A concise survey of PCC’s history
It seems rather appropriate to look back at the origin and development of PCC during this festive year of the 25th anniversary
of our Community.
To some of our readers this column may be a repetition (they can now stop reading and do something different…), but I suspect that this won’t be the case for the greater part of you. Hence this retrospection, so you will be able to appreciate the Silver Jubilee even more.
The Peace of Christ Community was founded in about 1990. Its four founders were working at Nkoranza’s hospital at that time. PCC started as a basic community managed by Ineke Bosman.
In 1992 PCC was officially registered in Ghana and that is why 1992 is considered its formal founding year. In that year PCC was allocated 15 acres of land by the Chief of Nkoranza for a period of 99(!) years. This contract term will end in 2091, so we still have some years to come…
PCC’s primary objective was: “care for the dejected”. This remained the same until 1996 when it became apparent that more focus was needed. There were simply way too many needy people in Ghana….. .
That is why in 1996/97 PCC’s objective was fine-tuned to “care for abandoned children who are intellectually or multiple disabled”.
The intention was to offer permanent care for 10 special needs children after 2 years and 20 after 4 years.
However, in the course of the years the “ceiling” of the maximum number of disabled children and young adults was adjusted time after time. Each time it was said: “PCC is really full now”, but still there was room for new special needs children. So PCC kept on growing.
There are 5 residents who have been living here since 1996/1997: Kojo Evans, John Adzo, Kofi Asare and Koo Ema. They have lived here for more than 20 years! Mr Ameyaw is the only one living here from the very first years of PCC’s existence. He came here because he needed care himself after a traffic accident and now he has been caregiver/substitute father of Koo Ema for many years.
To some of our readers this column may be a repetition (they can now stop reading and do something different…), but I suspect that this won’t be the case for the greater part of you. Hence this retrospection, so you will be able to appreciate the Silver Jubilee even more.
The Peace of Christ Community was founded in about 1990. Its four founders were working at Nkoranza’s hospital at that time. PCC started as a basic community managed by Ineke Bosman.
In 1992 PCC was officially registered in Ghana and that is why 1992 is considered its formal founding year. In that year PCC was allocated 15 acres of land by the Chief of Nkoranza for a period of 99(!) years. This contract term will end in 2091, so we still have some years to come…
PCC’s primary objective was: “care for the dejected”. This remained the same until 1996 when it became apparent that more focus was needed. There were simply way too many needy people in Ghana….. .
That is why in 1996/97 PCC’s objective was fine-tuned to “care for abandoned children who are intellectually or multiple disabled”.
The intention was to offer permanent care for 10 special needs children after 2 years and 20 after 4 years.
However, in the course of the years the “ceiling” of the maximum number of disabled children and young adults was adjusted time after time. Each time it was said: “PCC is really full now”, but still there was room for new special needs children. So PCC kept on growing.
There are 5 residents who have been living here since 1996/1997: Kojo Evans, John Adzo, Kofi Asare and Koo Ema. They have lived here for more than 20 years! Mr Ameyaw is the only one living here from the very first years of PCC’s existence. He came here because he needed care himself after a traffic accident and now he has been caregiver/substitute father of Koo Ema for many years.
At the end of 1998 there already were 16 children, near the end of 2000 there were 21, in 2005 there were 39 (+ 14 in the sheltered workshop) and PCC still kept on growing and blossoming.
By the end of 2009, when PCC was transferred from Ineke to me, there were 57 permanent residents and 15 youth from outside PCC working in the sheltered workshop.
And now in 2017 there are 74 permanent residents and 21 youth working in the sheltered workshop, making PCC’s total population 95. And for the time being we have decided that our “ceiling” will be 100 residents!
The future will tell how the situation will develop further.
There is so much more to tell about the history of PCC, that it really is too much for only one column.
For instance:
About Shalom Special School, which was built from 1997 and on by PCC (and also sits next to PCC) and which was been transferred to the government afterwards.
Or about the Sheltered Workshop in our compound, which has functioned here since 2004 or Summer School, which has been here since 2011 as is the Physio Palace since 2014 (although physiotherapy had been introduced in PCC way before the actual building), just like e.g. the Royal Community Hall.
In 2014 the Resource Centre started and after that our ever-growing Outreach programme.
Until the end of 2014 Ineke Bosman had sole responsibility for PCC.
At the end of 2014 she transferred these responsibilities to me and together with Baffo, Joe Emma and Jeannette I have managed PCC since then. A privilege!
Many people who visited PCC have felt the Spirit of PCC and this feeling has remained appealing throughout the years.
It can be seen it in the eyes of the children, you can feel it when you walk into the compound and you will experience it when you are staying here for a while. It will also make you happy!
PCC has reached a unique status in 25 years. One that is unrivalled in Ghana! Truly a small, no: Great Miracle!
We hope and pray that the Spirit of PCC will continue inspiring us for the next 25 years.
We thank God for the great miracle of the founding, growth and prosperity of PCC and for His blessing we cannot do without and which we experience each and every day.
By the end of 2009, when PCC was transferred from Ineke to me, there were 57 permanent residents and 15 youth from outside PCC working in the sheltered workshop.
And now in 2017 there are 74 permanent residents and 21 youth working in the sheltered workshop, making PCC’s total population 95. And for the time being we have decided that our “ceiling” will be 100 residents!
The future will tell how the situation will develop further.
There is so much more to tell about the history of PCC, that it really is too much for only one column.
For instance:
About Shalom Special School, which was built from 1997 and on by PCC (and also sits next to PCC) and which was been transferred to the government afterwards.
Or about the Sheltered Workshop in our compound, which has functioned here since 2004 or Summer School, which has been here since 2011 as is the Physio Palace since 2014 (although physiotherapy had been introduced in PCC way before the actual building), just like e.g. the Royal Community Hall.
In 2014 the Resource Centre started and after that our ever-growing Outreach programme.
Until the end of 2014 Ineke Bosman had sole responsibility for PCC.
At the end of 2014 she transferred these responsibilities to me and together with Baffo, Joe Emma and Jeannette I have managed PCC since then. A privilege!
Many people who visited PCC have felt the Spirit of PCC and this feeling has remained appealing throughout the years.
It can be seen it in the eyes of the children, you can feel it when you walk into the compound and you will experience it when you are staying here for a while. It will also make you happy!
PCC has reached a unique status in 25 years. One that is unrivalled in Ghana! Truly a small, no: Great Miracle!
We hope and pray that the Spirit of PCC will continue inspiring us for the next 25 years.
We thank God for the great miracle of the founding, growth and prosperity of PCC and for His blessing we cannot do without and which we experience each and every day.