UNACWCA launches Pro-poor Shelter project for 2-Regions
As part of its pro-poor policies to ride-off slums and shelter, the Homeless on the streets, the United Nations Association of Commission for Women and Children Affairs (UNACWCA) has launched a Shelter project to shelter the homeless.
The project estimated to provide over 500 capacity houses for vulnerable women and children on the streets would be sited in Greater Accra and the Ashanti Regions respectively.
The housing facility comprises 500 capacity accommodation, 10 unit staff residence, 100 seater library units, 250 person capacity cafeteria unit, 12 unit class blocks and a talent development center, among other social amenities.
Besides the housing, the project would also have a 60-bed capacity health facility management unit, an auditorium, vocational training and technical training center and as well as Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Speaking at the launching ceremony in Accra on Friday, July 8, 2022, the National Head of UNACWCA, Ms. Jemima Adukpo said the COVID-19, with its attendant problems, has provided the association the foresight to reach out to the vulnerable who were left on the streets in those difficult times.
According to her, the UNACWCA Shelter is aimed at mitigating the havoc caused by the pandemic, stressing that, “high cost of living, high unemployment, and general levels of despondency call for more collaboration among well-meaning people.”
“As though COVID-19 had not caused enough damage, the Ukraine-Russia war, which is still raging, has compounded the already volatile and vulnerable situation COVID-19 wrecked on nations and individuals,” she added.
She said COVID-19 and its related issues had taken a massive toll on vulnerable groups, especially children and women as they are faced with socio-economic challenges which dealt a big blow to their lives.
“Their already vulnerable economic, social and health situations have been worsened. If there is any silver lining in these troubling crises then, perhaps, it is the fact that the vulnerabilities of these groups have been amplified,” Ms. Jemima bemoaned.
She however expressed the hope with support from the benevolent organization through funds that, the UNCAWCA Shelte project would help to ameliorate the plight of women and children by providing them with dignifying shelters.
“As a mother and advocate, I cringe at the sight of many homeless children and women, sleeping on pavements and streets. Beyond the inhumanity of this tale, many of these street children become exposed to the vagaries of the weather and many criminal vices, hence creating a vicious cycle of insecurity in our society,” she said.
On her part, the Goodwill Ambassador to the UNACWCA Shelter Project, Ms. Elaine Judy Awurabena Quarmey, said the housing deficit in Ghana is estimated at 1.8 million which made it impossible for the vulnerable to have decent accommodation.
The homeless, she noted are often seen in rough sleeping, pavement dwelling, squatting in the same derelict building regularly, living in the abjectly poor, often dangerous dwelling and living in refugee camps without the possibility of returning home.
This, she said ignited UNACWCA after realizing the gap to set up the 500-capacity shelter home to care for women and children who often found themselves on the streets so they could also have some decent living.
Dr. Patrick Acquah who launch the UNACWCA Shelter project charged Ghanaians to voluntarily contribute towards the realization of the project to give hope to the homeless, especially children who have no biological parents and resort to the streets as their homes.
A team of patrons and Volunteer advocates of the project were sworn in by a High Court Judge, Justice Hafisata Amaleboa.
The Patrons and the Volunteer Advocates are to lead the project by soliciting and raising funds for the entire project in both the Greater Accra and the Ashanti regions.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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