Babies Born To Mentally Ill Mothers Get Donation From Samsung

Mr. Felix Akampoi in a Handshake With Ms. Salome Amanor

Samsung Electronics, a global information technology giant, has extended its “Community Care Programme” to some children born to mentally ill mothers and are in care of God’s Love Orphanage Ministry in Bolgatanga. 

Thirty cartons of ‘Cow & Gate’ (baby foods) were presented to the orphanage after a similar visit had been paid by the same donor separately to two orphanages in the Upper East Region— Mother of Mercy Orphanage at Sirigu and Mama Laadi Foster Home at Yorogo— with each receiving twenty-five cartons of the same product. The items, put together, are worth twelve thousand, eight hundred Ghana cedis (Gh¢ 12,800). 

A brief presentation ceremony at God’s Love Ministry saw sea-deep concerns raised about children born in the streets to mentally ill mothers, living in extremely awful conditions, with a stretch of dreary future ahead. The orphanage itself was founded on a selective pity for such children after a lonely couple (who would establish the home later) saw a mentally ill mother spontaneously kill her own child in one of the region’s busy streets. She hit the head of the child against a rock, killing the helpless infant cold-bloodedly.

“That mishap moved my wife [Mary] to establish a home for such children,” said Mr. Felix Akampoi, a professional teacher and Director of the orphanage. “We normally resettle them at such a time that we are convinced that their reunion with their roots will pose no threat to them. Where we think a problem is lurking, we link the child to the Department of Social Welfare.” 

The running of the orphanage hinges on aid from Nick and Michel Cousin (a couple in the United Kingdom) and salaries earned in the classrooms by Mr. Akampoi and his wife (also a teacher) to clothe and feed the inmates, to enroll and keep them in school, to defray utility bills and to cover maintenance costs and the slim wages that go to the aged women and youths employed to look after the inmates.  

Presenting the items, Ms. Salome Amanor, a Samsung representative, said the donation formed part of a nationwide tour “to impact the lives of children and the entire society positively under our Community Care programme”.  

Mr. Akampoi wrapped up the stopover with words of gratitude to the donor for travelling the long distance from the south to inspire hope and sense of self-worth and belonging in deprived children in the north.

Ms. Salome Amanor was accompanied by some blue-branded officials from Samsung including Mr. Peter Adatara, Mina Okuru and Bernard Botchway. 

story by Edward Adeti