Whenever we realize that there are more than 8,000 Kolping Families in 60 countries in the world, we often wonder about the origins of Kolping in some countries. In Ghana, we are witnessing such a wonderful beginning. The bishop of Konongo–Mampong near Kumasi, which is the second largest city in Ghana, was excited about Kolping in Germany and became interested in establishing Kolping Families in his diocese also. Now that this is working little by little, some parishes from other dioceses have contacted Peter Sarpong who was charged by the bishop with the coordination of the work of KOLPING GHANA.
At a workshop in early September, members met to discuss which challenges they want to tackle as Kolping Families in their villages. Among the major issues to be addressed is the construction of toilet facilities to avoid diseases caused by people practicing open defecation near their homes and the placement and emptying of waste buckets in public space since the waste dumps in the streets are increasingly posing serious health risks, especially during the rainy season. Members are particularly concerned about strengthening their families and enabling parents to generate sufficient income without their children having to work. Starting from scratch, Kolping members in Ghana follow the example set by “energetic“ Adolph Kolping. They see how much Kolping members in other African countries accomplished by working hard together, and they will follow suit.
