Three more girls!
The exact reason for this is not at all clear to us, but it is remarkable
that there are twice as many boys and young men than girls and young women living in Hand in Hand.
We do not think that this is because we in PCC discriminate girls or that this is because boys are more often intellectually disabled in comparison with girls (although some female readers might think this has a ring of truth about it…..).
We have not been able to explain the exceptional ratio between boys and girls in PCC (yet), although some think that the reason for this is that disabled girls are still useful for household duties and boys are not, however, this is only a hunch.
In any case, we are very happy that we have recently welcomed three girls as new residents of PCC on the same day! Indeed, no fewer than three girls, which brings the total sum of residents of PCC to 92!
In October Baffo, Jeannette and I visited Kumasi Children’s Home (KCH) and there we met three girls for whom the KCH board of directors thought it was best that PCC would take care of them in the future, because after all KCH is not equipped for taking good care of disabled children. And after a brief deliberation we wholeheartedly agreed to take them on. Then things went really fast, because two weeks later the three of them already arrived in Nkoranza after first being transferred to us via Social Welfare.
These girls are between 4 and 8 years old and one by one they were taken to KCH since mid-May 2014 after being found wandering the streets (apart from each other, by the way). The eldest and youngest of the three were taken to KHC only about two months ago.
We do not think that this is because we in PCC discriminate girls or that this is because boys are more often intellectually disabled in comparison with girls (although some female readers might think this has a ring of truth about it…..).
We have not been able to explain the exceptional ratio between boys and girls in PCC (yet), although some think that the reason for this is that disabled girls are still useful for household duties and boys are not, however, this is only a hunch.
In any case, we are very happy that we have recently welcomed three girls as new residents of PCC on the same day! Indeed, no fewer than three girls, which brings the total sum of residents of PCC to 92!
In October Baffo, Jeannette and I visited Kumasi Children’s Home (KCH) and there we met three girls for whom the KCH board of directors thought it was best that PCC would take care of them in the future, because after all KCH is not equipped for taking good care of disabled children. And after a brief deliberation we wholeheartedly agreed to take them on. Then things went really fast, because two weeks later the three of them already arrived in Nkoranza after first being transferred to us via Social Welfare.
These girls are between 4 and 8 years old and one by one they were taken to KCH since mid-May 2014 after being found wandering the streets (apart from each other, by the way). The eldest and youngest of the three were taken to KHC only about two months ago.
The police haven’t been able to trace the parents and no one has come forward as a parent of one of these children. The chance that this is still going to happen is very small and will become even smaller in time, at least, that is what experience has taught us.
Disabled children, who have been found in the streets, are often called after the policeman or –woman who takes the child into first care. This is often done because it is easy (or sheer vanity….?). Then the child will be sent to a governmental children’s home soon afterwards, which was in this case KCH.
As always we do not know the girls’ real names, but this gives us the opportunity to give them a name that suits them and PCC.
It is with due pride that we introduce them to you in this column with their new names and pictures taken during their first days in PCC.
The eldest is Elizabeth or Lizzy, cheerful and affectionate, and also open and adventurous. The middle of the three is Esther, she an active child and even seems a little naughty. The youngest is Deborah, she has a hearing impediment and this is probably the reason that she is more introvert and self-centred than the other two girls.
It is always wonderful to watch the way new children react to the ways of our Community after their arrival: the positive attention, the freedom they are experiencing, all possibilities of being active and being able to play, the good food and the pool and it is not different with these girls. With a broad smile on their faces they are proudly walking hand in hand with their “mother”/caregiver across the compound in the morning. It is crystal clear that they are feeling at home in PCC and that is precisely what is meant to be like!
Welcome Elizabeth, welcome Esther and welcome Deborah, we wish you all the very best for your new future in PCC.
Disabled children, who have been found in the streets, are often called after the policeman or –woman who takes the child into first care. This is often done because it is easy (or sheer vanity….?). Then the child will be sent to a governmental children’s home soon afterwards, which was in this case KCH.
As always we do not know the girls’ real names, but this gives us the opportunity to give them a name that suits them and PCC.
It is with due pride that we introduce them to you in this column with their new names and pictures taken during their first days in PCC.
The eldest is Elizabeth or Lizzy, cheerful and affectionate, and also open and adventurous. The middle of the three is Esther, she an active child and even seems a little naughty. The youngest is Deborah, she has a hearing impediment and this is probably the reason that she is more introvert and self-centred than the other two girls.
It is always wonderful to watch the way new children react to the ways of our Community after their arrival: the positive attention, the freedom they are experiencing, all possibilities of being active and being able to play, the good food and the pool and it is not different with these girls. With a broad smile on their faces they are proudly walking hand in hand with their “mother”/caregiver across the compound in the morning. It is crystal clear that they are feeling at home in PCC and that is precisely what is meant to be like!
Welcome Elizabeth, welcome Esther and welcome Deborah, we wish you all the very best for your new future in PCC.