Nature’s Sprout Academy (NSA), a special school for autism in Accra, has received essential learning items from Best Buddies Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in partnership with Colgate PalmOlive Ghana, a local subsidiary of a multinational consumer goods corporation.
The items, including puzzles, play items, playdough, pencils, erasers, and related materials, are to support the centre’s ongoing work.
The staff of the school also received boxes of toothbrushes and toothpaste from Colgate PalmOlive Ghana to reinforce healthy habits.
The donations were to mark this year’s United Nations International Day of Friendship, which falls on July 30.
The event, on the theme: “Inclusive Friendship Day Programme”, involved a painting and puzzles session with NSA children to promote creativity, interaction, and inclusive friendship.
Mr Kojo Danquah Amankrah, Country Director, Best Buddies Ghana, said the programme was to promote inclusion among persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We selected NSA because the school had been in existence for some years and has been engaged in some positive awareness activities around persons with intellectual disabilities,” he said.
“So, we see the Academy as a key partner in achieving the inclusion agenda for persons with intellectual disability.”
Mr Amankrah said the collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive was to promote the needs of persons with disability (PWDs) in the country.
“This is the second time we are partnering with Colgate-Palmolive Ghana, and with the feedback from them, they said the company will use the programme as one of its key corporate social responsibility activities going forward,” he said.
Mr Edward Sonkor, Customer Development Lead, Colgate-Palmolive Ghana, said the company was poised to create an environment that would allow PWDs to bring out their best.
“The society needs to understand that we have children with such challenges, and we should not leave the responsibility of nurturing them or helping these children to the teachers or instructors alone,” he said.
“The company prides itself on exhibiting inclusion because we do not segregate among human beings.”
“We will admonish other corporate institutions and philanthropists to support such interventions and put smiles on their faces.”
Ms Susana Simpson, Marketing and Corporate Relations Lead, NSA, commended the leadership of the two institutions for their support to advance financial inclusivity.
“We are Africa’s best centre for neo-diversity because of our holistic approach,” Ms Simpson said.
“We don’t just prescribe therapies for our children; we are careful to include their mental health and their physical well-being, and that is done through our health programme or interventions.”
