While some parts of the world were celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving holiday on November 28, 2024, children at the Tamale orphanage in Ghana were expressing their own gratitude for a refurbished dormitory and kitchen funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Morrisosn greets children at the orphanage on 28 November, 2024.
Elder Morrisosn greets children at the orphanage on 28 November, 2024.© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.The Tamale Children’s Home for Orphans is a state-owned facility built in 1968. It currently houses 33 children, both boys and girls, between the ages of newborn to 15 years old. Neglect and lack of funding had resulted in serious deterioration of the facilities. Unsanitary conditions in the kitchen posed health and safety risks for all children there, and the boys' dormitory was so dilapidated that younger and older boys were forced together into rooms with insufficient space and few beds. Overall, conditions were deplorable.
At a Light the World event in Tamale last year (2023), the mayor invited the Church to visit the orphanage to see conditions and to ask for help in improving them for the children. Upon recognizing the need, the Church provided the funding and partnered with a local contractor to renovate of the older boys' dormitory and of the kitchen. After a year of construction, the facility was officially handed over to the orphanage administrators. In addition to the renovation, a food donation was also provided to the orphanage.
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- Local-leaders-attend-the-hand-over-ceremony-for-the-Tamale-orphanage-on-28-November,-2024.
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- Inspecting-the-rennovated-orphanage-kitchen-on-28-November,-2024.
- Drums-beat-out-a-rhythm-for-the-children-dancing-at-the-orphanage-on-28-November,-2024.
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The Regional Director of the Children’s Home, Mrs. Annunciata MZ Anglaaere, expressed profound gratitude to the Church for the generous donation. She reflected on the troubling challenges of caring for the children without much external help, and she repeatedly thanked the Church for its involvement. She was confident that the renovations would significantly and immediately improve the quality of life for the children.
Elder Isaac K. Morrison, Second Counsellor in the Africa West Area Presidency, made the formal presentation and handover to the local administration. In his remarks, he referenced James 1:27, noting that pure religion is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. He expressed his joy at being able to help alleviate some of the issues that were troubling both caregivers and children, and he counselled them to show their appreciation for the renovated facilities by caring for, and maintaining, the newly renovated facilities.
To show their appreciation for the improvements, some of the older children participated in a regional dance as a cultural event for the audience. Following the dance, the local chief imam, in his remarks, thanked and blessed the Church for its generosity. Finally, after the program ended, Elder Morrison and others of the audience were able to tour the buildings to see the improvements.
The Church has indicated that if the facilities are well maintained and cared for, there could be future renovations to the girls’ dormitories and other buildings as well.