Bringing Hope to Street Youth Through Consistency and Love – Esther’s Internship Experience
Esther's New Year’s resolution was to make a difference in her community and after researching FOA, she knew she’d found the perfect place to give back.
Future of Africa believes in the most vulnerable children, and our mission is to restore them to good health, provide them with practical education and skills training, and equip them with an extended family of support to become responsible, engaged, and productive citizens. Together we can build a strong and scalable plan to solve one of Africa’s growing humanitarian crises.
Every week we engage in conversations with youth in the streets, listening to their needs, serving hot meals, providing first aid, or going to the hospital with children who have critical medical needs. Through this, we’ve earned their trust, and stayed updated on their lives and activities on the streets. Our close relationships inspire these children to believe in themselves and their immense potential beyond the streets.
Street residents who participate in weekly street outreach programs and express interest in leaving the streets are invited to join our Norviwo Transformation Pathways program at FOA’s Norviwo Community Center. At Norviwo they participate in a one-year program focused on restoring their physical and psychological health. FOA traces their families, creates customized care plans, and prepares them to begin vocational education.
We currently enroll former street residents in carefully selected training centres that understand their unique needs and tailor lessons to meet their needs. FOA is developing a tailored alternative education program with a focus on vocational training, functional literacy and numeracy, and character development.
Together with our partners, we enable former street residents to become meaningfully employed. FOA believes in working together with like-hearted stakeholders committed to solving the growing problem of children in street situations in Africa. This includes former street children who are our biggest asset and hope to inspire future generations.
Through the help of our partners and donors, FOA is able to be in the streets of Accra weekly, continuing to deliver hope to children in street situations.
Several of FOA’s programs, from Miahaya to Mialike, are run from our community centre with the help of donors, partners, and several of our volunteers that make up the Norviwo Extended Family Support (NEFS).
The community center is a safe space where children can begin the healing process. The Norviwo Community Centre wears many hats for our youth, from a warm place to stay to a functional classroom, and it is integral to our program being successful now and in the future.
Future of Africa is committed to extending our organization's high-quality Norviwo programs and positive street residents' experience across Ghana - giving more children in street situations a chance to transform their lives. Our hope is to deepen our impact across various cities while maintaining a strong family culture that binds us all together. FOA is currently completing a comprehensive strategic plan with details to build a permanent campus with facilities for health and wellness, technical education, boarding, physical education, business incubation, etc.
Every moment a child is off the streets and in the classroom is another moment for the Future of Africa.
Esther's New Year’s resolution was to make a difference in her community and after researching FOA, she knew she’d found the perfect place to give back.
Ten former street children have embarked on vocational training programs to launch successful careers in fields like fashion design, auto mechanics, carpentry and catering.
Through street outreach, leadership workshops, and reflection sessions, FOA immerses high school and university students in the challenges faced by street children, helping them understand the issue and become advocates for change.