Project Grace is an important initiative for the town of Adaklu Helekpe, a rural community of subsistence farmers and small traders in the Volta region in Ghana.
To understand the significance of Project Grace, we need to meet a unique self-help group of parents. The group is called Amenuwewe, which translates to Grace from the Ewe language. They are parents of children with special needs, united by the will and determination they demonstrate every day to support their children, some of whom are now young adults.
The Amenuwewe group has reached out to create some sense of structure and fulfilment for their children by arranging daily activities in a church.
As you can imagine, Amenuwewe parents face bigger challenges than most other parents. None of the parents have any training on how to work with children and adults with learning difficulties. With good fortune, they have been given land by the Chiefs where they grow food to feed the children. At present they support 18 children and adults with learning difficulties who have a range of very different needs.
Project Grace aims to support the Helekpe community by building new school facilities and providing a resource centre. This project plan covers the building of:
- 2 classrooms in a mainstream school called EP Primary School
- Resource Centre for adults with learning difficulties where they will be taught vocational skills
- Dining area for all the pupils attending EP school and toilets and shower rooms
“The goal with Project Grace is to educate, provide skills, build confidence and bring a sense of purpose to children and adults with special needs. By creating new facilities within a mainstream school and a learning resource centre, we will enrich the lives of children, young adults and parents well beyond what is possible today.”
Kiran Dattani Pitt & Michael Pitt, VSO Volunteers, Project Co-ordinator.
