Chosen Rehab and Children’s Centre transforms lives of destitutes, drug addicts
It has undoubtedly become a safe haven for drug addicts and children on the streets who have been neglected by their families.
Since its establishment in 2009, Chosen Rehab and Children’s Centre, an orphanage at Darkuman, a suburb of Accra in the Greater Accra Region, has transformed the lives of many destitutes and drug addicts, especially in Accra, Kasoa and other communities in the country.
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It initially started recruiting drug addicts from the ghettos and streets, building their capacities and reintegrating them into society with the help of counsellors and medical professionals and sending them back to win their friends.
The centre was established by Apostles Abena and Cobi Gbingor Washington
It also teaches the addicts the word of God and feed them, and make them know the need to put an end to the lifestyles they had adopted.
Today, the centre boasts of having transformed the lives of many youths who were otherwise over and done by their families and society.
Establishment
The centre was founded by Apostles Abena and Cobi Gbingor Washington, 11 years ago at Achimota Abofu in Accra, with focus on transforming drug and alcohol addicts from the ghettos in the capital city.
With time, it has evolved and now gives care to children brought in from the streets by the police, individuals and the Department of Social Welfare.
So far, it has transformed the lives of over 1000 young men and women who were drug and alcohol addicts at the ghettos.
It was party time for the children at the centre
Some of them were put into school while others learnt vocations and now are doing well in society.
A beneficiary, Harold Nettey, has now set up the Drug Advocacy Foundation, after being addicted to drugs for about 20 years.
Drug Advocacy Foundation is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) involved in training and rehabilitating and reintegrating drug and alcohol addicts into society.
It also carries educational campaigns in schools.
According to a mother and supervisor at the Chosen Rehab and Children’s Centre, Ms Felicity Ali, when they were to change the recruits, due to their physical transformation they were able to influence their peers.
“That is why we always recruit, train, and send them back to the ghettos to also spread the word to their friends.
“When they are changed, there is a physical transformation among them, and that tend to influence their friends to also change. And that is one of our strategies,” she told The Mirror.
Financial difficulties
Due to financial difficulties and inadequate rooms to cater for the addicts, Ms Ali said the centre now focused more on the children, stating that it depended largely on benevolence for its survival.
For now, the centre houses and caters for over 30 children from ages three to 17, both males and females from their feeding, education to medical care.
“We rescue orphans and street children and offer shelter to the homeless, medical care, education and create awareness about child trafficking.
“Recently, some of the children who were suffering from some medical complications had to be operated upon. And the cost was borne by the centre. That is our calling, and we continue to do so gladly, but we need more support,” she said.
Volunteers
Ms Ali explained that the centre also enjoyed support from volunteers who were mainly beneficiaries of its programmes and other professionals from diverse backgrounds, including counsellors, medical officers and psychologists.
She added that after receiving training and graduating from the centre, the beneficiaries were given the needed assistance to be able to fit well into society, “but others choose to remain and provide some assistance to the centre.”
Support
A Director at the centre, Mrs Abigail Obuobi, appealed for the donation of a vehicle to help with its outreach and feeding programmes in the slums and ghettos.
She further appealed for food and financial support to expand the facility into a storey building and other facilities that would be able to house both the children and the drug and alcohol addicts.
A volunteer praying over a food to be shared to some of the drug addicts
“For our future needs, we want to build classrooms and dormitories for the children, accommodation to re-establish a drug and alcohol rehab centre, health workers to organise free medical screenings in the slums and ghettoes, and a food bank for the underprivileged in society.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a need for urgent attention and we continue to appeal to people and organisations to come and support us to be able to continue to put smiles on the faces of these children and orphans who have been abandoned by their families,” she emphasised.