Driven by Faith to Help Children of Ghana by Sam Pinczuk
August 21, 2014
Every day, Edem Richard Adjordor drives throughout Ghana’s Volta region to assist poor families and to rescue children from slavery and abuse. He offers services ranging from medical supplies and health education to providing children with a safe place to live, learn, and grow. Edem is executive director of HardtHaven Children’s Home in Kpando, established in 2007 by Joy Ann Hardt, a registered nurse and American volunteer. The small home cares for orphans and vulnerable children, specifically victims of HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses. HardtHaven is a project of UNiTED, a nonprofit community resource and empowerment center also directed by Edem and dedicated to “unifying neighbors through education and development.”
Click on each picture in the gallery below for a full-screen image and a brief caption.
Edem Richard drives throughout Ghana’s Volta region to rescue children from slavery. He directs HardtHaven Children’s Home in Kpando.
A 14-year-old girl sits and waits for Edem, who rescued her from being trapped inside her family’s dilapidated one-room home for 13 years.
Always with a smile, Edem reaches out to the girl, who weighs only 40 pounds and is about the size of a five-year-old.
Fishermen navigate the immense Volta Lake, taking Edem to children who live on its isolated islands. The islands have no hospitals, so Edem’s visits are a lifeline for the people.
A grandmother who lives on a Volta Lake island waits for Edem to see her grandchild, who is gravely ill.
Edem’s visit saves the grandchild’s life.
Child slavery is a huge problem on Volta Lake.
Here child slaves nervously prepare a fishing net under the watchful and menacing eye of a fisherman.
The children are forced to work excruciatingly long hours.
Child slaves live in constant fear. This boy says he would like to go to school, but if he does not come to work he will be mercilessly beaten.
A former child slave Edem rescued sits and watches other kids play.
This boy was beaten so badly by a fisherman that he can no longer walk without the assistance of a walker.
Kids play a game of tag before their school day begins at HardtHaven.
A child receives reading lessons from a volunteer.
Although the children at HardtHaven have gone through an enormous amount of hardship, they are extremely resilient and have big dreams.
