Former Miss Ghana Matilda Alomatu Osei-Agyeman has celebrated her 50th birthday with a visit to the Autism Awareness Care Centre earlier in the week.

The former Miss Ghana said she was thrilled to use her 50th birthday anniversary to create awareness on autism.

During her visit, Matilda Alomatu, who is also a former Miss ECOWAS, told the founder of the centre, Mrs Serwah Quainor, that the visit to the charitable institution was occasioned by her own increasing understanding of people with the condition based on her close relationship with a family member who has the condition.

The Autism Centre, located in Hatso in Accra, is expected to fully open early next year and most of the children will be joining from underprivileged families who lack the resources to enable their wards to benefit from the training required for the Autistic children.

Matilda Osei-Agyeman, on behalf of her children, Amma and Kwame, made a donation to cater for the upkeep of 2 children for 6 months.

She also pledged to seek assistance from willing individuals towards the construction of Astroturf grass at the entrance of the Centre.

Matilda emphasised that autism teaches us humility and acceptance of our individual differences, adding that autistic people have very important roles to play in society, thus urged society to turn attention on them to assist that in order to avoid social exclusion and isolation.

She also called for support for care institutions who have committed their time and resources to create awareness for the benefit of all.

Matilda Osei-Agyeman also admitted that most people are guilty of unwelcome attitudes towards autistic people be it from our body language, comments and blatant maltreatment of such individuals but with better understanding of the condition, we would all be loving our neighbours as ourselves.

Matilda paid tribute to her formidable mother, Mrs Cecilia Alomatu, whom she said encouraged her to be selfless.

She also recognized Mrs Barbara Baeta, founder and owner of flair catering services for instilling in her a charitable attitude.

AACT is a local support and education centre for children with autism that was founded in 1998 by Mrs Serwah Quaynor, a mother of a child with autism.

Since creating the Centre, Mrs Quaynor has worked tirelessly to help parents of children with autism in Ghana to understand better the disability and to feel that there is a safe place to go for support and help.