First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has unveiled the logo for the 50th anniversary celebration of the SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana.
Mrs Akufo-Addo, who is a patron of the institution, said that over the past 50 years, the SOS Children’s Villages had been a beacon of hope, compassion, and transformation in the lives of countless children in need of care and protection.
She acknowledged that the institution’s programme initiatives had left an indelible footprint on the landscape of child welfare, as it worked to ensure that ‘No Child Grows Up Alone’.
Mrs Akufo-Addo said a reflection on the work and impact of the Villages showed a legacy of quality childcare that had shaped the destinies of children in need, who found solace and a sense of belonging within the warm embrace of the SOS families in Tema, Asiakwa, Kumasi, and Tamale.
She commended SOS for not only concentrating on the Villages alone, but also rolling out various child protection and community intervention programmes, geared towards strengthening families to provide better care and support the holistic development of children.
The First Lady said such programmes were tailored to meet seven strategic goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on goals five, three, four, eight, 10, and 17, aimed at contributing towards Ghana’s development agenda.
She said with barely six years to meet the Agenda 2030 and the realisation of the SDGs, many stakeholders had expressed worry about the existing vast development gap in meeting them and called for coordinated stakeholder partnership and coherence in achieving these targets.
Mrs Akufo-Addo called on benevolent institutions, businesses, and individuals to join hands with SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana in achieving its mission and reaching out to many more children in need.
This, she said, would help to provide every Ghanaian child with an opportunity to grow up in a loving and supportive environment and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
Mr Alexander Mar Kekula, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana, presenting the concept of the 50th anniversary logo, announced the theme for the celebration as: “SOS Children’s Villages, celebrating 50 years of transforming lives in Ghana.”
Mr Kekula said the logo comprised the map of Ghana, a cyan ribbon, and an embedded 50th, explaining that the map symbolised the institution’s strong connection and commitment to the country.
He said SOS was an integral part of the country’s landscape, playing a significant role in transforming the lives of children, young people, families facing difficult situations, and communities.
Also, the cyan ribbon encircling the map represented unity, protection, and support, adding that it signified the stability of care provided by the villages to the children in need of care and protection, while the embedded 50th also signified the duration or period year of the celebration.
Mr Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi, popularly known as ‘Bola Ray,’ the SOS brand ambassador, also commended the Villages for holding on to their promise to ensure that every child belonged to a family and was embraced with love and care.
Mr Adisi said SOS had initiated several successful programmes in the past and presently and called on stakeholders to look into the future with hope and determination, to work towards making a difference in the lives of those in need.
Mr Yves Hanson-Nortey, the Member of Parliament for Tema Central, and an old student of SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College, commended the school for instilling the spirit of service and integrity in them.
Activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary include floats across all programme areas, an open house for the association to interact with beneficiaries, a football competition between the Villages, coding for kids, and an awards and dinner night.
GNA
LS/CAA/CA
1 March 2024
Caption: TM002 SOS Logo Pic 1
TM002 SOS Logo Pic 2
TM002 SOS Logo Pic 3
