Accra, Dec. 24, GNA - The Osu Children's Home and the Dzorwulu Special School for the Intellectually Handicapped have jointly appealed to the public to assist them in expanding facilities in order to accommodate more distressed children and to ease congestion. The two institutions made the appeal at separate ceremonies in Accra, after receiving 23 million cedis worth of items and two million cedis cheque each from Koala Shopping Centre, a leading shopping enterprise in the country.

The items included toys, cartons of biscuits, fruit drinks among others.

Presenting the items on behalf of the management, Mr Edward Nana Asare, a Media Consultant to Koala Shopping Centre, said the company was not only committed to satisfying customers but ensuring that children, who were less privileged also enjoy the goodies of Christmas. At the Osu Children's Home, Mrs Helena Obeng Asamoah, manageress of the home, cited the construction of the Boys Hostel by the International Central Gospel Church, saying, "we need places to separate the boys, girls and babies in order to facilitate their upkeep." Mrs Asamoah, who received the donation noted that, the home, which was currently housing 150 children, also needed a home management centre, where the children could be taken through some basic functions at home. "We are thinking of teaching them how to cook and iron at home, among others so that when ever they leave this place they can properly manage their home, so we want to appeal to institutions to assist us with utensils and other electrical gadgets to carry out this functions." Ms Veronica Bassau, Headmistress of the Dzorwulu Special School also expressed concern about congestion at the school, saying, "we need classrooms, hostels and bungalows for teachers and pupils of the school".

Ms Bassau said the school had a vast land and there are many children on waiting list to be enrolled, adding that, "if the school was assisted, the school can accommodate them."