A new foundation aimed at addressing maternal mental health challenges and improving child education has been launched in Juaboso in the Western North Region.
Maternal mental health continues to be a growing concern for many women in Ghana, particularly after childbirth. The situation is reportedly worsening, affecting the wellbeing of mothers and their families across several communities.
In response to this challenge, a public health nurse, Madam Adamata Adams, has established the Ramy and Anifali Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting women affected by maternal mental health issues, as well as vulnerable children and the elderly.
Speaking at the launch, Madam Adams explained that her motivation stems from her years of professional experience. While working in the Western Region, she witnessed pregnant women giving birth along the seashore due to financial difficulties. She also recounted similar experiences during her involvement in the National Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in the Volta Region, where poverty prevented many children from attending school and contributed to maternal mental health struggles.
She noted that maternal mental health cases are on the rise in the Western North Region and stressed that the foundation will work in collaboration with the Mental Health Unit to help address the issue. She appealed to individuals and organizations to support the foundation in its mission to improve lives.
At the event, Bishop Stephen Affum, Headteacher of Juaboso School ‘C’, highlighted the growing issue of school dropout among male students. He attributed this to financial challenges faced by families, particularly due to the decline in cocoa production, which has traditionally been the main source of income in the area.
According to him, many boys are now forced to work to support themselves instead of continuing their education. He expressed hope that the newly launched foundation would help address these challenges and support children to return to school.
Bishop Affum also called on the Ministry of Education to extend the school feeding programme to the junior high school level to help reduce the financial burden on families. He further urged the public to support the foundation so it can effectively tackle maternal mental health issues and improve education outcomes in the region.
