By Prince Ahenkorah
The Street Child Empowerment Foundation (SCEF), believes that supporting a child on the street is not charity, as deemed by people, but an investment in the future.
Celebrating its fifteen years of dedicated work in transforming the lives of street-connected children and championing their rights to education and protection on September 12, 2025, the Executive Director of SCEF, Paul Semeh, mentioned that SCEF is not an offshoot of an organization that may have enormous resources but has shown resilience in the last fifteen years since its existence.
The Executive Director indicated that the foundation is committed to giving, sustaining, and expanding the services that keep children safe and restore them to family where possible.
He stressed that supporting a child on the street is not charity, but an investment in the shared future.
“When a child is restored to safety, to health, to education, the whole community grows stronger,” the Executive Director said, while giving thanks to donors and partners and further calling on partners to bring their skills, networks, and platforms to scale up SCEF’s work.
Echoing the voice of the Executive Director, the keynote speaker of the anniversary, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, stated that fifteen years is not simply a passage of time, but proof of perseverance, clarity of mission, and accountability to street children.
He emphasized that the struggles of children test both compassion and institutions, and anchored on three guiding principles; compassion, protective systems, and accountability.
He also noted that the celebration honored colleagues and partners of SCEF, while highlighting the resilience of children.
The Queen Mother of the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area in Jamestown, HRN Queen Naa Affipong IV, said that the mission of SCEF speaks directly to the very first pillar of her mandate, which is Girl-Child Uplift and Youth Empowerment.
She said, “If our children, especially those in strict situations, are denied education, denied safety, and denied dignity, then all our other dreams for development will stand on weak foundations.”
“When we redevelop Jamestown’s seaside, when we restore its historic landmass, we must not only build hotels and cultural centers, we must ensure that our youth, including street children, are trained and employed in these new opportunities,” the Queen Mother advocated, further reiterating that development without inclusion is not progress, it is displacement.
She emphasized that government reforms must bring transparency and fairness, and create space for schools, training centers, and safe places for these children to thrive.
“This is why I welcome SCEF as a partner. Together, we can make sure that every child of Jamestown, Ngleshie Alata, whether born in privilege or on the streets, finds a path to dignity, knowledge, and opportunity,” she said.
Founded in 2010, SCEF has become a pillar of hope and advocacy, working tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and reintegrate vulnerable children into society.
SCEF’s legacy is reflected in its numbers, as the Foundation has impacted over 1.7 million individuals, reached over 4.6 million people through media advocacy, and supported 336 single-parent families through economic empowerment programs.