Every Child Ministries works to aid Ghana’s street kids.

Ghana (MNN)–UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund reports that there are 30,000 children living on the streets of Ghana’s cities and towns.

In surviving the streets, education falls by the wayside, which, in turn, cycles back to poverty. Most street children in Ghana are between the ages of 10 and 18, though there are many who are far younger. Most have been on the streets for several months or years.

However, Every Child Ministries’ Lorella Rouster says they just opened ‘Haven Academy,’ a special school aimed at the street kids and their needs. “We are operating preschool through second grade, with plans to continue adding classes every year. It’s a big challenge because these kids have lost so much ground. There’s so much that needs to be covered to just enable them to catch up with other kids their age.”

Rouster says the education is one component of the ministry focus. “It’s a Christ-centered education, but we also hope to see them catch up with other children, be able to complete a normal education and to develop the gifts, skills and abilities that God has put in them.”

And with the gift of hope like a good education, many can look forward to a different future. This year, ECM completes twenty years of serving African children.

In that time, they’ve seen over 2,000 Sunday schools established serving African children, encouraged African Leadership Training Centers in Congo–Urban and Rural, aided in the publication of “Teaching Future Generations” training manual in four languages, translation in six languages.

The teams have also seen street children ministries grow in three locations. That means ECM has developed vocational training for street children, provided a Haven of Hope home, the Haven Academy, a Child Rescue program, along with seven Teacher’ Resource Libraries.

As a result, ECM’s involvement in their respective communities has a public school ministry reaching 9,000 Ghanaian children monthly. The ministry continues to work to see Trokosi slaves liberated from four idol shrines.

Bible teaching-counseling follow up ministries have been developed to disciple former slaves, all in the name of Christ. It’s a ministry that will continue to grow as the indigenous believers catch the passion for Christ and work to share that with the suffering in their country.