety will accommodate up to 200 preschool children, aged 2 to 4 years.
Two rooms of the Centre have been completed. In October, 2008 two care givers with 86 children in their charge moved in. Prior to this, daycare had been informally provided by one of the women in the village. She did not have a shelter for these children and this created great hardships during the rainy seasons.
A program has been formally operating since October. Mothers drop their children off after 8:00am when they are leaving to their farms or to the market to trade, and are collected again in the middle of the afternoon. The children are provided a nourishing meal during the day.
There are many more children whose parents are anxious to be involved. The footings have been cut and foundations laid for two more rooms but funding is not available at the present time to continue.
A committee consisting of men and women from Amudurasi are overseeing the operation of the Day Care. The ensure that adequate fees are being collected to ensure that the care givers are compensated; that proper meals are prepared; and that ongoing maintenance keeps the building in good repair. They are looking for ways to have a latrine built for the children who now have to share the facility intended for the primary school.
THE FUTURE
The Amudurasi Day Care project has been a valuable learning experience for the McLaren’s, and for the village members. The community has expressed an interest in constructing a library, as well as a medical clinic. Such projects are beyond the financial capabilities of the community even with volunteered labour factored in.
The Day Care is operating very well, and it is hoped that volunteer teachers from outside of Ghana will be recruited to share their experience and skills with the day care providers in the centre, thus ensuring that they are able provide their charges with creative and challenging experiences in an atmosphere of nurturing. Interested individuals can contact Rod and Comfort for more information.
