Story By: Nii Okpoti Odamtten / Muhammad Faisal Mustapha….
On the outskirts of Accra’s bustling coastal suburb of Nungua stands a place that does not often make global headlines, yet daily alters the course of young lives. New Life Nungua Children’s Home is not merely a shelter it is a lifeline. At its heart is Nii Afotey Botwe, Chief Executive Officer and founder, whose work straddles humanitarian service, community leadership, and moral advocacy.
In an exclusive interview Nii Okpoti Odamtten / Muhammad Faisal Mustapha, Nii Afotey Botwe speaks with calm conviction about purpose, pain, resilience, and the quiet urgency of protecting Ghana’s most vulnerable children.
“This is not charity for me,” he says firmly. “It is responsibility. When society fails a child, all of us have failed.”
The origins of New Life Nungua Children’s Home are deeply personal. Long before the institution was formalised, Nii Afotey Botwe was already taking children off the streets, absorbing the burden of care many families could not shoulder.
“I could not ignore what I was seeing,” he recalls. “Children sleeping hungry, abused, abandoned yet surrounded by adults who walked past them every day. I knew silence was not an option.”
Established as a registered children’s home, New Life Nungua has since evolved into a structured sanctuary providing shelter, education, healthcare, emotional support, and moral guidance to orphans and vulnerable children.
Beyond his role as CEO, Nii Afotey Botwe is a traditional leader (Otinnor Mantse of Nungua) a position that shapes his philosophy of leadership.
“Traditional authority means nothing if it does not protect the weak,” he explains. “A stool is not for decoration; it is for service.”
This fusion of cultural leadership and social responsibility has earned him respect across civil society, faith based organisations, and community networks. Yet he remains cautious about praise.
“The work is bigger than any individual,” he says. “If attention comes, it should shine on the children, not on me.”
Running a children’s home in Ghana is neither simple nor romantic. Funding gaps, regulatory pressures, trauma care, and long term reintegration of children into society remain persistent challenges.
“People think love alone is enough,” Nii Afotey Botwe notes. “But love must be backed by food, education, therapy, infrastructure, and accountability.”
He speaks candidly about the emotional toll.
“Some nights, you lie awake wondering how to stretch limited resources to meet unlimited needs,” he admits. “But when a child who once could not speak begins to dream aloud, you find strength again.”
“A nation that neglects its children mortgages its future. We cannot pray for development while abandoning the next generation.”
Rather than appealing for sympathy, Nii Afotey Botwe advocates structured partnerships with government agencies, corporate Ghana, the diaspora, and international NGOs.
“We do not need pity; we need partnership,” he emphasizes. “Sustainable child welfare requires systems, not sporadic donations.”
Recent collaborations with religious bodies, community associations, and private individuals have helped expand facilities and improve living conditions, but he insists more remains to be done.
Faith plays a central role in his work, though he is careful to frame it inclusively.
“Faith teaches us that every child carries divine potential,” he says. “But compassion must translate into action, regardless of belief.”
For the children, New Life Nungua is more than a home it is a second chance.
Nii Afotey Botwe’s long-term vision extends beyond institutional care. He speaks passionately about education, skills training, and reintegration.
“The goal is not to keep children in homes forever,” he explains. “The goal is to prepare them to stand confidently in society, knowing they were never unwanted.”
As Ghana and the global community confront widening social inequalities, figures like Nii Afotey Botwe operate largely outside the spotlight yet at the very center of impact.
“If even one child grows up knowing dignity instead of despair,” he concludes, “then every sacrifice is worth it.”