GHANA: Elderly 'witches' demand schools for grandchildren

ACCRA, Ghana (Public Agenda), February 29, 2008: By Wisdom Dzidedi Donkor Yendi Inmates of the Gnani 'witches camp' in the Yendi District of Ghana's Northern Region have appealed to the government and other NGOs to provide them with a school to enable their children to access to basic education. The inmates said even though they have schools nearby, their children are always thrown out on the basis of being the children of 'witches' thus; denying their children, numbering about 300 in the camp access to basic education. This came to light when a 34-member delegation from the Muenster Diocese in Germany visited the inmates on Sunday as part of its three-week tour of the northern part of the country. The chief of the 'witches camp' Iwuilin Bananba said they are not happy for been isolated on the basis of being considered witches and wizards but since they cannot change the situation, they are pleading with the government to ease their predicament by providing schools for their children. "I always hope to see our children in school but they are sent away whenever they attempted joining others in the nearby schools", he said through an interpreter. When asked whether the children were also accused of witchcraft, he explained that, whenever anyone is accused of witchcraft and banished from the village, his/her children are banished alongside. He further explained that on occasions where the children were not sent along with their parents, the stigma attached to them did not make it possible for them to stay behind and so have no option than to follow their banished parents or grandparents to the camp. The chief also noted that, the accused witches are often the elderly who are often accompanied to the camp by their grandchildren or children to help them with living activities. Some of the children, he, explained were also delivered and nurtured in the camp, as a result the number keeps increasing everyday and so they needed a school to educate them. He also explained that even though they lacked other social amenities like water, electricity and clinics, the education of their children is what is close to their hearts and wished government and other stakeholders would come to their aid to build and equip an educational center for their children. According to him, politicians are always present in the camp to campaign during elections and ballot boxes sent to them to exercise their franchise but that always ended the story, as no one cared about their welfare and the future of their children. He said the happiest day in his live and that of the other inmates would be the day education would be extended to the over 800 populated 'witches camp' He told this reporter that had it not been for the assistance of the Good Shepherd Pastoral Center of the Roman Catholic Church that often supplied them with drinking water they would not be alive by now. He appealed to the visitors who also donated 3 bags of rice and 3 bales of used clothing worth GHc 450 to the inmates to mention them to other NGOs in Germany to also come to their aid. Ms Agnes Gandaa, coordinator of TEPPCON said the creation of 'witches camps does not only infringe on the rights of the inmates but also retards development and so appealed to the various stakeholders to help abolish all existing 'witches camps' to accelerate development. © COPYRIGHT GHANAWEB.COM/PUBLICAGENDA