In Ghana medical exams and treatments in hospital are expensive!

'Baobab’s projects run short of money - your help is needed!

Over the past few weeks 'Baobab Children Foundation' had to meet unexpected of  € 2000 for medical exams,  treatments in hospital and special nutrition supplies. This is why BAOBAB turns to  you for support.

Donations of € 1895  have already come in thanks to your kind help and following a message on Facebook and this blog. We warmly thank all of the donors – but still would need additional funds to cover the remaining sum of  € 100. (8. December 2014)

2012: Little Edith and the younger sister Jessica are playing in the Baobab Centre

Little Edith, a former street child from Accra, needs urgent help

Little Edith has been hit particularly hard by circumstances. She is the daughter of Esther, herself a former Baobab student, who got pregnant much too early without being able to cope.

For one and a half years both mother and baby tried to survive in the streets of Accra.

When Esther got pregnant a second time 'Baobab Children Foundation' again took care of  all three of them in order to save them from extreme misery. Esther helped in the kitchen as best she could as well as taking care of her two small children.

Unfortunately she was physically and mentally unable to cope with her manifold duties as a young mother and consequently turned her back on the children. So Social Welfare in Accra (or in Kissi/Elmina) decided to hand over the two children into the care of 'Baobab Children Foundation'.

'Baobab Children Foundation' accepts responsibility

From then on the two children enjoyed a somewhat steady and regular life which they had not known before. The younger daughter Jessica turned into a happy and easygoing kid, whilst her sister Little Edith developed behavioural deficits resulting from traumatic experiences and periods of vast neglect.

2012: Little Edith

So e.g. when  meals were handed out at lunchtime, Little Edith immediately grabbed her plate and withdrew into a far corner for fear that the food could be taken from her. She continued to do so for a very long time although she knew that there was enough to eat for everybody at 'Baobab' including  additional helpings.

Two years ago Little Edith started to suffer from spasms, but the doctors in Kissi and Cape Coast were not able to find the cause which subsequently led to a deteriorating health condition.

Despite great efforts Little Edith continued to lose weight and eventually her voice going along with an increased frequency of spasms. Given these symptoms Baobab had to take her to the well reknowned Pediatric Clinic of  the capital Accra as well as to other medical clinics for specific testing.

Medical treatment in Ghana is so expendsive!

As you may presume there is no such thing as public health insurance in Ghana which means that every treatment and medicine prescribed has to be paid in advance by the patients themselves. No meals are provided by the hospitals which means that the families have to take food and drinks the patient needs to hospital on their own initiative and by their own means.

So 'Baobab' asked Hannah, a longstanding and experienced forster mother at 'Baobab' who also had taken good care of Augustina for many years, to look after Little Edith during her stay in hospital. She has known both Jessica and Little Edith for a long time since both girls stayed with her during various school holidays.

Meantimes some of the origins of Little Edith's medical problems have been established, and a scheme for medical treatment and additional specific nutrition has been set up. Of course all of us hope that this will mean Little Edith's complete recovery in the near future.

This is where YOU come in – we need your help

We would appeal to your support for the funding of Little Edith’s medical treatment costs that have occurred. Even small donations (expressly mentioning “Little Edith”) do help at the same time mobilising others. Not to be able to help just because the funding is not yet complete cannot be an option in that particular situation. We will keep you informed on the donations as well as on Little Edith’s recovery progress.

Donation  account 

Volksbank Freiburg / Germany

mention: “Little Edith”

IBAN: DE86 6809 0000 0017 2380 00

BIC      GENODE 61 FR1

Thank you very much!

P.S.:

I got to know Little Edith and her mother as well as her little sister myself around Christmas 2008 / New Year 2009. Subsequently, in 2011/2012, I spent four months with them at the Baobab Center which (although she was not an “easy child” – but how could she after her traumatic experience) endeared her to me to the point that I cannot but wanting to help by spreading her story.

Translated by Brigitte R.
 Thank you, Brigitte!