A Christian non-profit devoted to providing a safe and loving home to children at high risk for or rescued from slavery and exploitation, Father's House Ghana is a key provider of community resources including healthcare offerings, scholarships, community support funding, clean drinking water, and more. Through the generosity of our partners like you, we believe that we can continue to empower communities throughout Ghana while showering them with the love and compassion of God.

 

Our History

When our founders, Jeff Miller and Matt Garrett, attended a conference in 1999, they were not looking to start an international ministry. Jeff was already involved in outreach projects in Central America, while Matt had previously stated that he would never go on a foreign mission trip. But God had other plans. It was at this conference that the two friends met David Banini, a pastor from the West African nation of Ghana.
Within 9 months, Matt and Jeff were boarding a plane to Ghana, not knowing much about where they were going or why, only that God had said, “Go.” That was the first of many visits with Pastor Banini and his family. After a subsequent trip, Jeff shared with Matt a vision God had given him for an oceanfront home for children. They anticipated fundraising events and a lengthy property search. Shortly after explaining the vision to the Baninis, seven acres of oceanfront property was donated and construction of The Father's House began as did our prayers that God would lead us to our future residents.

As the building was nearing completion in late 2009, we learned about the horrors of child slavery in the fishing villages of Lake Volta, just eight hours to our north. On the dark waters of the largest manmade lake in the world, an estimated 10,000 children (mostly boys) as young as 4 years old are forced to work in deplorable conditions and suffer every kind of abuse imaginable. Most often, they are “sold” by desperate mothers who are deceived by empty promises of traffickers who claim they will teach the children a trade and send money home in payment for the child’s labor. In reality, they work 16-20 hours a day for no pay, are not allowed to attend school, are fed only one small meal a day, and have no access to clean water. They are in constant danger from electric eels, poisonous snakes, and life-threatening water-borne illnesses. It is not unusual for children to become entangled in submerged fishing nets and drown.

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Father's House Ghana Today

In January 2011, a team from Father’s House partnered with Ghanaian abolitionists to rescue eight children from slavery on Lake Volta. In the years since their rescue, the “Great Eight” continue to heal from the wounds of their past abuse and are doing amazingly well! They have all claimed the Biblical story of Joseph as “their” story, knowing that what Satan meant for evil, God is using for good. They feel they have been rescued for a reason- to share the love of Jesus with everyone they meet! They are creative, compassionate, intelligent, kind, and nurturing. Beyond their physical rescue, their lives have truly been redeemed by God, and we have faith that He will restore their lost years and use the strength of their character to one day change their nation and the world.

In addition to the Great Eight, a number of other boys from desperate situations have found HOME at Father’s House Ghana-- some temporarily and others permanently. We plan to rescue more children from Lake Volta as God leads and in His timing. 

We are honored to be part of our local community and enjoy sharing the love of Jesus with our neighbors by helping meet practical needs like providing medical care, clean water, and educational assistance and with fun activities like soccer tournaments and ice cream parties.

For you have been called to live in freedom. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. - Galatians 5:13

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You may have noticed symbols on some of our pages. In West Africa, these are called Andikras and are visual symbols that describe a specific idea or represent a concept. We’ve created a reference guide below explaining what these symbols represent, and how they tie into the Father's House Ghana mission and goals.

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    EBAN means “fence”— Traditionally in Ghana, a home surrounded by a fence is seen as an ideal residence. As the fence separates and secures the family from the outside, it provides safety and protection to those within its walls. Father’s House Ghana exists as a place of refuge from the harsh realities our resident children have experienced in the world. Within our walls, the security that can only be found through the love of God creates an ideal environment to foster healing, growth and self-confidence in the children who call Father's House Ghana “home.” You can find this symbol on the homepage and as the logo for Father's House Ghana.
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    BOA ME NA ME MMOA WO means “help me and let me help you.” It is a symbol of cooperation and interdependence. You can find this symbol on the projects page.
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    WOFORO DUA PA A comes from an expression meaning “When you climb a good tree, you are given a push”. It is a symbol of the support, cooperation and encouragement you get from others when you are working for a good cause. This symbol is used in reference to supporting Father's House Ghana.
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    AYA means “fern” and is a symbol of endurance and resourcefulness in the face of adversity. This symbol would only make sense to be a part of our shop page.
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    NKONSONKONSON means “chain link” and is a symbol that strength is found in unity as we help others. This symbol is part of our blog page.