The statement above is from the grandmother of an eight-year-old girl diagnosed with leprosy.
Emmanuel Jackie, a local pastor who received training to detect NTD (Neglected Tropical Diseases) through our Wi Songla Project (in partnership with American Leprosy Missions) saw Mankere. She had patches of discoloration on her hands, and she would cry at night because she was in pain. Pastor Jackie encouraged Augustina to take Mankere to the hospital.
Having seen leprosy’s effects when left untreated, she got scared. Thankfully, Mankere was diagnosed early and started treatment right away. She is already seeing improvement and has been able to return to school and play with friends again.
Beatrice, one of the physician assistants, stressed how important it is to get proper training to detect NTDs, yet she still summed up her work: “As clinicians, we do all that we can, but it is God who heals.”
Mankere and Augustina – full of smiles.
Smiles are on the faces of thirty-eight young girls who have been sponsored to embark on tertiary education.
Sponsoring young girls to further their education is part of the Babanayaa Project’s commitment to empowering women in rural communities in the Savannah Region of Ghana. While mothers receive help to better their livelihoods through peanut farming and other income-generating interventions, young girls in their communities can now fulfill their dreams of being in school like their privileged counterparts in big towns and cities. It has left unfading smiles on the faces of underprivileged mothers and young girls whose worries have been taken care of.
In the previous years, twenty-two young girls were sponsored into senior high schools and various tertiary institutions. Nine have completed while the rest are still in school. Thanks to our ongoing partnership with the Government of Canada and you, our faithful partners, for making their dreams come true!
Some of these young girls had this to say when they visited NEA for their school fees.
Charity is a native of Sonyor and a first-year Medical Laboratory Technician student at Wa Technical University. Her dad passed away about half a decade ago. The responsibility of caring for Charity and her other siblings rested on her widowed mom.
As a widow, Charity’s mom is into peanut farming, which does not earn her enough to see Charity through tertiary education. With the educational support they received, her mom can save the little she gets from her farming activities to feed her younger siblings.
CHARITY YOMBA GBOLO
Fedilatu is a second-year student at Tamale College of Education. It is her dream to become an educator. Her parents are old and unable to raise funds to pay her fees and settle other bills in school. Fedilatu was in tears as she narrated her situation.
FEDILATU ALHASSAN
Our Babanayaa co-op women are bringing hope and smiles to many more women.
Although these women are from deprived, vulnerable and poor backgrounds, nevertheless, they are selfless. They continue to think of women in their communities who are in situations similar to what they found themselves prior to the implementation of the Babanayaa Project.
As a result of their selflessness, co-op leaders have encouraged their members to identify one vulnerable woman in their community and give them a bag of peanuts to start a peanut farm.
Currently, all 500 women of co-op batches one and two have done this. The additional 250 women in batch three plan to do the same after their second harvest.
Co-op women happily helping other vulnerable women with sacks of peanuts.
Babies are bringing smiles to our Leyaata Hospital staff.
The attendance at the maternity wing is increasing. On the hospital’s opening anniversary, three girls had been born that morning. At the close of the day, the ‘match’ had concluded with a score of three for the girls and two for the boys. Together, we praise the Lord for rescue after rescue!
The twin girls who were first to arrive.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving next week, may the unfading smiles of Mankere, Augustina, Charity, Fedilatu, the Babanayaa women and the babies bring smiles and hope to you, your families and friends.
Thank you for all you do to partner with us to bring hope and smiles to those in great need!
Ruth Adams says
Thanks so much for this interesting and inspirational account ! I feel so privileged to be a small part of the miracles that are happening in Ghana because of GRID. My heart is there! May God continue to bless each one of you. Please know that you and this important work are never far from me in thought and prayer.
Lovingly,
Ruth Adams