The Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy has called on the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo to support children with cerebral palsy and their families

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of the Project said raising a child with cerebral palsy in Ghana can be challenging because of the lack of a concrete policy to support children with cerebral palsy.

She, therefore, urged the First Lady as the mother of the nation, to come on board and help enhance the lives of families raising children with cerebral palsy by dialoguing with parents of such children to know areas where government could help.

Mrs Awadzi said this when she made a cash presentation of 1500 cedis, some food items and clothes to Kwabena, a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy that the project is supporting in school.

The Special Mothers Project’s attention was drawn to Kwabena Acquah, about three months ago after her mother passed on leaving him in the care of his 90 years old grandmother.

As an intervention strategy to provide him with quality care and educational support, the Special Mothers Project sought for a school in Accra where he can have access to quality care and education.

Mrs Ellen Affam-Dadzie, Executive Director of the With God Cerebral Palsy Ghana, an institution that has offered Kwabena a place in their facility called for support from the government.

She said: “We need the government, corporate organizations and individuals to support children with cerebral palsy and their families.”

The Centre, apart from educational support for children with cerebral palsy also provides physiotherapy and other forms of therapy for children with cerebral palsy.

The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the Ghana International School has presented a cheque of 10,000 cedis to the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy to support their work

The Ghana International Schools (GIS) PTA organized a bazaar in February this year to raise funds for the Special Mothers Project; the activity is part of the PTA’s corporate social responsibility towards organizations that are making impacts in the lives of the vulnerable in society.

Madam Priscilla Gyasi, an Executive Member of the PTA who presented the cheque said it was the PTA’s way of giving back to society and also to inculcate in the students a sense of humanitarianism.

For the second half of the year, the Special Mothers Project will focus on creating awareness among various stakeholder groups including the media, staff of the department of social welfare, staff of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), members of the legislature and other interested organizations.