By Murtala Issah
2022 has been described as the worst year for the aged in the North East Region as the Gamaba Old People’s Home, which is infamously called the Gambaga Wtches Camp, received an unprecedented number of inmates between January and Dcember 2022.
The year also saw the arrival of four men accused of witchcraft to the community which was previously occupied by only women. The Project Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church’s Go Home Project, Samson Laar, disclosed this during a Christmas party organized for the inmates at Gambaga. The party was organized by the People National Convention party (PNC).
The Gamaba Old People’s Home, was established in the 18th century and serves as a safe haven for mostly women accused of witchcraft. Through the Presbyterian Church’s “Go Home” project, many of the inmates were successfully returned home and reintegrated with their families. By December 2021, there were less than seventy inmates at the camp. However the number of inmates has almost doubled this year, putting enormous pressure on resources at the camp.
The Project Coordinator for the Presbyterian Church’s Go Home Project, Samson Laar, said though stakeholders are still investigating the factors that triggered the increase in the number of persons accused of witchcraft in the area, the recent economic hardship could be one of the reasons.
“This is the worst year in our history as we received twenty-four inmates from January to June. We were able to return ten homes, but between July and December, we received twelve newcomers including for the first time, four men,” he revealed.
Inmates of the Gambaga Old People’s Home, depend largely on donors. On Wednesday, the PNC organized a Christmas party for the inmates. The party provided food, drinks and two thousand cedis to support the upkeep of the women.
The General Secretary of the PNC, Janet Asana Nabila, appealed to government to put in more efforts to address the challenges facing the aged across the country.
“We have to show compassion to the vulnerable if we expect God to bless us as a nation. Government must do more by giving the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection more resources for sensitization and advocacy,” she stressed.
The General Secretary later joined the inmates in a dance to celebrate the festivities.