OUR GOALS
Over the years, Cradle of Hope for Relief and Development (CHRAD) being a refugee established and managed organization and operating with the refugee community in Ghana, has identified numerous challenges that the refugees are being faced with in their quest for self-advancement. Community leaders have reviewed and considered the situation as the fundamental cause of the under-development of the refugees and their persistent stay in exile despite relatively peaceful environment being put in place by their government with support from the international community.
During the Liberian civil crisis, precious and innocent lives were destroyed and assets such as homes, hospitals, schools and other infrastructures were also damaged. (See page 15-18 of IMF 2008 REPORT on Liberia for details). As a result, survivors who escaped death sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Certainly, due to the unfortunate situation described above, survivors (refugees) in exile are traumatized with psychological disorder from the effect of the war.
Throughout the refugees’ prolonged exile life, it is a meaningful expectation of well-wishers that they would be counseled out of trauma to improve on their social, emotional and economic well-being. It also hoped that a vast majority (particularly the youth) would be empowered professionally with relevant skills to aid them contribute to the reconstruction and development of their home land.
However, several set-backs listed below prevented them realizing all these due to challenges such as:
· Lack of resources (funds) to support career development:- despite the availability of established educational institutions in Ghana and willingness on the part of majority of the refugees to acquire skills, they are not being able to do so due to lack of funds.
· Business oriented persons (particularly women) are unable to venture into sustained economic activity due to lack of capital.
· Refugee parents can hardly provide educational needs (in terms of lunch, Text Books, Exercise Books, Tuition fees etc) for their school-going children.
· Refugees repatriated to homeland can hardly withstand challenges facing their reintegration. This is further hindering the reluctance of returning home as they are faced with the following challenges among others:
· Homes of returnees have been damaged during the crisis. They therefore find it difficult lodging their family upon their return.
· Returnees lack basic needs for house-hold use such as Mattress, Cooking utensils, clothing etc.
· Feedback from refugees earlier repatriated is not encouraging. They complain of problems such as insecurity, hard economic situation in Liberia.
· Inability of potential business persons to access loans to start a sustained business for family up keep.
· Vast majority have not acquired enough skills to enable them make meaningful living should they return home.
· Some of the youth in exile suspected of having committed serious crimes are afraid to return for fear that they could be identified by some affected ones for possible revenge.
The above-listed challenges are some of the fundamental causes of refugees continue stay in exile. Instead, they are opting for resettlement to a third country of Asylum such as the United States, Norway, Canada and Australia etc. to repatriation or local integration into Ghanaian society. Such demands led to April 2008 protest lead by some section of refugees’ women demanding US$ 1,000.00 as a repatriation package with the hope of overcoming some of the challenges above. (See Video 1
CHRAD STRATEGIC INTERVENTION
In the wake of the above, and in line with CRHRAD’s vision to transform deprived third world communities into mime of knowledge and hives of productive economic activities, it has proposed to undertake a “Refugee Rehabilitation Program” aim at addressing these challenges gradually but consistently under it Short and Long term Goals as follows:
SHORT TERM GOALS
The short term goals are concerned with
A) Training Programs:- Hiring professionals and also sourcing the service volunteers to facilitate training on the following:
1. Regular teaching of school children (Elementary to Senior High School)
2. In-service Training for non-professional teachers within the settlement.
3. Organizing training on Economic Empowerment opportunities such as vocational skills, business management techniques for potential business persons (particularly women)
B) Hiring professional counselors to provide specialized counseling such as Career Guardian and counseling, Marriage and Family Life counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Substance Abuse Counseling, and Rehabilitation Counseling etc.
NON-TRAINING SHORT TERM ACTIVITIES
· Picking medical Bills of evidently poor refugees’ patients who are not covered by the Health Insurance of the Government of Ghana and also not receiving support from any source.
· To assist evidently poor refugee women on maternity care
· Networks with other social service agencies worldwide to assist the evidently disadvantaged in societies.
· Collects and distribute educational materials to schools for effective reading skills and learning.
· Organize and facilitate school feeding program to encourage the less privileged school-going children and street children to enroll into school hence reducing school drop out
· Collect and distribute use cloths, bed sheet, shoes etc to street children, orphans and evidently needy children.
· Facilitate volunteers program to create an enabling environment for professionals within and outside sub Saharan Africa to come and assist the refugees and other deprived communities in teaching, health care services, counseling and other forms of human resource development.
2. LONG TERM GOALS
In the long run, CHRAD intends to expand into Sub-Saharan space with the following specific goals.
· Provide affordable housing to deprived rural communities.
· Provide sanitary facilities such as public latrine, cleaning facilities, clinic etc in rural communities of deprived communities.
· Support agricultural programs, food security and preservation in rural communities.
· Provide household utensils to returnees refugees where war or disaster is experienced particularly in rural communities
· Provide seed monies to trained potential business women in rural communities.
· Construct or help to renovate classroom blocks for students in rural communities.
· Establish Radio (FM) Stations in rural communities to serve as:
o The official mouth piece for rural inhabitants
o A medium for discussing developmental, family life and other problem solving programs
o A medium for broadcasting news concerned with issues affecting rural communities.
o A source of entertainment, motivational and inspirational talks.
· Establish Community Centers in rural communities in Liberia to be used:
o As center for settling dispute
o As center for holding ceremonies such as Marriage, Parties and other forms of entertainment etc.
o As center for providing training programs on various aspect of human socio-economic development and peaceful living for all.
o Other necessary / timely forms of development in line with our strategic objectives.
o To assist us, please visit our donation column.
