On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Province of Nigeria, officially closed St. Vincent de Paul Day Care after 10 years of service to children in Kumasi. The decision was made after consultation with the Board of Safe-Child Advocacy, the Council of the Daughters of Charity, and stakeholders of the unit, following unfavourable conditions that posed risks to the general well-being of pupils and staff.
Established as one of the units of Safe-Child Advocacy, the Day Care Centre served babies born and raised on the streets, especially children of young mothers who often became pregnant through exploitative relationships. Some of the mothers were married women who had fled hardship in rural communities and came to Kumasi to work and support their families.
The Centre provided a caring and nurturing space for children during the day while their mothers worked, relieving them of the burden of carrying babies while transporting loads in crowded market areas. It also served as a preventive response to streetism by exposing children to early childhood education and encouraging mothers to invest in their children’s future.
Over the years, teachers and day care attendants supported children through songs, rhymes, creative arts, recreation, and early learning activities. While the children were enrolled, staff also met with their mothers occasionally to educate them on the importance of supporting their children’s education.
The Day Care provided early childhood education from crèche to Kindergarten 2 for more than 500 pupils, many of whom are now at different levels of formal education.
In recent years, however, the Centre faced serious challenges that made its continued operation difficult. These included the rapid deterioration of hygiene around the school due to two large gutters near the premises, as well as noise and welfare concerns linked to a nearby slum settlement.
A closing and graduation ceremony was held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, to formally mark the end of the Centre’s service and celebrate the graduating children.
During the ceremony, the headmistress, Sr. Victoria Kotetane, DC, expressed the appreciation of the Daughters of Charity to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi. She also thanked parents, staff, and all stakeholders whose contributions helped the Centre provide early childhood education opportunities for children of poor market women in Kumasi.
Sr. Victoria congratulated the graduating children and encouraged all pupils to continue working hard and make the school proud. She wished them success in their future endeavours.
Mr. Akwasi Prempeh, HR and Administrator of Safe-Child Advocacy, also spoke on behalf of the Board of Safe-Child Advocacy and the Director, Rev. Sr. Olivia Umoh, DC. He thanked parents, teachers, and all parties who contributed to the success of the Day Care and explained that the decision to close the school was taken in the interest of pupils and staff.
The ceremony featured performances by the pupils, including poem recitation, newscasting, choreography, speech presentation, and singing. Some pupils also received awards in recognition of their outstanding performance in their respective disciplines.
