Sunyani Catholic Diocese fetes Ivorian refugees at Fetentaa

The Sunyani Catholic Diocese at the weekend organised a Christmas party for children at the Fetentaa Refugee Camp at Fetentaa in the Berekum Municipality.

The more than 100 children in the Ivorian refugee camp were feted with rice, varieties of drinks, toffees and biscuits. They also received toys and other Christmas gifts.

Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, officiated mass for some of the refugees in the catholic faith at the camp before the party.

He exhorted them to always seek the face of the Lord as life was a mixture of good and bad moments.

In all moments of their suffering, Most Rev. Gyamfi asked the refugees to endeavour to seek heavenly comfort by living just and righteous life and prayed for God’s protection.

He explained that without Jesus Christ in their lives, they would always remember their sad moments, saying God sometimes allowed certain predicaments to occur in the life of His people to make them have deeper understanding and strengthen their faith.

Most Rev. Gyamfi advised the refugees to live healthy lifestyles and avoid practices that would ruin their lives.

Meanwhile, a tent belonging to a security guard at the camp was set ablaze on the eve of Christmas, Wednesday December 26th 2012.

All the personal property of the guard, who is also a refugee, were burnt to ashes by the fire. He was on duty post when the sad incident happened. No casualty was recorded.

Sources at the Camp told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the timely intervention of some of the residents stop the fire from causing more havoc.

A police officer at the Camp confirmed the incident to the GNA on condition of anonymity.

The officer expressed concern about the alarming rate at which most of the young men at the Camp trade and smoke Indian hemp and said the Police had arrested and prosecuted many of the “wee” peddlers but the situation was still high.

Again, the officer pointed out that prostitution was rife among the girls at the Camp with many leaving the Camp at night to engage in “sex trade” at Berekum and other surrounding towns.

A close source at the UNHCR Brong-Ahafo Regional Office in Sunyani also told the GNA that every month the Commission distributed more than 2000 pieces of condoms to the 1,469 refugees at the Camp.