The counseling helps youth gain insight and understanding about why they are at the center and supports them in choosing good behaviors. Youth are also provided counseling to explore their future aspirations, along with encouragement to study hard and take advantage of the lessons provided at the center.
Those who do well in classroom education are taught in the local dialect. Youth who do not excel in school receive training in work like fishing and farming with a chance to see what fits them. The psychological counseling supports both groups of students in finding the path that works best for them.
In addition to individual and group psychological interventions, the center provides computing classes, basic literacy, and additional courses in photography, drama and swimming. After every session, homework is given to encourage commitment to their education.
“The children at the center have gone through a great deal of challenges in their short lives and psychological support is essential to ensure successful family reunification,” said Father Timothy Ploch, interim director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “At Salesian centers, youth access the supportive services they need to start the rehabilitation process, reunite with their families and return to school so they can start skills training.”
While Ghana’s economy continues to improve, nearly 45 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, according to UNICEF. Rural poverty remains widespread in the dry savannah region that covers roughly two thirds of Ghana’s northern territory. Small-scale farms suffer from a lack of infrastructure and equipment, both of which are needed to shift from subsistence farming to more modern commercial farming which would yield greater incomes and a chance to escape poverty.
Source: Salesian Missions
