Vision for Recovery in Ghana

Realization of a vision to help alcoholics in Ghana
As we begin the new year of 2009 we are beginning to see the realization of a vision to help men and women of Ghana who are struggling to achieve sobriety in their addiction to alcohol. It became apparent to a number of people several years ago that an effective and thorough treatment of alcoholism in Ghana required the development of halfway houses for people in the initial stages of recovery from alcoholism. Presently there are very few facilities at which alcoholics can be treated medically, and none which allow long term treatment of alcoholism. This is now changing with the construction of Hopeful Way House in Oyarifa, Accra. In March of this year this facility will be open to accept alcoholics who require living arrangements which support their sobriety.

A Second Halfway House
Four years ago a house was constructed in Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region which also had the same goal as Hopeful Way House. This house was unable to be opened however due to lack of a reliable water source for the facility and the absence of a operational structure for the facility. Things have now changed. In December of 2008 this facility received a for a bore hole which is now completed and in operation. Secondly, as the operational model of Oxford Homes is enacted and adopted at Hopeful Way House, it is our plan to use this to open the Kukurantumi house as a halfway house in 2010.

The Broader Vision
Many men and women who are concerned about expanding the benefits of sobriety throughout Ghanaian society have a hope. Our hope is that as men and women achieve a stable sobriety in their recovery they will become effective catalysts in attracting other men and women to a sober life. Just as the proverb says, actions speak louder than words, so we believe that sober men and women practicing a sober life as taught in AA, and meeting regularly to share the journey, will show Ghanaian society the way to a sober life. The treatment centers and halfway houses are key ingredients in this expansion. To be sober, men and women have to be deadly serious about living with their disease. Without a commitment to sobriety, maintained by continual study and meetings, men and women will slip in their recovery and ultimately fail to inspire others to a sober life. Nothing succeeds like success. Sobriety will attract people. One often hears the following phrase at the close of AA meetings in the US, “Keep coming back, it works.” As the number of sober men and women in recovery increases, so will the attraction to a life in AA increase.

Kirt Bromley
Koo Tufoo AA Meeting
Kukurantumi