WEST AFRICA
We’ve been working in Ghana since 1999 to support street-connected children and children experiencing disabilities. For pregnant women and young mothers who are in vulnerable situations, we create safe spaces, empower them with business training and provide a nurturing environment for their children. Children experiencing disabilities too often miss out on essential early childhood development, so we’re working to make these early childhood development services more inclusive for all children.
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education outcomes fund
We are excited to be part of a consortium of organisations called TransformED that has been awarded two new contracts to enhance learning outcomes for children across Ghana. We are excited to be part of this revolutionary model which changes the way donors, governments, impact investors, and education organizations can achieve positive impact through a new model of funding and evaluating programs.
Focusing on rural communities in Ghana, the consortium will reach 28,000 children over 3 years. As the specialist partner in inclusive education within the consortium, Chance for Childhood will be adapting our tested models of learning support assistants and inclusive education training programmes to strengthen the capacity of teachers, support services and the community and create inclusive learning environments and practices to ensure that all children have the chance to thrive in education. The contract is due to kick off towards the end of 2022.
Best beginnings
In Ghana’s greater Accra region, we have enrolled 600 out-of-school children by making sure that the local education system is set up to meet their unique needs.
Working alongside the Ghana Education Service and the Ghanaian Government’s Special Education Division, we’ve developed a refresher teacher training manual. The manual helps teachers to identify children with developmental delays and disabilities so that these children get an equal chance to get into education and thrive.
The project is currently active in ten schools and has the potential to be rolled out nationwide.
STREET GIRLS AID
Most of the 61,500 children and young people living on the streets of Accra are girls. They often travel from rural areas to find work. But when they arrive, they have nowhere to stay. Without an education they often work as “Kayaye” (head porters), carrying heavy loads and earning very little for a long day’s work. Poverty leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and many end up engaging in sex work to survive, where they face abuse and violence. These conditions mean many street girls end up having children themselves.
In 2020 we supported our partner Street Girls Aid to open the Young Mothers Support Centre, a new multi-purpose building that provides critical support for 90 pregnant street-connected girls, along with a training centre and a creche. It is the only one of its kind in Accra and offers pregnant young women antenatal and post-natal services, counselling meals and vocational training.
We also support an Early Development Centre in Accra for children aged 0-6. Babies and toddlers on the streets grow up without running water, food or regular changing. Children who arrive at the centres are often underweight, so three nutritious meals a day ensure that children can grow and develop as they should. Clean water, soap and bins are also available in classrooms to educate children about sanitation. Children don’t just learn basic literacy and numeracy, but also skills like listening, sharing, instilling a love of learning and a chance to explore their creativity and inquisitiveness.
7,000
In 2021, we supported over 7,000 children with disabilities and trained over 100 teachers to provide inclusive education in the classroom
