UNIFORMS FOR KIDS GHANA

I am an Australian living in Ghana and involved with the children who live in New Takoradi.

New Takoradi is approx 5 hours from the capital Accra and is in what is called the Western Region.

New Takoradi is one of the poorest.

There a very few activities that the children can get involved in one of the best is the Boys and Girls Brigade which meets with them 3 days a week after school and that provide refreshments for them.

The children of all ages come dressed in their everyday clothes to practice the marching and instrument playing and love doing it unfortunately when they go out on parades through the city marching and playing instruments drums etc. only the children who can afford uniforms can attend which makes the others feel left out wishing they could be a part of it all.

We need your support to furnish uniforms which will help the children have a sense of self-worth and a sense of being part of the community and belonging and give them hope of a better life.

A complete uniform for the girls and boys cost $50.00 an amount you would think they could afford but most of these families have no income the women sell rice by the cup, a powder that they can make into a sort of porridge by the cup and small amount of oil in plastic bags everything is sold in small quantities as most of them can only afford enough for the next meal.

Having and being dressed in a uniform gives the children pride and some sort of status and makes them feel as though they are a real part of it all instead of feeling that they are not good enough to have one.

When they can get a uniform they treat it as a prized possession and take great care of it they make sure it is always spotless and ironed even though they are all washed by hand and the electricity for them to be ironed costs money and it will be handed down to the other children in the family.