GIS students paint braces for clubfoot children in Ghana

Students of the Art Club of the Ghana International School (GIS) in Accra have participated in the painting of some braces for Clubfoot Children in Ghana to commemorate World Clubfoot Day on June 3, 2023.

This initiative led by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG ) and Hope Walks an NGO is targeted to plant a smile on the faces of Children affected by Clubfoot and receiving treatment at various facilities across the country.

Many of these art students actively participated with the guidance of the teachers and team from CHAG and Hopes for Life.

Speaking in an interview, Mrs. Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, the Program Manager for CHAG/Hope Walks Clubfoot Project said the collaboration is geared towards creating clubfoot awareness and treatment.

"CLUBFOOT is a birth defect in which one or both feet of a child is/are twisted inwards and downwards. About one in 1,000 babies born in Ghana have the deformity. Because the cause is largely unknown, the disease is considered as a curse with belief that they are “river babies”, or “dwarf babies," she explained.

she added that these beliefs and the high stigma associated with the deformity force some families to abandon their children. But was quick to add that the disease is treatable, noting that about 8000 children have received treatment since 2008.

In treating a child with clubfoot, there are two stages: Corrective Phase and Maintenance Phase.

The Corrective Phase involves a series of manipulation, casting and tenotomy (minor surgical procedure).

The Maintenance Phase involves wearing of foot abduction brace.

At this stage, a clubfoot child wears the brace to maintain the correction achieved till age five.

In the first three months, the child will be in the brace for 23 hours a day. The brace is taken off during bath time and exercise (stretches) done for the baby’s foot. After three months, the child wears the braces during the night and nap time till age five to avoid clubfoot relapse/ re-occurrence.

It’s on this regards that birth the Project PAINT A BRACE TO PUT A SMILE ON A CLUBFOOT CHILD’S FACE. The project seeks to paint braces to make them colourful for the clubfoot children.

CHAG/Hope Walks is calling Institutions, Agencies, Schools, Media Houses, Telecommunication Companies, Embassies, Churches, Clubs etc. to join this project to put a smile on a clubfoot child’s face.

We encourage all Ghanaians to accept this initiative, to replicate the collaboration we had with GIS.