Organizational Profile
In My Father’s House (IMFH) is a foreign owned but locally managed Catholic Mission humanitarian organization operating in eight Administrative Districts and Municipalities in the Southern Sector of the Volta Region of Ghana (Keta, Ketu-South, Ketu-North, Akatsi South, Akatsi north, North Tongu, South Tongu and Adaklu Anyigbe districts). Its activities stretched also to Togo and Italy.
IMFH operates its ‘children-centered’ programmes in the remotest villages ensuring that the African child especially the neglected and socially vulnerable are given care and protection. In over 20years of operation, the ‘Integral Development’ of the children into independent and self-sufficient adults is paramount on the agenda.
Prior to its full registration as NGO in the year 2000, the founder a Comboni Missionary priest Rev. Fr. Joseph Rabbiosi as part of his missionary work spent decades fighting endemic social problems such as diseases, destitution and injustice in the hider lands in the country Ghana. Inspired by the charisma of St. Daniel Comboni, he and his collaborators believe that giving care and protection to the sick, needy and the neglected is the only way of assuring them that God still cares about them.
In solidarity with the neglected and socially vulnerable especially children in our society and in collaboration with Sponsors, Benefactor, Philanthropists and Volunteers mainly from Italy and other countries worldwide, IMFH operates the following projects and programmes.
- Children’s Village (Giving Care and protection to the socially Vulnerable Children)
- Basic School Complex (Free Quality Basic Education)
- Basic Health Care Services
- Scholarship (Educational support to needy student at all levels of education)
- Sponsorship
- Charity Programme
- Kindergarten Support and Feeding Programme
- Construction (School and Health facility)
- Agriculture and animal husbandry (poultry and piggery)
- Skill Training in Mechanic and Carpentry
- Kindergarten support Programme (Mission schools).
- Other outreach and social intervention programmes.
The Organization is mainly funded by its Sister Organisation “Nella Casa Del Padre” Mio-Onlus, Colico Italy for its major projects. An association formed by the relatives, friends, well wishers and benefactors of the founder, Rev. Fr. Rabbiosi in Italy and we are most grateful. We also receive intermittent support other organisations and individuals both local and foreign. Prominent among these is the Students Bridging the Information Gap (SBIG)( Link) from the USA who supported in the year 2011 with an Ultra Modern Computer Laboratory and Library Complex for the Children’s Village. We are also engaged in crop farming and other Income generating activities such as Poultry, piggery, ICT Training programmes etc. Supplement donations or perhaps attain financial solvency, be self-sufficient and able to stand in the absence of the abroad support.
It is our belief that all men are created equal with great potentials and with a little concern and compassion toward the deprived and the less privileged, the world will be better place all. We will not relent in our effort in touching the lives of those who really needed care and protection.
We are very grateful to all the stakeholders and benefactors who in diverse helping to make this possible. We also appeal to other benevolent organisation, and philanthropists who share in this vision to come on board to support us give hope to our vulnerable and needy children.
SUMMARY OF KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
By the grace of God, IMFH has succeeded exceptionally in the communities. The lives of the needy, neglected and the socially vulnerable in the beneficiary communities were greatly touched through its accomplishment in respect of the following programmes.
- Establishment and Operation IMFH Children’s Village at Abor-Weme in the Volta Region.
- Establishment and Operation IMFH Basic School complex at Abor-Weme in the Volta Region
- Establishing and Supporting over 130 Kindergartens and basic Schools in the eight (8) Districts and Municipalities.
- Establishment of Garment Producing Center
5. Construction of:
- Nine-eight 98 School Buildings in the towns and villages within its operational area.
- Two Clinics
- Thirty (30) hand-dug wells and Boreholes
- Fifty (50) Chapels within its operational area.
6. Provision of Scholarship to:
- 500 Basic school pupils
- 120 Second Cycle Students
- 80 Tertiary Students
7. Training of 105 professionals (Teachers, Nurses, Lab Technicians, Caterers, Social workers,)
8. Operation of School Feeding Program
9. Operation of Sponsorship/Charity programme ( supporting over 150 families financially and with food items and clothing
10 Supported over 40 persons and disable persons to undergo surgical Operations.
11. Establishment of well equipped Mechanic and Carpentry Shops for skill training.
12. Successful Agro-production. ( Crop farm and Animal Husbandry)
IMFH Children’s Village:
Out of the compassion toward the deprived, neglected, malnourished and sick children who are mostly from poor families, single parenthood and broken marriages, Fr. Joseph Rabbiosi was compelled to investigate the issues. He decided to bring these children into the Mission House for proper care and protection. In no time, the number of children at the Mission House increased rapidly putting pressure on the limited resources. This gave birth to the IMFH Children’s Village.
The Village was built with a great foresight to readily accommodate growth. It is in itself a small community with all the necessary basic amenities. It has a number of well ventilated dormitories for the children, well equipped infirmary to provide first aid, staff residence; guest rooms for volunteers, offices, Place of worship, a Basic school complex, library, a modern ICT lab, a well lay out Kitchen and Dining.
There are also store rooms, workshops, poultry and a garden. The independence of the village is complete with a stand by plant that provide power when there is power outage, a corn mill and a mechanized well that provides water for use 24 hours a day. It is a home for the homeless. It is a place where the neglect, destitute, orphans and the vulnerable find care and protection.
Mode of Admission
Admission of children into the village is done in collaboration with the Social welfare Departments in the various districts, the police, the court, parents and community leaders in three distinct ways.
Direct Admission
The neglect, sick and helpless orphans identified by the Executive Director on his duties through the towns and village across the region.
By Application
These are the children admitted upon the receipt and investigation of an application addressed to the organisation by families, guardian and community leaders etc.
Referral Cases
Upon the recommendation of the Department of social welfare, court, Police and any other legally recognised body a child may be admitted into the village.
Cardinal Services of the Village:
The village among other things is focused on three main areas in its activities. These are Good Health, Nutrition and Education.
Good Health :
To ensure personal hygiene and good health among the children and care givers, there is a regular health education and a well furnished health centre with a medical officer responsible for basic health care for all. Children with special ailments are taken to specialist hospitals for major treatments and surgical operation.
Nutrition:
The nutritional values of meals are of a great concern and meals are carefully plan and prepared to ensure that children always take balanced diet. To achieve this, agriculture projects are being undertaking where vital food crops are produced for consumption. Poultry, piggery, other livestock are kept to boost the protein intake of the children.
Education :
It is our belief that good education is the core of children’s development. It is indeed the spirit of the integral formation which enlightens and empowers the children to grow to become useful to themselves and the society. It is in the vein that the organisation has established the IMFH Basic School Complex to provide quality basic free education to the children.
Population:
The Village currently housed Sixty Three (63) ‘Resident children’ which keeps on fluctuating as some of the children are reunited with their families (if there is) after gaining admission into second cycle schools or other career training centers. Fresh admissions into the village also continue. The management of the house maybe compelled to withdraw a child whose behaviour is assiduously becoming a bad influence to others.
Basic School Complex
It was established mainly for the children in the village but opened to the public later. It runs from the Pre-school department, Kindergarten 1 & 2 Primary to Junior High School. It is a fast growing school with current student population of about 539. Steps are being taken by management to introduce a second cycle Technical programme. Since it is attached to the village, students enjoy almost all the facilities in village (Library, ICT laboratory, Health Centre, and others). Academically the school is a beacon of hope in the Keta Municipality.
The IMFH Basic School Complex has become a model school with standardized structures and well trained and devoted staff in the area. Regular daily transport service is offered to day students to and from the school. IMFH has successfully introduced a Boarding System which currently housed 58 children from age 2 to 16.
It has produced seven batches of JHS graduates with distinctions. Its successive enviable academic performances have won it several awards in the Keta municipality. The current enrolments of the school are 539 pupils.
An Ultra Modern ICT Centre and School Library
A 40 setter capacity Ultra Modern ICT has been established for the school. This has improved the study of ICT in the school. This facility is fully networked with wireless internet connection to enhance the research of both teachers and students. At the centre are also well vested instructors who handle both theory and practical lessons effectively.
There is also a well organized library which is stocked with current text books, Novels, and Reference books. All the children especially those staying in the Village use the facilities extensively.
The Boarding System of IMFH BSC
The Boarding System came up as a result of request by some busy and responsible parents and relatives to enroll their children in the Children’s Village for their education. This system offers day students the opportunity to stay In My Father’s House and school on fee paying basis. Their feeding, shelter, education and health needs are catered for by the IMFH. Facilities in the centre have also been upgraded to meet this demand. The residential boarding fee is ¢500.00 and the age limit for admission is 4years. Population of boarders currently is 58.
Workshop and Professional School:
IMFH has successfully put up well equipped Mechanic/Metalwork and Carpentry/ Woodwork shops which would be used for the proposed Technical/ Professional School. Pictures are shown below.
Agriculture and animal husbandry (poultry and piggery)
IMFH engaged in Agriculture projects especially, crop farming and animal husbandry which are use to support its stock of food to ensure sustainable provision of nutritious meals for the children. It is also to generate some fund to augment the grand and support from Italy. Below are the details of the production from the projects that are currently in operation
Charity Programme:
About 120 carefully selected needy individuals and family have been supported with food and money on monthly bases.
Construction of Schools:
Over the years, IMFH in collaboration with the leaders of beneficiary communities and support from sponsors, donors and volunteers has established a total of one hundred and thirty (130) Kindergartens. These Early Childhood Development Centres are all over the 8 districts and municipalities that we operate in the Volta Region.
