The Deputy Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Madam Hawawu Boya Gariba on Tuesday brought smiles to the faces of some children with intellectual disabilities in Cape Coast, when she paid them a visit during their first day at school.
The elated children at the Aboom Special Needs School sang with joy as the Minister and her team presented them with a number of items including toys, mats, pillows, diapers mats and teaching aid.
The Head teacher, Mrs Mary Osei, told the Deputy Minister that the school which was established in 2006 by the German Agency for Technical Co-operation to cater for children with special needs had been handed over to the Ghana Education Service.
She said enrolment had since increased from seven to 30 children between six and 18 years.
Mrs Osei said many of the children who were suffering from cerebral palsy, down syndrome and other intellectual defects were being assisted to read and write and learn and acquire some vocation.
She explained that before the establishment of the school, some of the children who were enrolled in the normal school system were facing difficulties because they were slow learners and needed special attention.
She said 15 other children whose conditions were serious were at home but were brought to the school to undergo physiotherapy to improve upon their conditions before being enrolled.
She thanked the Ministry for the gesture and appealed to the Minister to support efforts to include the school in the School Feeding Programme, since a greater percentage of the children come from very poor homes.
Mrs Osei also asked for the extension of pipe borne-water to the school and the construction of an additional room to be used for physiotherapy.
She said currently the physiotherapy sessions were being done in one of the classrooms.
Madam Gariba praised the teachers for their hard work and dedication, adding that it would require such personnel to raise the children into functional adults.
She pledged to ensure that the school is included in the school feeding programme.