BVM Legacy of Love: Holy Child Integrated Services
Participants in a skill acquisition program for young women in Bolgatanga, Ghana, learn to make snacks through Holy Child Integrated Services, recipient of a BVM Ministry Partnership Grant.
Audrey Awambire was 5 when she lost her parents in 2002. She and her four siblings were cared for in part by the Sisters of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in Bolgatanga, in the upper east region of Ghana.
It was difficult at times, Audrey says, and paying for her education was becoming burdensome. But she finished high school and is now in college.
“With the scholarship grant I was able to pay my school fees with ease as compared to the past when it was usually paid bit by bit till it was fully paid, which was becoming a great hindrance to my education.
“I have bought a laptop and accessories for my studies which ordinarily I could never have had, and it is indeed helping me a lot,” she says.
And because of the laptop, she could continue classes when they went online due to COVID-19. She could afford new glasses, and she shared books and other materials with colleagues who don’t have them.
“All these things that I have through the scholarship have given me courage to work harder to build a better future and also to put a smile on others’ faces, especially the less privileged in the society who I hope to reach out to,” Audrey says.
Mary Anne (Bernarde Marie) Hoope, BVM, who ministers in Ghana, is the connection for both the ministry grant and the scholarship. She was spiritual director for Holy Child Sister Lena Nwaenyi, who has been part of Audrey’s upbringing and nurtured her over the years.
Mary Anne mentioned the ministry grants, and applications led to two annual awards for Holy Child Integrated Services. Holy Child Integrated Services strives to meet the “Wants of the Age” by providing programs to empower poor rural teenagers and youth from the upper East Region in Ghana. It offers vocational training, business skills, and confidence needed to create a pathway out of poverty and build a better future for themselves, their families, and the local communities.
Learning a Way to Make a Living
The grant money paid for equipment for a skill acquisition program for young women to learn basket making, bead making, cooking, hairdressing, soap making, sewing, and/or textile weaving.
In her application, Sister Lena described “a sustainable project that is set to empower teenagers and youth through skill acquisition training in various areas, impacting the economy, and reducing migration from the Northern Upper East Region to the southern regions of Ghana, promoting income-generating activities and supporting poverty reduction.”
In her letter of referral, Mary Anne says, “Keeping young people in the north, rather than migration to the south, especially to cities like Kumasi and Accra where the option is prostitution or living on the streets, is a gift beyond measure.”
Last year, Sister Lena connected Audrey and Mary Anne, who agreed to serve as a sponsor for Audrey’s application for a Mary Frances Clarke Scholarship.
After an initial scholarship and academic success, Audrey will seek a renewal of the scholarship to continue her studies at a college of education in Ghana to become a teacher.
“It will give me the knowledge I need to have a better future and be the kind of woman that will help to build our society,” Audrey says. “Good education is key to getting to the level where I can make a difference in lives of the less privileged youth in my area.”
In her letter as part of the first scholarship application, Audrey says, “I am an Albino and there is a belief that people with Albinism are not able to attain a good standard in society, but for me, I am determined to work hard and be successful.”
In her letter of reference, Mary Anne says, “Throughout her life she has had to be supported by others. She dreams of a better future not just for herself but for others.”
Please contact either Sister Lena Nwaenyi, SHCJ at anwaenyi@yahoo.com or Sister Letitia Awuni, SHCJ at letadongma@gmail.com for more information about Holy Child Integrated Services coordinated by the Sisters of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
About the author: Ann Sweeney is development director and grant administrator for the Sisters of Charity, BVM in Dubuque, Iowa.
This story was featured in:
FALL 202O: BVM Legacy of Justice
On the cover: In this issue of Salt, we explore justice by educating ourselves about racism, continuing BVM missions through partnerships and scholarships, and being grateful for the commitment to social justice of a 9-year-old who sees BVMs as her “religious heroes.” Read more about Mira Gibbons on p. 6.
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