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A Sirigu-based orphanage, Mother of Mercy Babies Home, has recently been hit by acute food crisis, the in-charge, Miss Jacinta Kyiiru, has confirmed.

She fears the issue, coupled with other health hazards, was likely to make children become malnourished if government, philanthropists and Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, do not intervene agily to surmount what she describes as 'heartbreaking' setbacks.

Miss Kyiiru disclosed this to Peace news when an Accra-based Women's Wing of the Frafra Catholic Union Presented some food and other items to the orphans home at Sirigu in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The orphanage which mainly relies on NGOs, faith-based organisations and other philanthropic individuals and organisations for support for the upkeep of the children, has lately been confronted with serious problems.

"I can't finish telling u all our(the orphanage) challenges today. We are really having a lot of challenges. When it comes to the feeding of the children, we have no sufficient milk and other food stuffs so the orphans cannot get the three meals a day", she said, adding the health condition of the children was deteriorating persistently due to the orphanage inability to access National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

She indicated, "the collapsed of the health insurance is affecting us a lot because we can no longer access free health care as it used to be", stressing there was the need for all concerned individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the orphanage as children were cheerless and miserable.

Miss Kyiiru also observes the parents of of the children, who are only admitted into the organisation for three-and-a-half years are not willing to accept the children back to their families when the time for reintegration is due.

She lamented heavily on that issue, saying when children were denied by their families, the organisation was obliged to still keep them in the home, an issue, she said, posed a 'burden' on the orphanage.

She, however, called for a change of behaviour in that regard, emphasising the need for resourceful people to endeavour to adopt the children to relieve the organisation of its hurdles despite the 'cumbersome' process one had to undergo in accessing documents from Social Welfare to adopt the children.

The president of the Women's Wing of the Accra-based Frafra Catholic Union, Mrs. Mary Sapak, said the donation was part of their Union's corporate social responsibilities of giving back to the society.

She explained she was touched by the continuously worsening socio-economic plight bedevilling the needy and orphans at the various orphanages in the region and pledged her outfit would remain resolute to supporting the needy lead dignified lives in order to become responsible citizens in future.

"We know how difficult it's to survive in this world as an orphan. We are going to be committed to supporting you (the needy) grow to become useful citizens", Mrs. Sapak was telling the children at Mother of Mercy Babies Home, while presenting the items to the caretaker of the home.

At the Navrongo Municipality, a Public Health Nurse in the Navrongo Municipal Directorate, Matilda Yelbaya, who has adopted about ten children, was full of praise to the Frafra Catholic Union for extending its support to her children.

Mrs. Yelbaya, who spoke to Peace news after receiving the gesture, said it was a herculean task to taking care of the needy-paying their school fees and other basic needs.

She, therefore, pleaded with Ghanaians to show compassion to the poor and street children by aiding them as they strive to accomplish their aspirations, adding " the derived children are not the cause of their condition so they must must be supported to realise their goals".

Meanwhile, the items presented by the Women's Wing of the Accra-based Frafra Catholic Union are worth GHS22,000.00. They include bags of maize, rice, soap, clothes, toiletries, among others.

Orphanages in many parts of the region, including Soe, Bongo, Fumbisi and Chiana-Paga, got the support.