MONROVIA-The Antoinette Tubman Cheshire Home (ATCH) has outlined several challenges facing its operation therefore, it is rallying the support of central government, humanitarians and the general public in keeping the dream of the home alive.
A home catering to the needs of a vulnerable population is the Antoinette Tubman Cheshire home (ATCH) in Monrovia. The ATCH is a charitable, non-profit organization in Liberia. It caters to individuals with cerebral palsy, especially children, and any other with physical and mental disabilities.
The home through its board member, madam Marian Browne mentioned: rehibition of the facility, hiring specialized doctors, salary incentive for workers, security, cook, provision of food, and sanitary materials among others are some of the major constrains the home is confronted with.
She spoke over the weekend at the ATCH Family, fun-filled opening to the Christmas season during which some staffs and donors who have supported the home in the past were honored.
Established 1985, the home was name in honored of Antoinette Louise Padmore Tubman, wife of former Liberian head of state Williams S. Tubman and has been catering to the less fortunate in the society majority of whom were abandoned by their parents due to their deformity.
And was heavily supported by the former first lady of Liberia as well as the government in the past, but that has changed with time as the home is being operated at the mercy of the public.
“I do not get anything from government to run the home; everything is being done by friends, donors, and goodwill citizens. We have engaged the ministry of gender because we were told they supposed to provide welfare for the home, but to no avail,” she said.
“The majority of these residents are mentally challenged; we have a committed catering staff that makes only IS$30.00 dollars as take home pay,” Browne revealed. She further “We are two months back with pay and we want to put smile on their faces by giving them some incentive.”
The home currently houses 32 persons: 15, Residents and 17 staff members, but she noted that the condition of these individuals are unthinkable, as such there is a need for government to look in that direction.
“We get called by the government, sometimes the ministry of gender and even the public about these children who are being abandoned, we usher them in without a cost, but even so, we are not even capture in the budget,” she stated.
As part of the fundraising event, ATCH friends and family network was also launched by the board as a means of responding to the numerous challenges of the institution.
Meanwhile, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Dillon, Youth and Sport Minister Zeogar Wilson, Charm Weah, son of President George Weah, and Representative of Lonestar Cell MTN were spotted at the event.
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