13 March 2025

Ghana Independence Day celebration at Kids Haven School

March 6 is a very important day for all Ghanaians, because on this day in 1957 Ghana became the first African country to gain independence. The road to it was the result of the people's determination, a long struggle, and the influence of African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah (the first president and prime minister of independent Ghana).

On March 6, 2025, we celebrated Independence Day with our wards at Kids Haven School. We started the celebration with a morning assembly and listening to two Ghanaian anthems. The first in English - God Bless Our Homeland Ghana, and then the second, sung in the local twi language (yɛn ara yɛn asaase ni) - the meaning of the twi anthem: this is our land and it's very precious and expensive to take good care of it.

After listening to the anthems, the main leader of the parade began the official march. After a while, he was joined by the rest of our students with a calm step. The sounds of drums set the rhythm for the entire procession, which moved through the entire center proudly displaying their Ghanaian tradition. Guests watched the march of the students in full concentration paying homage to the traditions and history of Ghana with which we are inextricably linked. At the end, the students of Kids Haven School paid honor to the Ghanaian flag showing their allegiance to their country.

After the parade ended, Kids Haven School staff and students discussed together how Ghanaian citizens can help develop their country. After the discussion, there was a moment for photos and games together.

Another element related to the celebration of Independence Day was a joint screening of a film depicting the history of Ghana. Our charges watched the material with interest, which was additionally discussed by our teachers. After watching the film, the students organized a quiz, during which they answered their classmates' questions about the history of their beloved country.

In a break from celebrating, we managed to conduct a short interview with Desmond and Kobi about what the Independence Day holiday means to them:

Desmond (KHS student) - "Today we celebrate our independence. I feel that my country is developing, that it is as big a country as Poland. Ghana is a good country for me, the best of all countries in the world."

Kobie (KHS teacher) - "This is a beautiful day for me, because it reminds me of freedom. Our holiday means a lot to me. The road we have traveled to be where we are now as a country is impressive. Ghana has developed over this time on many levels: education, agriculture, technology.

Thanks to our ancestors who fought for Ghana's independence, I now stand as a free man and that is very important to me. It is good to have freedom. We all want freedom, we all want peace. That is why, our independence day is so important to me. With the support of the Omenaa Foundation, we can understand even better how important independence is. It is very important to us as Ghanaians that a person from our community (CEO Omenaa Mensah) is implementing projects in Ghana that help us and the local people. We find it inspiring and motivating to take action."

The final stage of the celebration was a creative activity during which our students painted faces and prepared artwork related to Independence Day.