Comparing Foster Care Systems Across West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Foster care systems throughout West Africa beautifully showcase how law, culture, and resources.
Category Advocacy & Awareness
Restorative Justice: A Better Way to Solve Child Welfare Problems
First time hearing restorative justice?
The Grief No One Talks About in Adoption-What Happens After Adoption?
When we think about adoption, we often picture joy, new beginnings, families united, love that transcends biology. But in my years of walking alongside adoptive families and listening to adoptees, I have learned that grief is part of the adoption…
Can Single People Adopt in Ghana? A Modern Look at Challenges and Hope
Adoption is often seen as the realm of married couples, but what if you are single and feel called to adopt? Can you pursue this pathway in Ghana? Let us unpack the legal realities, emotional implications, and broader global context…
Can Adults Be Adopted? A Question I Keep Getting Asked
However, in other parts of the world, including the United States, Germany, and Japan, adult adoption is legal.
Would You Want Your Child Taken to a Group Home or Orphanage If You Passed?
Written with compassion for every child in care, and every parent who never wanted to leave them behind.
Closure When It Comes to Children and Grief: A Gentle Reframe
Grief does not end. It changes
AI and Social Work: Blending Compassion with Innovation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword, it’s reshaping everything from how we shop to how we receive health care. But what happens when it steps into a space built on empathy, relationships, and trust, like social work?…
Care Is Political: How Human Rights Are Lost in Service Design
Human rights are not merely written into law. They are lived — or denied — in the waiting room, the intake process, the foster home, the hospital hallway, and the social service office.
How Bourgeois Subjectivity Distorts Child Welfare Decisions
In the global conversation about child welfare, one truth keeps rising to the surface: Children thrive in safe, loving families—not institutions. And yet, too often, children are separated from their families not because of abuse, but because of poverty or…
Cultural Relativism, Universalism, and Healing Justice in Child Welfare: A Social Work Perspective
Explore the connection between cultural relativism, universalism, and healing justice in child welfare.
The Things We Forget to Thank Her For
And not all mothers are biological
Embracing Ubuntu: A Pathway to Enhanced Child Welfare
In a rapidly changing world, the concept of Ubuntu offers profound insights into how we can approach child welfare more holistically and compassionately. Originating from Southern Africa, Ubuntu is rooted in the philosophy that “I am because we are.” It…
Divorce and Its Impact on Children: Understanding the Emotional and Psychological Effects- Part 2
Divorce does not define a child’s future. What matters most is how we respond to their needs during this challenging time and how we help them heal from the emotional and psychological impact of the change.
Divorce and Its Impact on Children: Understanding the Emotional and Psychological Effects- Part 1
Divorce is an emotional and often difficult experience for all involved, but for children, it can be especially challenging. When parents decide to separate, the family dynamic changes in significant ways, leaving children to navigate new and complex emotional landscapes.…
Breaking the Silence on Incest: Protecting Our Children and Ending the Stigma
Incest is a painful reality for many children, and we can no longer afford to keep it a secret.
Understanding Pedophilia: How to Spot Red Flags and Protect Children
The fight against pedophilia is a collective responsibility.
Human Trafficking: A Devastating Crisis That Demands Our Attention
Human trafficking is not confined to one region—it happens everywhere
Why the Shift from Orphanages to Family-Based Care Matters — And Why Some Still Resist It
Religious Beliefs: “I Felt a Calling from God to Build an Orphanage".
Should We Still Donate to Orphanages? A Compassionate but Honest Conversation
Here’s my perspective:
Kids need to be nurtured, regardless of their location. However, our assistance should also promote sustainable solutions rather than merely providing temporary help.
The Hidden Wound: When a Father’s Absence Leaves a Daughter Searching
There is a kind of pain that does not announce itself loudly…the Hidden Wound: When a Father’s Absence Leaves a Daughter Searching. It does not always come with tears or visible scars. It lives in quiet moments, in the deep…
When a Child Loves Their Abuser: The Silent Struggle
Abuse traps a child in an impossible situation, leaving them with nowhere to turn and no one to confide in.
Listening Beyond Words: Understanding Childhood Trauma in Adulthood
True healing happens in spaces where people feel seen
Putting Families First: Rethinking Care for Ghana’s Children
If we all come together communities, families, and those with the means to help we can build a brighter future for Ghana’s children. Whether it’s keeping families together, empowering relatives to step up, or creating resources to support them, we can give children the chance to thrive in a loving environment.
Beyond the Name Change: Rethinking Orphanages in Ghana
The renaming of orphanages to residential homes for children in Ghana reflects a shift in philosophy but falls short of addressing the deeper issues within the system.
Navigating Trauma and Cultural Sensitivity in Child Apprehension
To take a child away from her parents for unjust reasons should be a crime. No one knows how to take care of a child than the child's parents.
Empowering Women: Advocacy and Resources in Halifax, Nova Scotia
When it comes to advocacy and human welfare, I never miss out. I find great joy in partaking in such events. I recently attended a knowledge-sharing event in Halifax that focused on gender-based violence and women’s homelessness. Women’s empowerment is…
Considering starting an orphanage? Here’s an alternative to consider instead
As someone who has experienced the challenges of growing up in institutional care, I am passionate about shedding light on the complexities of providing support for children without parental care. While the traditional orphanage model is well-intentioned, my personal experiences…
Addressing Child Labour: From Home to Global Action
Child labour is a pressing issue that affects millions of children worldwide. I had an insightful discussion with Amidatu, a child rights advocate on the need to address child labour from the home. Below are some takeaways from our conversation.…
Exploring the Risks of Children Keeping Secrets: The Harmless Secret Myth
“Do not tell anyone, else you will die, or I will kill you.” These words are mostly what abusers of children use to get a hold of them. Child predators rely on children to keep their secrets. Perpetrators often say,…
Transitioning to Family-Based Care: A New Approach for Children’s Welfare
Deinstitutionalization Does it ring a bell? Many children living in orphanages could be reunited with their families if they received the proper support. Deinstitutionalization, also known as family-based care, advocates for the transition of children from residential institutions such…
Physically Impaired Children in Orphanages: The Need for Care and Support
Have you ever thought about the challenges faced by physically impaired children who live in orphanages? It’s heart-wrenching to think that they may not have access to the same opportunities as other children, even at the orphanages. Physically impaired or…
How Economic and Social Contexts Shape Our Perception of a ‘Good’ Childhood
The ideologies and understandings of childhood have changed over time, reflecting changes in economic and social contexts. Childhood is a social construct that varies across different cultures and societies, and what constitutes a “good” childhood is influenced by cultural norms,…
The Intersection of Family Constructs and Child Welfare: Why Cultural Sensitivity is Key
Socially constituted understandings and constructions of family play a crucial role in how child welfare is realized. The prevailing cultural norms and values that shape our perceptions of family can influence the policies and practices of child welfare agencies and…
The Power of Perspective: How One-Sided Stories Can Change Lives
When you encounter vulnerable children or families, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? One-sided stories have caused a lot more harm than good When one encounters vulnerable children or families, it can be a deeply concerning and…
Debunking the Adoption Myth in Ghana- The Adoption Talk Series EP 1
Debunking the adoption myth in Ghana is deemed necessary. Why?…. The adoption world can be complex and confusing for those not living in it. From the different types of adoption to the adoption process to the adoption language, there is…
List of Adoption Agencies in Ghana
Adoption in Ghana is gradually gaining recognition. However, a lot more sensitization is needed to eradicate the stereotype attached to it. As a careleaver, I understand what family means to every child. Most Ghanaians love to adopt but fear the…
Care Leaver Networks Increasing Worldwide: Find Out Why?
All over the world, the network of care leavers and leaders keeps gaining momentum. Each day, a new care leaver network is formed. This is because that aspect of care has been suppressed for so long a time. Beyond care…
You Cannot Start An Orphanage In Ghana Again: Find Out Why
You Cannot Start An Orphanage In Ghana Again. Are orphanages bad? This is one of the most popular questions on the lips of many as Ghana gradually fades out of institutional care. Ghana’s child and family welfare policy prohibits separating…
Teach Your Children To be Empathetic- The WHY SERIES book unveiling
The Why Series is a conversation between a mother and her daughter on varied social issues. If you want your child to be kind, empathetic and a Changemaker, this book is a perfect choice for you. I co-authored the Why…
Department of Social Welfare Ghana: Failures, Successes, and the Way Forward
Has the Department of Social Welfare (Herein referred to as DSW) failed to promote the well-being of the vulnerable? Let us find out by reviewing everything the Department claims to stand for. The Department of Social Welfare and Development is…
Has the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection-Ghana failed in its role?
Has the Ghana Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection failed in its role? This is a question we both should answer. Due to the renewed interest in protecting children’s rights in the past two decades, the Ministry of Women…
The new cyber bully: Help the vulnerable but protect their digital footprint
The recent cyber bully in todays world is helping the vulnerable and not protecting their digital footprint. Kindness is a long-held secret that does not require evidence. You often don’t have to be concerned about leaving tracks while traveling the…
History of orphanages in Ghana- All you need to know
The history of orphanages in Ghana is a painful trip back in time. Although no child welfare system existed in the pre-colonial Gold Coast, it was customary for the extended family, through kinship foster care and other community networks, to…
Incest is a crime, Don’t handle it discreetly
Incest is a crime and one of the crimes handled discreetly in Ghana. Check this story out. Every day, Mama Lulu (real name withheld) goes through unbearable pain when she recalls how her husband defiled their nine-year-old daughter at Dedeso,…
Ministries In Ghana In Charge Of Child Welfare, Their roles, challenges and why they must do better
There are various ministries in Ghana in charge of child welfare. In Ghana, child maintenance is recognized as a mandatory parental obligation enforced by the Department of Social Welfare and the Court through social workers. Still, the government is supposed…
Most Orphanages in Ghana Operate Below the National Standard; Find Out Why
Did you know most orphanages in Ghana operate below the national standard? Many times donors’ bowels of compassion are moved towards orphanages with leaking roofs and with the children looking tattered. In the bid to fulfill their moral obligations, they…
To every child, a family- Universal effort to get kids out of orphanages gains motion
As I journeyed beyond the orphanage, I always almost turn my heart and mind to vulnerable children across the globe and how they chart their life paths. Anytime I do that, I am reminded of my little self in the…
Persons with Disability in Ghana, All You Need to Know
In my daily interactions with people, it seems they have little knowledge about whether persons with disability in Ghana (ranging from kids to adults) have institutions they can be trained in. There have been instances where people called to ask…
All You Need to know about Juvenile Justice in Ghana
If a juvenile has committed a serious offence, they may be sentenced to time at a Senior Correctional Centre even if they are 17 or younger. These severe offences include murder; rape; defilement; indecent assault, involvement in unlawful harm; robbery with aggravating circumstances; drug offences; and firearms-related crimes.
Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, A Collective Action
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is a cancer deeply rooted in most part of the world and fueled by the culture of silence. Children being a vulnerable group are not spared by this cancer. It is experienced in the form of rape…
Don’t Deny Children Born out of wedlock their rights- CHRAJ
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has stated that children born out of wedlock have a right to maintenance by their fathers, just like those born in marriage. Mr. John Ato Breboh, Senior Principal Investigator of CHRAJ,…
International Standards on Child Rights- How It All Began
In the industrialized countries of the early twentieth century, there were no standards of protection for children. there was nothing like child rights. It was common for them to work alongside adults in unsanitary and unsafe conditions. Growing recognition of…
Read this Before You Dump a Baby
Do not be quick to dump a baby. Mothers unable to take care of their children can contact the Department of Social Welfare for assistance instead of abandoning them or exposing them to harm and even death. After assessment and…
Ghana Without Orphans Sensitizes Ghanaians to Partake in Orphan Care Ministry
Ghana Without Orphans (GWO), an offshoot of the World Without Orphan movement with a shared vision for every child to grow up in a healthy, loving permanent family and knowing the Heavenly Father has urged Ghanaians to partake in the…
Ghana Central Adoption Authority-All You Need to Know About Adoption 2022
In Ghana, the Central Adoption Authority (CAA) at the Department of Social Welfare is mandated to oversee all adoptions. The Authority, set up under the Children’s (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 937), has three primary structures: The Adoption Board, Technical Committee,…
International Women’s Day: All you need to know
International women’s day is celebrated across the nations of the world to appreciate women on March 8th every year. “Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge…
Did You Know That Foster Parents Are Needed In Ghana?
Did You Know That Foster parents Are Needed In Ghana? Who is a Foster parent? A foster parent is a person who is willing and able to provide a stable, secure, and loving temporary family home for a child. Gradually,…
How do young people transition out of Care?
How do young people transition out of care? Graduation ceremonies are organized for almost every new level a person enters into but not with young people in orphanages. What happen to young people when they turn 18 years in the…
The Great Sigh-Orphans and Vulnerable Children have Dreams Too
A child is termed vulnerable if he or she has inadequate or no parental support. A friend asked me whether every orphan or vulnerable children have a dream. The Great Sigh-orphans and vulnerable children have dreams too. Every orphan or…
CHILDREN CONNECTED TO THE STREET IN GHANA AND THE WAY FORWARD
Can Streetism ever be eradicated in Ghana? In 2011, there were over 60,000 children on the streets of Accra according to the Ministry Of Gender, Social And Children Protection. A one-day stakeholders’ consultative and validation workshop on ‘street connected children’…
Find out why God seems to have a superior affection for orphans
God seems to have a superior affection for orphans and widows and the poor simply because they are the most vulnerable among us. God has widows, orphans, and the vulnerable (poor) at heart. His desire is for them to be…
Orphanages you can visit this Christmas in Ghana
Do you have plans of spending some time with an orphanage? Find below places you can visit in Accra. Echoing Hills Village, Ghana. 027 635 8070 Enough Grace Foundation. 024 657 2052 Teshie Orphanage. 054 500 5640 …
Ageing Out/ Leaving Care and the role of the church
The church has a role in nurturing young people aging out of care to become better people in society. Leaving care or aging out of care is one of the most scariest thing every young person in care faces.…
Cake cutting in orphanages is essential
Having spent over a decade in an orphanage, I remember none of us got the privileges to cut a cake on their birthday. Most of us forgot our birthdays by default. I always almost forgot my birthday until level 300.…
Doing charity the right way
I’m an old beggar, a street-side hawker….Really, not literally, I earn my daily-bread on a daily basis. I am called the “vulnerable in society”. My children go to a nearby government school where luckily there’s no dress code. I promised…
The Care Leavers Ghana Network
Did you or your parent (s) or friend grow up in care? Join the national care leavers page on Facebook and Instagram by clicking on links below. Care Leavers Ghana Network is an online forum for Young people in care…
YOU ARE A DECISION AWAY
Every one of us is always a decision away from living a fulfilled or an amazing life. A lot of times we tend to either remain comfortable with certain situations and those situations eventually become a habit. Do not only…
FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT
To forgive is divine Are you finding it difficult to forgive your offenders? Listen, forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. Sometimes we waste so much time for apologies from people who don’t even realize how much they have…
You are not alone! Be encouraged
Have you been battling loneliness recently? Often in our discouragement, we tend to lose the joy of the Lord because our day is all in ruins because the contract failed, a loved one lost his or her life, the baby…
WE HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS
Do people reject your friendship always? What do you do afterwards? Cry? feel bad? or move on? There are times that you always wish a particular person was your friend. You go like.. How I wish so so and so…
Use What You have, You were Not Born Empty
We all have unique gift and abilities inside of us. Frankly speaking, no one was born empty. You were not born empty neither was I. But what do we see around us? A lot of people have neglected their own…
NGO MISCONCEPTIONS IN GHANA
Throughout the years, I understood that individuals tend to have numerous misguided judgments about what it resembles to work for a philanthropy or claim a philanthropy based association. Regardless of whether it’s to have an effect on society or work…
Embracing Self-Worth: Overcoming the Influence of Others’ Opinions
Are you the type of person who often finds themselves preoccupied with other people’s opinions about you? The Oxford Dictionary defines an opinion as a “view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.” This definition…
Fear of the unknown
Fear of the unknown is a universal experience that many of us can relate to. It’s that feeling of unease or anxiety that arises when we are faced with something unfamiliar, uncertain, or beyond our control. But hear me out,…
Alternative Care in Ghana
Alternative Care is a care for children who are not under the custody of their biological parents. Alternative care can be formal or informal, family-based care, or residential care. The Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) was amended in 2016 to…
Stand Sunday: Embracing the Call to Foster Children As a society
Having experienced both lives in a family and in an institution, I can attest to the fact that there is nothing joyous than a child growing up with a family. At the orphanage, all of your physical needs are met…
Have you wondered how young people churn out from the various orphanages? Yes or No
Let’s have a little chat real quick. Have you wondered how young people churn out from the various orphanages? When last did you visit an ORPHANANGE? Have you thought about how orphanages fund themselves especially in this covid19 season Have…