The Republic of Ghana is named from the word Ghana itself, meaning Warrior King, although at the time of independence from Britain in 1957 the area was known as the Gold Coast. The name Ghana was chosen as it reflected
the ancient Ghana empire that thrived there in ancient times.
Just 22% of children in Eritrea have access to safe water,
whilst a mere 13% have access to sanitation facilities leading
to regular epidemics of diarrhoea, malaria, and respiratory
infections. The infant mortality rate is a staggering 55%. Poverty is also widespread
with 81% of children in rural areas living in families with an
income of less than £123 per year per person. Life
for children in Ghana should be good. Its a stable democracy with
a healthy economy and children are treasured within society with
parents and the wider family doing all they can to ensure the
child grows up happily.
Yet for many
children, just like this little lad who spontaneously burst into dance on sight
of a video camera, life is anything but good as much of the country's wealth
goes on foreign debt, leaving little behind for health and education programs. Life is particularly
harsh in the dry savannah north of the country where most of the population is
dependent on subsistence farming and poor rainfalls have led to not only poor
harvests but poor health outcomes for children compounded by the fact that only
7% of children in rural Ghana having access to safe sanitation facilities.
Children in Ghana begin two
years of kindergarten education at the age of four before undertaking primary
education up to the age of twelve then three years at the junior secondary
school level and a further three years at the senior secondary school level. However
for many this is not possible as only primary and junior secondary school
education is free, meaning that for many children from poor families they do not
get the chance to complete their education with only 6% of all children
attending senior secondary level schooling.
Mainly African, we also extend our
listings to other children in need who
live in Haiti, Yemen and Gaza.
Get your Ghana child sponsor
program listed in this online African child sponsor directory for free!
Sponsor a child listings by country together with details of children's lives there.
Information about the growing crisis of street children in Africa escaping poverty and violence.
HIV and AIDS has had a devastating impact on on children and their families across Africa.
All the latest news about children in Africa, their circumstances, children's right developments and legal issues.
Sponsor an African child for less than the cost of a daily newspaper with our child sponsor programs.
Mainly African, we also extend our listings to other children in need who live in Haiti, Yemen and Gaza.