Dr. Joy with kids (Christmas 2021)
The Beginning
Established by Joy H. Ablordeppey, MD, FRESH reflects her personal experiences, her philanthropic heart, and her passion for children living in and around her native village, Kpekpo. As she thinks about her childhood, Dr. Ablordeppey recalls being hungry, especially on Saturdays, thirsty and afraid. Not wanting today’s Kpekpo children to have those experiences, she began funding and managing a Saturday lunch program for the children on August 1, 2021. Meals are prepared and children are fed in the completed one-and-a-half floors of a three-story air conditioned, WIFI equipped facility that is under construction; it is funded by Dr. Ablordeppey.
From her home in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Ablordeppey instructs family members, in Ghana, to purchase food and prepare hot meals for children every Saturday. Initially there were about 75 children, ages 5-18. Now, nearly 400 children from Kpekpo and other South Tongu villages, are being fed. For several children, it’s a 7–8-mile walk. They arrive as early as early as 8 AM. With children arriving so early, they receive breakfast and lunch. The children are supervised by volunteer teachers and nurses.
Pure Joy!
Objectives and Needs
To provide nutritious meals for the children in Kpekpo and surrounding villages; such meals fill the gap in what parents struggle to provide for their children in this community. These villages are located in the South Tongu District of Ghana’s Volta Region.
To supplement the education provided by the sole underfunded elementary school in the village with a library and computers. Children need a safe space to explore, learn and dream. Next door to the current facility where the children are fed, is the allocated plot. None of the children we care for have heard of a library. Newspapers and books will be available for them to read. Also to provide homework help from volunteer teachers after school, during weekends, and holidays. The plan is to purchase Zoom-enabled televisions that can connect to schools in the US.
To provide access to needed healthcare for children ages 3-18. Healthcare is a challenge in this community. Except for a healthpost about two miles away, which provides acute care and some government immunizations, these children have never seen a pediatrician. The plan is to have medical care for the children covered by the Hope International Medical Mission team, which has served in South Tongu since 2012. A group of volunteer doctors is being solicited to join two doctors in Dr. Ablordeppey’s family. A clinic was completed and dedicated to our work with the adult population on July 6, 2021, in the village of Agordome. It will be most helpful to have a Pediatric clinic in Kpekpo.
To provide opportunities for the community to grow and harvest their own produce by establishing a Tower Garden farm. Tower Gardens are vertical aeroponic units on which fresh produce is grown. This will greatly enhance the availability of fresh vegetables and fruit, save money, facilitate sustainability, and provide STEM education.
To provide a safe environment for children in Kpekpo and surrounding villages to play, imagine, and dream. Land has been acquired for the construction of a playground for the children. Currently, there is no such facility in the entire district. The children just wander through the villages when they are not in school.