Archive for the 'Every Child Is Our Child' Category
January 30th, 2012 by intern
ECOC Youth Trip To Cape Coast, Ghana
In December, a group of 
twenty Every Child is Our Child (ECOC) Program youth with excellent academic standing were chosen to participate in a field trip to the city of Cape Coast. Many of these students have never left their hometown of Odumase, and this trip gave many of them exposure to the hustle and bustle of city life very different from their own town. As one fascinated student exclaimed in his account, he saw “many people, lorries, trains, buildings, and traffic lights.” Perhaps one of the most notable parts of this trip was the visit to the Cape Coast Castle. The youth learned about the historical importance of the castle, where millions of people from Africa were sent and housed prior to being shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic Slave Trade. To view additional photos from the trip and to read letters written by some of the ECOC youth describing their experience, click here.
Wesport Congregation and ECOC Youth in Odumase Make A Connection
Last year, the Unitarian Church in Westport, Connecticut purchased a laptop computer for a school in Odumase, Ghana in support of the Every Child is Our Child (ECOC) Program. After many emails back and forth, on-site ECOC Program Manager, Joseph Ochill, decided to make a several hour bus journey to Odumase, in order to facilitate the conversation between the youth. So, on Sunday, January 15th, the two groups finally met face-to-face using Skype, an online videoconference system.
This was a special opportunity for both groups to connect with people from another continent for the first time. Though these young peopl
e may be from different parts of the world, they learned that they share career aspirations in nursing, journalism and medicine in the future. The two groups exchanged contact information, Facebook friend requests, and made a goal to speak again next month. Special thanks to Stephen Axthelm and Ann Johnson-Lundberg for their perseverance in making this unique experience come to fruition.
Get To Know A
Child From ECOC Program!
Aderko Bless is eleven years old and lives in and attends school in the community of Asitey. Aderko has lost both his parents to HIV/AIDS. He lives with his grandmother who is a farmer and they depend on the crops grown in their backyard farm. Aderko explains that the ECOC Program has brought “so many positive changes into lives, examples are activeness, music, quietness, happiness and proper support”. Aderko is an excellent student, excelling in mathematics. In addition, in sixty-one days of schooling, he has never missed a day, saying he likes to “answer questions in class”. His teacher describes him as “calm, respectful and hardworking”. Keep up the great work, Aderko!
November 30th, 2011 by intern
- December 1, 2011 is World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
December 1st
The UU-UNO’s Every Child is Our Child (ECOC) Program works with children in Ghana who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. The ECOC provides health care and opportunities to education for these AIDS-orphaned children.
On World AIDS Day we assess where Ghana falls globally in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The 2011 UN General Assembly’s Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying Our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS, served as a springboard for this year’s “Getting to Zero” campaign, which launches this year on World AIDS Day.
A general summary of the “Getting to Zero” campaign goals can be found here. The World AIDS Day Report of 2011 outlines a plan of action based largely on the UN General Assembly’s political declaration. This report shows that:
- AIDS-related mortality has globally decreased in both adults and children
- Between 1997-2010, the annual rate of new HIV infections fell by 21% worldwide, and by 26% in Sub-Saharan Africa
- In 2010, 68% of all individuals with the virus lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, while only 12% of the world’s population is concentrated in this region
- Studies indicate that much of the decline in the transmission of HIV in Ghana, primarily to children, is due to greater access to antiretroviral (ART) treatment therapy for pregnant women
- Ghana is one of the 22 priority countries in the Global Plan for the distribution of treatment regimens. Even so, the coverage of pregnant women living with HIV who are receiving effective antiretroviral regimens is still only between 40-79%, as of 2010 figures. This affects not only transmission, but also potential mortality rates.
We can see that the fight against HIV/AIDS is headed in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do! One of the most effective ways to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS is to increase access to education, especially for girls. In honor of World AIDS DAY, please donate to the ECOC Program today by clicking here. Together we can create an AIDS free future!
November 20th, 2011 by Envoy Coordinator
“We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind.”
We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children Report of the Secretary-General (2001)
The United Nations’ (UN) Universal Children’s Day
, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. Universal Children’s Day is a day to educate children on their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The UU-UNO’s support of childrens’ rights is put into action with the Every Child Is Our Child (ECOC) Program, which provides AIDS-orphaned children in the Manya Krobo district of Eastern Ghana access to primary education, school supplies and health care.
In recognition of Universal Children’s Day, the UU-UNO would like to recognize ECOC student, Hilda!
Hilda is a 10 year old girl studying at the Okwenya School in Manya Krobo, Eastern Ghana. In the future, she would like to be a lawyer. With support from her mother, grandmother, the Queen Mothers and the ECOC Program, Hilda is off to a promising start in completing her career goal. Hilda’s father passed away from HIV/AIDS and she says sometimes she feels bad when she sees other children with both their parents. Hilda says the ECOC Program “gives me a school bag, sandals and stationary for academic work that will make me happy at school to learn.” Hilda is an excellent student, especially in Citizen Education, and she enjoys reading.
Recognize the rights of children worldwide. Donate to the ECOC Program today by clicking here.
November 14th, 2011 by Envoy Coordinator
Universal Children’s Day
Sunday, November 20th
Involve your congregation in observing Universal Child’s Day! Marking the day on which the Assembly adopted the both the Declaration and the Convention on the Right of the Child (1959 & 1989, respectively), Universal Child’s Day promotes the welfare of children throughout the world. Give your congregation the opportunity to make a difference in child’s life by supporting the UU-UNO’s Every Child is our Child (ECOC) Program which funds the education of orphans and vulnerable children in the region of Ghana with the highest HIV/AIDS rate. The ECOC program directly contributes to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and combating HIV/AIDS.
We encourage you to make an announcement during your congregation’s November 20th Sunday service and put a few sentences in the newsletter or order of service. In addition, consider setting up an information table with our ECOC program flyers and a laptop to inform the congregation and give them the opportunity to support a child’s education. Donate to the ECOC Program today by clicking here!
November 9th, 2011 by intern
In the next few weeks, the UU-UNO will feature a child that receives access to education, school supplies and health care through the ECOC Program.
Jessica, student supported by ECOC Program
Meet Jessica!
Jessica is a 13-year-old girl who studies at Okwenya School located in Manya Krobo, Ghana. Jessica’s father contacted AIDS and passed away so she lives with her mother and grandmother who are both without work. To make money for her family, Jessica sold ice water and was not able to attend school. Through the ECOC Program, Jessica has access to education and health care. She is an excellent student with almost perfect attendance, missing just one day out of the semester. Jessica shares how the program has made a positive input in her life: “I do receive things that will make me happy at school to learn like school bag, sandals, books, pens, mathematical set and health care.” She likes to read and hopes one day to be a nurse.
Check out photos of the students of the ECOC Program receiving school supplies in preparation for the 2011-2012 school year on UU-UNO facebook page, click here.
To support Jessica and other children, donate online at http: www.uu-uno.org/donate
June 1st, 2010 by Melissa
The UU-UNO would like to congratulate Noah Tetteh, ECOC sponsored student, for his achievement as first in class in Core Integrated and Computer Science! Noah is a first year student at King David College Senior High School in Odumase.
March 29th, 2010 by Melissa
Grace is a 6th grade student supported by ECOC. She is currently attending the Okwenya School. Grace achieved first in all subject areas this past school term! To read her written account of her trip to Accra, please click the link below.
Grace’s Story (Part 1)
Grace’s Story (Part 2)
January 15th, 2010 by Melissa
Four of our ECOC students have graduated from Junior Secondary School. Congratulations Albert, Vida, Noah and Simon!
Although this is a great accomplishment, the students are now looking to the future and hoping to continue their education in Senior HIgh School. Take a look at their letters of thanks for the support from our ECOC program as well as their requests for continued support to further their education. With your help, these students can go on to Senior High School.
November 30th, 2009 by Melissa
Executive Director Bruce Knotts, Office Coordinator Celestine Cox and Volunteer Rick Jacobson spent one week in Ghana meeting with the children, staff and supporters of the UU-UNO’s Every Child is Our Child Program (ECOC). They spent time with our key partners in Ghana – the Queen Mothers, spoke with the Ministry of Education, the Ghana AIDS Commission, the Rural Development Bank, the Ministry of Health, Social Welfare Office and most importantly heard from the children taking part in and benefiting from the ECOC program. This was a wonderful opportunity to further develop our relationships with our ECOC partners and beneficiaries alike.
Continue reading ‘Report on the UU-UNO visit to Ghana November 2009′
November 30th, 2008 by Melissa
In November 2008, the Executive Director of UU-UNO Bruce Knotts made a trip to Ghana,in order to reaffirm the commitment of Every Child Is Our Child(ECOC) Program with the children of the Manya Krobo District, Ghana. Mr. Knotts was joined also by UUA President Bill Sinkford, Rev. Eric Cherry and other members of the UUA delegation. There, they met with Program Monitor, Emmanuel Sawer and officials from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ghana AIDS Commission in Accra.The group met with the Queen Mothers Association representatives and the Konor (King) of the Mayna Krobo people. They also visited the schools supported by the project, talking to students, teachers, a representative of the Ministry of Education as well as care givers and school headmasters. After the departure of his group, Bruce Knotts stayed in Odumase for a week, in order to have more intense meeting with all the parties in the program.
In the trip, Mr. Knotts was able to investigate the effectiveness of the ECOC. He was convinced that the right beneficiaries are being served and that orphans and vulnerable children are getting the support they need to attend school and they and their families are getting health insurance coverage.
Even though the program has largely benefited the children in the region, Mr. Knotts says that there is more to do in the community. Possible improvements of the program could include extra classes forthe students, mentoring program as well as the extension of ECOC to support children to go to high school.
The Every Child Is Our Child project cannot exist without your generosity. A donation of $120 will support a child’s education for a year. This $120 will also ensure that the child and care-giving family get a nutritious daily meal and health benefits for a year. When have you ever seen $120 do so much?
Wesport Congregation and ECOC Youth in Odumase Make A Connection
e may be from different parts of the world, they learned that they share career aspirations in nursing, journalism and medicine in the future. The two groups exchanged contact information, Facebook friend requests, and made a goal to speak again next month. Special thanks to Stephen Axthelm and Ann Johnson-Lundberg for their perseverance in making this unique experience come to fruition.
