Meet Agnes Appiah

Can you picture being a mom to 80 children? It’s not something Agnes pictured, either! Agnes trained three years at Bible College and describes herself as an Evangelist and church planter. “My first priority is that I should bring up children in the Christian faith. You can achieve the whole world, but without Christ you are nothing,” she says.

Agnes Speaks to Bethel Ottawa – August 2013

Hands across the ocean: How did the Homes for Agnes get started?

A group of workers left Ottawa in 2005 on a short-term missions trip to assist a Ghanaian friend, Bestway Zotter, with his projects. Hearts of the team were captivated by the Ghanaians  they met. One particular lady, Agnes,  had a BIG heart that caught the attention of team members; as a single lady, she had been caring for many orphans and housing them in a school building with a bad roof. She knew that there were many more children who needed her help, and was seeking a way to help them. 

Gary Shaver returned to Ottawa determined to help Agnes and her ‘needies’.  He recruited folks to assist him with developing and executing a plan to build a proper home for Agnes and the children. Funds were raised and the first building was built on time and under budget.  There was one small problem: Agnes cannot say No to a child in need, and soon the spacious home was really crowded. Gary went to work again, and a second home was built on the property.

What is an orphan?

The African definition of orphan is a little different from ours: it can mean the child has lost one or both parents, or that the parent(s) cannot afford to care for the child.

Listen to the children sing 'There are no Orphans of God.'