Ganta, Nimba County — Hope for the Nations, a nonprofit children’s recovery center in Ganta, is appealing for government support after nearly three decades of caring for vulnerable infants and children without state funding.
By D. Franklin Doloquee
The center, founded in 1998 by Executive Director Ruth Zansi, provides emergency shelter, medical care and feeding for babies whose mothers died during childbirth, mothers who have insufficient breast milk or infants who were abandoned or are physically disabled.
Madam Zansi said the facility currently cares for about 30 children across several categories of need, including malnourished infants, children with physical disabilities and those with serious health conditions such as locked jaw.
“This home is a home to many, many challenged children. We teach caregivers, feed babies until they can take local food, and keep them healthy so they can reintegrate when relatives return,” she stated.
Madam Zansi disclosed that the center frequently receives referrals from across Liberia and neighboring countries, including Monrovia, Grand Gedeh and Guinea.
Madam Zansi noted that a common intake is infants who cannot be breastfed, saying a young baby may require up to six cans of formula in the first three to four months a recurring expense the organization struggles to cover.
‘‘Medical care, food and clothing are constant needs and most of the center’s funding comes from small local donations and a single private benefactor in Canada,’’ she said.
“Can you imagine one businessman taking care of this situation with his little profit?” Madam Zansi asked, stressing that sporadic support is insufficient.
She indicated that the center sometimes must refuse new intakes when space and resources are exhausted though it tries to provide education and interim help to families on waiting lists.
She mentioned that the center also runs a school for the blind that began as an outreach program identifying blind students in Ganta.
‘‘The school now has a purpose-built campus with separate dormitories for boys and girls and currently enrolls more than 25 students, with a target of 30 by year-end. Food, teaching materials and teacher salaries remain pressing challenges.’’
Some relief came recently when Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay Sr. pledged to support the school of the blind teachers’ salaries through 2029, a gesture Madam Zansi described as “a blessing” for the fledgling school.
Madam Zansi also thanked Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono for swift assistance to the Ganta Children’s Recovery Center, calling the superintendent’s response timely and generous.
The center recently received an abandoned infant, underscoring the ongoing demand for its services. Hope for the Nations has sought government assistance for years, Madam Zansi said but has seen no sustained intervention.
She urged authorities to formalize support so the center can expand services and accept more children in need.
“We need government intervention,” Madam Zansi told Front Page Africa(FPA).
“We want the government to include this children’s recovery center in the national budget so we receive a monthly allocation. Even a small amount would allow us to help many more children.”
Long-term local presence: Operating since 1998, Hope for the Nations has become a de facto safety net for vulnerable children in Nimba and surrounding areas with multiple services.
The organization provides short-term shelter, medical treatment, nutrition support, caregiver training and an educational programme for blind children.
Cross-border referrals: Cases arriving from other counties and neighboring Guinea indicate gaps in regional child protection and medical services.
Immediate needs and costs
Nutrition: Infant formula and therapeutic foods for malnourished children. An infant may need up to six cans of formula in the first 3–4 months.
Medical care: Routine and emergency treatment, medications and transport to larger facilities when required.
