Helping is an Art! Kids Haven Sport & Art Complex

Helping is an Art! The Construction of Kids Haven Sport & Art Complex Begins – Ghana’s First Sports and Arts Center, Initiated by Omenaa Mensah.

“This is a symbolic date for me. Ten years ago, when I established my foundation, I knew I wanted to give street children in Africa a chance for a happy childhood and access to education. I persuaded businesspeople and philanthropists from Poland to support this idea. Launching the construction of the Kids Haven Sport & Art Complex on my foundation’s tenth anniversary is the fulfillment of another dream—to create a space where these children can engage in holistic development, participate in sports, explore art, discover their own talents and also receive medical and psychological care. This complex will embody my holistic approach to art, sports and helping others,” said Omenaa Mensah, President of the Omenaa Foundation, during the ceremony.

Kids Haven Sport & Art Complex will be a place where sports, art and education come together with care for children’s health. The complex will include basketball and soccer fields, tennis courts and an art therapy space to nurture artistic talents. Construction is expected to last 18 months.

“Sports—weightlifting, running, safe physical activity—naturally enhance children’s sensory integration. That’s why, from the design stage of the Kids Haven Sport & Art Complex near Kids Haven School, we focused primarily on sports facilities,” said Aleksandra Chodnikiewicz, an architect from the Luginsland team responsible for the complex’s design.

She emphasized that the team aimed to find practical and durable solutions that would withstand the test of time. The best example is the running track, which was a required feature from the beginning of the project plans.

The sports complex will be supported by respected and influential figures from Poland, Europe, the United States and Africa. The first ambassadors of the Haven Dream Team include Ewa Chodakowska, Poland’s most popular fitness trainer; Pops Mensah-Bonsu, a former NBA player of Ghanaian descent; and Larry Amponsah, a Ghanaian multimedia artist known for creating collages from archival images and objects from various cultures. The Omenaa Foundation’s main goal is holistic support through sports and art—to give children a place and tools to build strength, engage in sports competition, create art, develop their passions, and find rest.

Omenaa Mensah plans to invite medical students and young doctors to the center, who, as volunteers, will provide the children with comprehensive medical and psychological care. Another important aspect of the center’s mission will be international cooperation. Through residency programs, the center will host artists from around the world. Additionally, near the complex, an Art & Chocolate Café under the E. Wedel brand will be established, with all products made using cocoa sourced from Ghana. The center will also feature an Art Garden, displaying sculptures created by artists.

Furthermore, Omenaa Mensah plans to create a similar complex in Poland. “The first step will be the construction of a sports field and outdoor gym for the residents of the Youth Sociotherapy Center in Kiernozia,” said the President of the Omenaa Foundation.