Government of Ghana (Accra) – Compassion International Ghana (CIG), a Non Governmental Christian International Organisation has taken delivery of 30,720 shoes to be distributed to poor and needy children in some regions of Ghana.
Receiving the items from a USA company wishing anonymity, the Country Director of Compassion International Ghana Mr Padmore Baffour Agyapong noted that the distribution of shoes to the children would improve their health and reduce absenteeism in schools.
He expressed regret that some children even in Accra still went to school barefooted or in torn sandals that demean them.
He added that the story could be worst in the rural areas, giving the level of poverty and degradation of lived.
He was hopeful that the company’s commitment to supplying the shoes to the poor and needy children would improve school attendance and enhance Compassion Ghana’s contribution to attaining the Millennium Development Goal 2, which aimed at achieving Universal Primary Education.
The Programme Communications and Brands Manager of (CIG) Mr Amos Safo observed that, the NGO entered into an agreement with the USA based company for it to donate shoes for distribution to poor and needy children in some parts of the country.
Besides, the company earlier in the year also assisted Compassion International Ghana to implement the first phase of the Shoe Purchase and Distribution Programme (SPDP) under which 12,906 shoes were purchased at the cost US$51,624.00 for distribution to poor and needy children at 63 Compassion-assisted Child Development Centres in Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta and the Central Regions.
According to Mr Safo the shoes were bought from a local manufacturer as part of Compassion Ghana’s contribution to boosting the local economy.
He was hopeful that the children wearing the shoes to school would prevent them from contracting soil borne infections, injury and snake bites and save them from dropping out of school for lack of shoes.
He expressed the organisation’s appreciation to the Gender, Children and Social Protection, Finance and Education Ministries and the Department of Social Welfare for their assistance. He further expressed appreciation to the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyire Mr Annor Dompreh for helping them secure tax exception for their goods.
Source: ISD (Raymond Kwofie)
