INVESTIGATIONS HAVE begun at Echoing Hills Village – a non-governmental organization (NGO) – into rumours of child abuse and diversion of donated items by some workers at the centre.
In a recent press statement issued and signed, the Vice-Chairman of Echoing Hills, Village Felicia Opoku-Mensah, said any worker who would be found guilty of stealing, child abuse, diversion or smuggling of items donated to the orphanage would be severely dealt with.
She called on the public to disregard a video going round that depicts abuse of children at the centre since it’s a doctored one.
She described it as a fake video developed by some individuals with an ‘evil’ agenda to destroy the image of the centre.
“We are assuring the general public that we are on top of the issue and will deal with all people involved in this malicious act squarely. We are by this statement urging the general public to have confidence in the management of the Echoing Hills Village and join us work together to save, protect and provide hope to the neglected children in our society,” the statement said, adding that “we are committed and will continue to serve the deprived and developmentally challenged persons in society.”
The statement also said “we provide service for abused and abandoned children, mostly referred from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), Ghana Police Service, through the Department of Social Welfare.”
It added that it runs a residential facility with programmes that meet the educational, physical, mental and emotional needs of the children, with post rehabilitation programmes that promote effective reintegration into mainstream society.
Echoing Hills Village is a registered NGO that provides shelter, care and protection for individuals with disability and children with special needs.