World Health Day: Challenges for Porters: Volunteers host community action day at Tema station

The UK-Aid sponsored charity Challenges Worldwide teamed up with the Help an African Child foundation on Sunday 29th November at Tema Station to hold a community action day. Volunteers took details from over 240 head porters and their children with the aim of registering them with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Volunteers also hosted fun and games for the children and distributed food in the afternoon.

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The UK-Aid sponsored charity Challenges Worldwide teamed up with the Help an African Child foundation on Sunday 29th November at Tema Station to hold a community action day. Volunteers took details from over 240 head porters and their children with the aim of registering them with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Volunteers also hosted fun and games for the children and distributed food in the afternoon.

Hundreds of women from the Northern parts of Ghana come to Accra in search of jobs and prosperity. Since these young ladies are generally uneducated and unskilled, they engage themselves as porters, known locally as “kayayes”, to make ends meet. These porters, some with children, lack decent shelter or access to healthcare.

Challenges Worldwide volunteer Alfred Osei said, “It’s really important to make a database of these women, some of them haven’t been to the hospital for twenty or thirty years. Helping them sign up with the NHIS means they can access quality healthcare more easily.” Whilst data collection was in progress, everyone played games, drew pictures and took part in dance competitions before finishing the day by enjoying a well-earned meal together. Volunteer Chloe Semwayo remarked, “I loved how we were able to engage with the porters, even though we spoke different languages. Our time together brought a sense of unity that Challenges Worldwide actively promotes.”

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Challenges Worldwide help developing economies through the International Citizen Service Entrepreneur (ICSE) programme, where volunteers from the UK and Ghana partner as consultants in small to medium sized enterprises. As part of the 10 week programme volunteers give back to the local community through a community action day.

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Challenges Worldwide (CWW) is not-for-profit social enterprise. We support entrepreneurs and enterprises to strengthen their skills and abilities, helping them grow enterprises that generate income, sustainable economic growth and impact.

Help the African Child Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to working hand in hand with people living in deprived communities of Ghana. Our goal is to provide basic educational, technical and vocational support, health care access, economic opportunity and to enable personal success and community development.