Surviving Covid; Stella’s Story

Stella at the shores of Krokobite Beach, Accra. August 23, 2020. Photo: ©George Koranteng

A few weeks after the lockdown was lifted, Ulla Deventer invited me over to a shelter she built for the children who live in a slum at Circle, Accra. This shelter provides a small space for the children to have fun with art as a way of destressing them from such an indecent environment filled with drug addicts and rascals.

Esther is one of many children who comes to the shelter. Ulla tells me she is very talented and brilliant. That could be seen through her drawings. Esther has very bright eyes and a happy face. She is the smartest girl I ever met in such an environment. Delving into her life, I visited her home where her mother explains how her father had abandoned them to survive.

The dreams and future of a whole generation of girls depend on the action now. We must imagine a world where every girl can access their right to education and is protected from gender-based violence.

The housing structure Stella lives together with her mother

A bicycle parked close to a wooden bridge that leads to Stella’s home

Stella walks with her close friend to the shelter

Ulla built a shelter to accommodate children who come to draw

One of the children busily focusing on her art

Lizzy, a volunteer at the shelter, cooks lunch for the kids

Ulla Deventer interviews Stella on what inspired her drawing.

Stella expresses her thoughts.

Stella plays with her friends in the neighborhood

All photos date July 14, 2020. Cirlce, Accra, Ghana. ©George Koranteng.