The Methodist Guild Ghana, as part of its social responsibilities, has donated food and assorted items to the children of the Methodist Rafiki Satellite Village, Gyaahadze, in Winneba.
The kind gesture, aimed at supporting the upkeep of these vulnerable children at the orphanage, was met with great joy by the inmates during a ceremony held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
The commemorative visit was the second by the Methodist Guild Ghana, following a similar mission in 2012—five years after the establishment of the facility.
Items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis, along with cash totaling GHS 4,000.00, were donated to the children. The donated items included bags of rice, bags of sugar, cooking oil, crates of malt and Coke, packs of toilet rolls, bales of boys’ and girls’ clothes, bales of boys’ and girls’ shoes, boxes of biscuits, and other essentials.
The Connexional Chairman of the Methodist Guild Ghana, Sis. Patience Ameyaa Sam, speaking at the grand ceremony, stated that the gesture was intended to ease the burden on the administrators of the facility, as managing such a home requires substantial external support.
She emphasized that the historic visit was in line with the mission of the church to support the needy and fulfill the biblical mandate of assisting the less fortunate in our communities.
She reiterated the importance of responding to such a noble calling as preachers of the Word of God. According to her, it is always a joy to join and support the vulnerable in society, noting the Guild’s decision to offer continuous support to the home in the coming years.
“It has been a long time since we came here. We moved our Connexional Council Meeting from Kumasi to Winneba just to visit you and check on how our children are faring. I must say that we are all happy to be with you today. I believe that in the coming years, you’ll see us more often as we help ease your burden with whatever little we can offer,” she said during the ceremony.
Dr. Nana Abeka, the Manager at the Rafiki Children’s Home, expressed gratitude to the leadership and members of the Methodist Guild Ghana for their gesture. He remarked with a broad smile that the support came at the right time, ensuring the smooth running of the home.
He passionately called on other individuals and organizations within the Methodist Church Ghana to come to their aid, emphasizing the need for generous support to provide a comfortable home for the children.
He highlighted several challenges that, if resolved, would significantly improve the living conditions of the children. Among these were financial constraints, poor road access to the facility, and the need for medical support during the night since none of their nurses reside on-site. He appealed for assistance to furnish a bungalow for a resident doctor, among other needs.
The Methodist Rafiki Satellite Village was established in 2007 by the Rafiki Foundation, a Christian non-profit organization. However, after one year, the facility was taken over by The Methodist Church Ghana as part of its moral duty and social action, following the realization that children from Winneba and its environs were being sent to fishermen in nearby towns to serve as breadwinners for their families.
The village currently houses about 92 children and has developed a model school to meet their educational needs.
Some of the children are now pursuing tertiary education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University of Education, Winneba, and various Colleges of Education.
