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The Rebecca Foundation Establishes Market Creches to Support Traders

 


Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, through The Rebecca Foundation, has introduced the “Market Crèches” project under its ‘Terema Initiative’ that seeks to support women to improve their economic status and general well-being.

Through Terema, the Foundation is putting up crèches in a number of markets in various parts of the country to cater for toddlers and pre-schoolers of traders, while they concentrate on their businesses.

 Currently, four of the crèches are under construction at the Dome and Adenta markets in Accra,  Koforidua Zongo Market in the Eastern Region; and the Apremdo Market in the Western Region.

It is expected that each crèche will have auxiliary facilities including washrooms, changing rooms, a health post and canteen and will be accommodating 100-150 children.

 The Rebecca Foundation believes that building these creches will serve as safe, accessible, and affordable childcare centres, which will give women and families the choice and opportunity to work in tranquillity.

The many societal dangers that these vulnerable children are exposed to in the markets including kidnapping and child abuse, among others, adversely affect, not just the future of these children, but the peace and wellbeing of mothers and families.

 Interaction with some markets women in Accra has revealed their yearning for such crèches that are closer to where they trade, to offer a conducive learning environment for their pre-schoolers.

 Some of the women welcomed the Rebecca Foundation’s Market crèches initiative and said it would help in keeping their children from loitering in the markets and getting exposed to the filth and noise, usually found in market settings.

Madam Margaret Donkor, a trader in children’s clothing, said: “We welcome the crèches very well because we can’t even get someone to leave our toddlers and preschoolers at home with, especially when the Free-SHS is encouraging all house-helps to go to school."      

 To ensure the relevance and sustainability of the project, the Foundation is working closely with the relevant state institutions and agencies as well as the beneficiary market associations to ensure that qualified personnel are recruited to manage these facilities.

 The collaboration would also help in identifying other social needs of the market women and vulnerable children, so the needed solutions can be provided.

 The market crèches project underscores the mission of the Rebecca Foundation, established by the First Lady in 2017 upon the assumption of office of her husband, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Through the Foundation, the First Lady has also initiated and executed well-thought-out programmes to complement the efforts of the government in addressing social issues.

The Foundation has other objectives, which include enhancing literacy and learning skills in children, improving the health of children, reducing maternal mortality, improving environmental health as well as providing avenues to increase the economic contribution of women.

 It believes that in implementing such programmes, household income will be cushioned while living standards would be improved, translating into progress, which in turn, enforces the gains made by specific developmental interventions.

 If the conviction of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to make early childhood care and education go beyond the preparation for primary school with the possibility to nurturing the future generation is anything to go by, then all well-meaning Ghanaians must endeavour to support the establishment of the crèches and other pre-school centres to ensure that children everywhere get access to preschool education.

For Jessica Alvarado, an Educationist, "Early childhood education is important because these are critical development years.” “During this time, valuable relationships are formed in children’s lives, and partnerships developed between teachers, peers, and parents.

Source: Office of the First Lady

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