Members of AID Ghana (right) making the presentation
A community empowerment group, AID Ghana, has made donations of various items, including stationery, and toiletries to the Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre (AACT) to mark this year’s Autism Awareness Month of April.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to present the items, president of the group, Richmond Adu-Worae, called for more sensitisation to combat the stigma that is associated with the condition.
“It is important that Ghanaians are made to understand that autism is never a curse and that persons with autism are only special and need to be cared for with patience and compassion,” he stated.
Mr Adu-Worae further stressed that “organisations providing care for autistic children must be supported by the general public, corporate Ghana and other benevolent organisations.”
He also called on government to provide more care and training centres and resources to autistic people to enable them to participate effectively and meaningfully in society.
On her part, Founder and Director of the Autism Awareness Care and Training Centre (AACT), Serwah Quaynor, expressed her profound gratitude to the group and made a clarion call on the public to shun all forms of stigmatisation against autistic children.
She further called on other youth-based organisations to emulate AID Ghana and the gesture extended towards her organisation and other organisations committed to positive social causes.
According to Ms Quaynor, “When I returned to Ghana some 15 years ago, searching for autism services for my son proved rather difficult. Nortey was 16 years old with raging hormones, many challenging behaviours, ranging from self-injurious behaviours (Sib’s), aggression, insomnia, to mention a few…at the time there was very little help for me and him so I started a rigorous awareness campaign which culminated in the starting of the Autism Awareness Care and Training Centre.”
The Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre which started in 1998 in Kokomlemle currently has about 40 children in its care, ranging from pre-school children to young adults.
AID Ghana comprises a group of young professionals from various backgrounds who are committed to contributing their resources and skills towards ensuring positive social impact.