The Vaccination Project

Our Mission

It has become our mission, as the volunteers at Cherubs Orphanage during 2009, to help vaccinate the children for Hepatitis B. This project came to our attention in the beginning of the year when one of the children was diagnosed with Hepatitis B. After the diagnosis, it became clear that the other children were at risk, as Hepatitis B can easily be spread in this type of environment. The children share food, eating utensils, and even toothbrushes.

Our first step was to screen every child, to determine whether any other children were already infected, and luckily, none were. This means that all of the children at Cherubs need the Hepatitis B vaccination, in order to prevent the spread of the disease.


The Story
Richmond is a twelve year old boy at Cherubs Orphanage who has been recently diagnosed with Hepatitis B. He came to Cherubs a couple of years ago, after losing both parents. He was the youngest of nine children, and was forced to resort to unwholesome labor to survive. Cherubs took Richmond into their care, and he has been thriving ever since.

Richmond is one of the older boys at the orphanage, and is caring and friendly towards everyone. He is a great role model for the younger children, and they look up to him as an older brother. He has a wonderful personality, and is really fun to be around. He is docile and shy around adults, but among his peers he is a regular playful, happy, laughing boy.

Our story with Richmond began in early February, when we were asked to bring him to the hospital. He had not been feeling well all week, and the housemothers suspected he had Malaria. After being tested, his blood showed signs of Malaria, along with something else. Richmond was sent to a larger hospital to receive a more thorough blood test to determine what the diagnosis was.

After a week of waiting, the doctor diagnosed Richmond with Hepatitis B. This came as a shock to us all, and Richmond was scared, as he struggled to comprehend what was wrong with him. We explained to the housemothers what Hepatitis B was, and how it can be contracted. It was clear that all of the children had come into direct contact, and were at risk for contracting the disease.

Our first plan of action was to treat Richmond and get him healthy. This consisted of changing his diet to include more glucose and less oil, and taking lots of vitamins to boost his immune system. Next, we knew that all of the children needed to be tested to determine if anyone else had Hepatitis B, and who would need a vaccination. Our main goal was to eliminate any stigma surrounding Richmond and his disease. We did not want him to be treated any differently, by the children or the staff.

The screenings for Hepatitis B took place a few weeks later, and was paid for solely by two volunteers from a different organization. The results showed that no one else was positive for Hepatitis B; which means that vaccinations are necessary for everyone.


How You Can Help

We are asking for sponsors for each child at Cherubs Orphanage. The Hepatitis B vaccination consists of three shots, spaced one month apart. Due to very limited resources, we are asking for any support to make this project possible.

In Ghana, the total cost for the vaccination, including all three shots, is $180. We need to begin the vaccinations as soon as possible, to maintain the validity of the screenings. The sooner the vaccinations start, the sooner we prevent the spread of Hepatitis B altogether.

We ask that you help in any way you can. If you can sponsor a child, through part, or all of the vaccination, you can make an enormous difference in their life. We invite you to meet all of the amazing children at Cherubs Orphanage, by reading the profiles we’ve created. If you’d like to sponsor a specific child, please let us know which one; otherwise, you can make a general donation to the Vaccination Project.

All of the donations received will be collected by our families, and then placed in our personal bank accounts. We will then withdraw the money here in Ghana, and pay for the vaccinations personally. We ensure you that your money will be safe, and all donations will go directly to the hospital administering the vaccinations.


Details

Along with your donation, please include your name, address and email address, and also which child you wish to sponsor.

We would like to thank you for taking the time to read about our project, and for any support you can give the children of Cherubs Orphanage.