St Anna's Childrens Home
In 2004, after spending 3 months living and working in Winneba Local District hospital, Gabby Haigh and Lara de Klee were struck by the sheer quantity of street children in the village.
They decided to create a home called St Anna's which could accommodate 20 of these children at any one time, providing them with a safe, stable and loving environment. With the help of Emillia Turkson, Winneba's local district teaching supervisor, St Anna's is becoming a reality.
The Building
St Anna's Childrens home became the proud owner of a plot of land in the Donkoryiem area, Winneba on the 26th of April, 2006. Building then started!
Today
Finally we now have a roof! Not only do we have a roof, but we have the beginnings of the St Anna's Family! In February this year with their new house mother, Joseph, Sarah, Edward, Hannah, Henry, Beatrice, Little Joseph, Patrick and Patricia all moved in!
The Future
Now up and running St Anna's is sending each child to a local school. At 16 the child will be able to continue onto further education, or have the possiblity to learn a trade. St Anna's will support the child in which ever direction they chose to go, just like a family.
We hope to encourage the children to establish and follow a career or trade one day, so that they will be able to provide for themselves and, hopefully later on, their families.
Winneba, Ghana
Why St Anna's?
Letter from Lara de Klee a Co-Founder
"What got you started?" is often a question I get asked, and the easiest way to answer that is to start at the begining.
Winneba is a very small fishing village situated on the south coast of Ghana, (see above), and it was here that I ended up on my gap year, aged 18, and lucky me! Gabby Haigh and I were placed with the most welcoming, friendly, fun and fantastic family- the Turksons.
All in one day I gained a new mother, an older brother, one sister and two half sisters, not to mention a son! Over the three months that we spent working there in the local hospital we were able to help and take part in natural and caesarean births, wound dressings, catheter changing (nice!), entertaining and teaching reels to the whole children's ward, helping down at the morgue which of course was referred to by the friendliest boys in the hospital as - “their office!” Over the three months we were fortunate enough to not only develop a very strong mutual bond with my Ghanaian family, but I also began to realise that one of my childhood dreams- to be a florist and/or run a children's home might be possible.
Ever since I was little I wanted to be a florist and run a children's home- as you do! In one of those conversations that went along the lines of “When you were younger- what did you want to do when you grew up?” that St Anna's was first thought of. St Anna is also the patron saint of children, aswell as being a name that was important to all three of us.
Eme, my Ghanaian mother, is a teacher trainer for Winebba and surrounding district. Although Ghanian through and through she is not classically Ghanaian- let me explain- she only chose to have one child so that they could be sent to school and university, she has her ears pierced only once, she rides a new red shinning moped and has also already taken more children into her home who she believes, would benefit from a better education. My “son” James is one of those children- he comes from a family of 9 children, and is number 7. Although he is extremely bright he would never have gone to school, but Eme has embraced him in her family, and as a result he is now heading towards a University degree.
St Anna's is hoping to help not only abandoned children, but also children like James. We are hoping to have 20 children with in the home, and I focus on the word home as that is what we intend it to be. The children will be then sent to local schools, so they can interact with other children of their own age group. With a Christian couple to act as parents, and every child to have their own responsibilities, we hope that St Anna's will become not only a home but also a family.
Starting at the Begining
On the 26th of April 2006, St Anna's Childrens Home became the proud owner of plot 104a, situated within walking distance from the centre of town, in the Donkoryiem area, Winneba. Amazingly foundations had already been dug for a previous building, which perfectly suited St Anna's layout, thus saving us valuable time and money.
There was also an all important mango tree, which has continued to grow and will provide breakfasts for many mornings to come we hope!
The plot itself needed a serious session of weeding, but as soon as that was complete building began. We quickly learnt what a challenge building in Ghana was going to be, coming up against problems such as a power cut in one of the main cement factories, creating a national shortage of cement!
St Anna's main objective are currently to:
- Provide a comfortable home and family environment for street children from the ages of 0 to 16.
- Send children to local school and ensure they receive a well rounded education.
- Encourage the children to establish and follow a career, or trade, so that they will be able to provide for themselves and hopefully later on- their families.
- Bring the children up within the Christian faith, whilst reinforcing Ghanaian tradition and way of life.
Where we are today
Our target date of completion was the end of summer 2009, this became a reality following the "Raise the Roof", an event held in March last year, raising just over £30,000!
Now not only do we have a roof, but we have the beginnings of the St Anna's Family! In February this year with their new house mother, and 2 aunties, Joseph, Sarah, Edward, Hannah, Henry, Beatrice, Little Joseph, Patrick and Patricia all moved in!
The progress does not stop there. With the money we raised at Raise the Roof, St Anna's now has full plumbing and electrics, windows, fitted bedrooms, a near complete kitchen, fitted bathrooms and a septic tank, as well as a fenced garden and a perimeter wall. The last hurdle as far as the building is concerned is furnishings, which we hope to have in the very near future.
Getting to this stage of the construction has not been easy, but I am pleased to say we have successfully overcome all sorts of problems that came our way. The plot's close proximity to a natural water way meant that during rainy season the gardens had previously become flooded. We now have suitable drainage installed and St Anna's is fully prepared to tackle this year's rains.
As part of the St Anna's project, we have decided to set up an outreach programme to support other needy and vulnerable children from the local community who are not eligible to move into the home. Children from large families living in poverty are often unable to access formal education, with girls marrying as soon as they have reached a suitable age and boys being left to fend for themselves. St Anna's is committed to helping as many of these children as possible gain access to education in their local communities.
During my trip (Lara) in September 09, we were able to send the first two boys to school as part of this outreach programme, and we will continue to support them throughout their schooling until they have learnt a trade and are able to support themselves. In total, to support a child through a term of local school with uniform, books, classes and food costs no more than £65. Now as you are all aware monthly housekeeping and expenses are my next goal to raise. We are looking for your continued support, when we ask if you would be prepared to help us carry on the good work you have helped to start at St Anna's.
Our monthly expenses currently amount to £1055, the equivalent of £12660 per annum, which also covers the cost of the two children being funded to go to school, all nine of St Anna's new family, our house mother, 2 aunties and an uncle. The cost of looking after one child therefore is roughly £1500 a year. This includes all food, books, uniform, building upkeep, medicine, transport and any other related costs.
We are aware that this might seem like a lot, however, we think it is almost priceless, when you realise that you are changing a child's life by giving them an education and a secure home to grow up in.
St Anna's future
Having finished building, we now hope to send each child to a good local school. We invite people to make donations towards this, ensuring that each child is provided for in all aspects of life. This will continue until the child is 16, when they will each be given the choice of an apprenticeship, or to continue with their education. Having left and become self sufficient, we hope that they will offer their support to future generations of St Anna's children.
Due to Emillia's active role within the local area she is made aware of children needing a home along with the help of the social welfare office, the child is then placed in St Anna's for three months, whilst social welfare officer make every attempt to trace the childs family. Following the three months, St Anna's then adopts the child and they become part of our bigger family.
The Village of Hope, a well established neighbouring children's home, are our constant mentors and are available for advice and dirrection. We will gradually take in children so creating a family with brothers and sisters of different ages. The children will attend local schools, where they will be able to interact with other children of their age group. For now however, we are very happy with our small family and will build up slowly.
We will continually be under the kind supervision of not only the Ghanaian Social Welfare, but also the Village of Hope.
There will also be small but continuous fundraising projects that you can get involved in, please feel free to contact us. These will included sponsored runs, St Anna's hoody and T-shirt sales, and other small evenings of entertainment!
The St Anna's project will transform the lives of children living in very difficult circumstances and we passionately believe that one day it will not just be St Anna's Home but St Anna's Family.
Thank you already for your time in reading this web page about St Anna's, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.