Accra, 23 June, 2020 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).
A Ghana-based Religious Order of nuns has realized a partnership with a local advocacy entity with a view to reaching out to ostracized women accused of practicing witchcraft.
The partnership brings together Anawim Missionary Sisters who run five camps housing the ostracized women in the northern part of the country and BasicNeeds-Ghana, “a mental health advocacy organization that has the sole purpose of ensuring that people with mental illness and epilepsy are able to access mental health treatment and live and work within their communities.”
BasicNeeds-Ghana has availed to the nuns some Ghc35,000.00 (US$6,000.00) and a motorcycle, the leadership of the Tamale-based organization has reported.
“The funds are meant for ploughing a field that the alleged witches can cultivate for their own use and secure a tricycle and some fuel to support their farming activities whereas the motorbike is to enable the sisters to go on outreach,” the Executive Director of BasicNeeds-Ghana, Peter Badimak Yaro has been quoted as saying in a Tuesday, June 23 report.
In the report, Mr. Yaro notes that the stigma, indignity, and shame these alleged witches go through and how they are forced to live may persist even longer and affect their mental health.