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BEESIWA – PART TWO

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2 years ago

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Within a few days, Beesiwa had made herself comfortable and useful in Yaw Awotwe’s home. Although he was generally a well organised person, the young bachelor was in the habit of leaving things at open spaces, obvious­ly thinking that because he lived alone, he would easily find them. Beesiwa got round to placing his money and important documents in files and drawers, and would inform him as soon as he came home. Yaw really appreciated that, and start­ed getting into the habit of asking Beesiwa where some of his stuff were. She organised his dresses, and was so glad to see how the choices she made impacted his looks. Yaw Awotwe was a very good looking young man, and it was so nice seeing him at the breakfast table looking so sharp. Yaw had been converted to her cooking, and had started bringing his friends home to share his fun. And she loved walking him to his car, handing him his snack and suitcase, and waving him off. She was enjoy­ing herself. She wished it would be possible for ‘something’ to change their relationship from reliable, efficient employee and appreciative, generous employer to something more interesting. But she was a very realistic person. Yaw was top class. He was way out of her range. Rather than spend precious time on emotional dreams that would never materialise, she decided to take ad­vantage of her presence in his home to improve herself.

Yaw was quite pleased to learn that she was interested in current af­fairs, and experimenting with cook­ing. He encouraged her to take both interests seriously because, as he put it, knowing the world around you places you way ahead of your peers, and people who cook really well often make big money. Whenever his friends commended her on her good cooking, Yaw would offer Beesiwa’s help with catering for small parties and family occasions. Of course, he quickly added, she had to be paid well, because she was already em­ployed and not looking for handouts. Within a couple of months, offers started flowing in, and Beesiwa told her boss that although the money was quite interesting, she didn’t want to stop working with him, so she was cutting the outside catering to manageable levels.

‘Thanks for wanting to continue working with me, Beesiwa, but why don’t you consider employing one or two people to help you? Talk to your mother, and train a couple of young people during the weekends, and then anytime you get a job or con­tract you can guide them to go and deliver. And with the kind of things people are saying about you, you will one day need to set up your own ca­tering company with quite a number of employees. So don’t throw away this opportunity. You don’t want to stop working with me, but let’s see whether you can find others to help. Think about it and join hands with your mum. Things will happen big time.’

And that is exactly what hap­pened. Within a year, Beesiwa had created space in her mother’s home for a well-equipped unit with four efficient young ladies that continu­ously delivered good quality dishes for all sorts of functions. Beesiwa was transformed into a gorgeous personality, and Yaw started thinking whether he should be looking closer home instead of farming afield for dates. He had been going out with Patricia, a doctor, for a few months, and they felt very comfortable in each other’s company, but their work schedules were a problem. Dr Patricia was more than a key person in the Children’s Hospital where she worked, and she had very little time for life outside the hospital. Yaw greatly respected her dedication to work, but he wondered whether, with his own business about to gain momentum, it was wise to enter into a commitment with a woman whom he would only meet at home once in a while. Beesiwa was not just a beautiful girl with good character and efficient home manager. She had been able to combine managing his home with starting a business enter­prise on the side which was doing very well. He started to approach the issue gently, and hopefully he could get her to see things his way.

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Beesiwa, on the other hand, had been nursing some frustration about what appeared to be the fruitless dream of nursing ambitions of a rela­tionship with Yaw Awotwe. Although she had begun to make some good money and had therefore gained some self-confidence, Yaw was still streets ahead, and did not show any sign of being interested in her. Moreover, he and the lady doctor seemed on course to make their re­lationship permanent. And as if that was not enough, there were a couple of other ladies who were seeking to grab his attention, but did not seem to be getting very far. Around the same time, Jeffery Darkwa, a friend of Yaw who was regular at his home, started showing interest. He took her out on a couple of dates, both quite enjoyable, but Beesiwa made it quite clear that she was not interest­ed in a relationship with him. Jeff, however, had been nursing ambitions of winning her over for sometime, even though part of the reason was the deep jealousy he had been nurs­ing against Yaw for so long.

They had become friends in the course of meeting at business work­shops and lunches, and had helped each other with useful contacts and business tips. Jeff was almost ten years older than Yaw, and had devel­oped a resentment for him due to his quiet but effective way of con­ducting business, which had made him very successful, for a man at such a young age. And he wasn’t just good looking but very well dressed, and ladies often made their views about him known. And he had longed noticed Beesiwa’s deep affection for him. Winning Beesiwa would be a big personal victory. He invited her to lunch and put his plan into action.

‘Beesiwa, I need to discuss some­thing important with you. I am very interested in you. I really love you, and would like you to become my wife. But I realise that you are rejecting me because of your feel­ings for Yaw. I am not letting go, not only because of my feelings for you, but also because you don’t know Yaw very well. I will say this in great confidence. Yaw is not who you think he is. He is not a successful business man. In fact, he is covering a lot of debts which might end him in deep trouble, so I’m trying to help him. I can tell you that over the years, my business has grown, and apart from having financial muscle, I also have big contacts at the very top. So, I would ask you to be careful with Yaw. Give me the chance to make you a successful woman. We can be a good partnership. I am willing to give you a house if you accept my offer. I am talking this way because I really love you, and I want to marry you.’

Beesiwa’s head was spinning. She didn’t know how to process the ex­plosive stuff she was hearing. ‘But if you have these feelings against Yaw, why are you friends with him, spend­ing time with him regularly?’

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‘I don’t have anything personal against him. In fact, I am helping him overcome some major financial issues because we are friends. But I see nothing wrong with wanting you more than him.’

“

Beesiwa, I need to dis­cuss something important with you. I am very inter­ested in you. I really love you, and would like you to become my wife.

“

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Confronting newborn abandonment in Ghana: When a cry for help is heard in a dustbin – Part 2

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5 days ago

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September 19, 2026

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An abandoned baby

The root causes: It is never just one reason

My years of counselling at CPAC show me abandonment is rarely an act of malice. It is the tragic endpoint of seven overwhelming distresses:

1. Severe maternal mental illness —The hidden emergency

a) Clinical Postpartum Depression (PPD): This is far beyond “baby blues.” It is a severe mood disorder that can appear weeks to months after birth. Due to a massive drop in hormones, extreme sleep deprivation, and emotional exhaustion, the mother feels deep sadness, worthlessness, and complete emotional numbness towards her baby. Picture: A new mother sits by her bed all day, staring blankly. Her baby cries for hours, but she cannot lift her hands to carry the baby. She whispers, “This baby would be better off without me.” She does not hate the baby; she feels she has completely failed as a mother.

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b) Peripartum Psychosis (Postpartum Psychosis): This is a psychiatric emergency. Rare but extremely dangerous, appearing suddenly within the first 2-3 weeks after delivery. The mother completely loses touch with reality. She hears commanding voices telling her to abandon the baby, or believes the baby is possessed by an evil spirit or is a “spirit child” who will bring a curse. Picture: A mother genuinely believes she heard a voice saying, “Leave this child at the crossroads at midnight or your family will die.” She abandons the baby not out of hatred, but because her broken mind believes she is obeying a higher spiritual order to save her family.

c) Pre-existing untreated Schizophrenia: This is a chronic, severe mental disorder that existed before the pregnancy. The stress of pregnancy and labour shatters her fragile coping. She suffers from paranoid delusions — believing people want to poison her and the baby — flat affect (zero facial expression), and grossly disorganised thinking, making it impossible to plan how to feed or clean a baby. Picture: A young woman whose family called her illness “spiritual attack” instead of taking her for medication wanders away after delivery, completely forgetting she even gave birth, leaving the infant behind.

2. Extreme socio-economic deprivation: For many girls in some parts of Ghana such as Kasoa, Madina, or Bekwai, poverty is not a statistic; it is a daily panic. No money for antenatal care, no money for hospital delivery, no money for baby diapers or formula. When a mother cannot feed herself, the thought of feeding another mouth feels impossible. Some mothers say, “I left her where someone richer would find her, because I could not watch her starve to death in my hands.” It is a distorted act of survival.

3. Intense societal stigma and shame: In Ghana, pregnancy outside marriage, teenage pregnancy, or pregnancy from rape can bring extreme family rejection. The girl is called “spoilt,” beaten, banned from church, or sacked from school. The fear of bringing shame to the family name is heavier than the fear of police. So she hides the pregnancy for 9 months, delivers alone, and abandons in secret to protect her family’s “honour.”

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4. Paternal abandonment — The Man Who Ran Away: Behind almost every abandoned baby is a man who vanished. He says, “It is not mine,” or “Abort it,” and switches off his phone. The mother is left utterly isolated — no emotional, financial, or social support. She is criminalised alone, but the abandonment started with him. Psychological research shows paternal denial is one of the strongest predictors of maternal panic and newborn abandonment. 

5. Substance abuse disorders: Alcohol, tramadol, and other drug addiction impair the brain’s executive functioning — the ability to plan, judge consequences, and process emotions. A mother struggling with addiction may give birth in a highly intoxicated or withdrawal state, unable to comprehend the needs of the newborn, leading to neglect and eventual abandonment.

6. The spirit child cultural phenomenon and superstition: In some remote pockets of Northern Ghana and even in few parts of Central and Ashanti regions, public health research shows babies born with congenital deformities, severe disabilities, or whose mothers die in childbirth are branded as “spirit children” or cursed. In extreme instances, families, under cultural pressure, mandate that such babies be exposed or abandoned at shrines or bushes. This is not mental illness, but a harmful cultural belief system that still kills.

The invisible wounds

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On the baby: Risk of death from hypothermia, sepsis, and infection. Survivors suffer Anaclitic Depression and Failure to Thrive due to lack of touch. As adults, they battle Reactive Attachment Disorder, chronic mistrust, and identity crisis — “Why did my mother leave me in a dustbin?”

On the mother: Lifelong hidden grief, intense guilt, chronic PTSD, depression, and elevated suicide risk. A prison cell does not heal this.

On the nation: Overburdened orphanages like Osu Children’s Home, draining health budgets, and overworked Social Welfare officers.

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A righteousness revolution (Part 1)

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5 days ago

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September 19, 2026

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“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no difference; – Rom. 3:10, 21-22. (NIV)

Introduction

Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness. The Bible’s standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word. Thus, God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.

The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for man to attain on his own; the standard is simply too high. The good news is that true righteousness is possible for mankind, but only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the righteousness of Christ, because “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21. This is an amazing truth. On the cross, Jesus exchanged our sin for His perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.

Establishing our hearts in righteousness

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“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” – Proverbs 4:23

According to the above verse in Proverbs, our heart is the source of our life. Our life flows from our heart. The Holy Spirit resides in the spirit of the born again Christian. So there is a strong influence of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the new-born Christian. But our heart is also comprised of our soul. As Christians we can choose to focus our soul on the Lord, or on evil things. If we focus on corrupt, immoral, and evil things our heart will be affected detrimentally. It will cause our heart to be crooked or wicked, instead of straight or righteous. So the Scripture says to keep, or guard, our heart. It is wise to protect our heart as what we allow to dominate our heart will inevitably become the fruit, or influence the outcome, of our lives.

One way to approach life is to continually ask the question, “How will this decision or action affect my heart?” Everything we do, every thought we entertain, everything we watch, read, or listen to, shapes our heart. Therefore, the future prosperity of our life will flow from how well we care for our heart.

Think of everything you do, every moment of time, as a seed. We have been given responsibility for choosing which seeds to plant in our heart. What will you grow in the garden of your heart? What seeds will you choose? Our heart is our garden, and our life is the fruit of our garden. So next time you are tempted to dwell on a bad thought, think, “Do I want this seed to grow and manifest in my life?” Next time you are tempted to indulge in a sinful action ask yourself, “Do I want the extension, or fruit, of this sinful action to be what I am known for?”

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God gives us the freedom to plant whatever we like in our garden. God loves us regardless of the good or bad choices we may make in our lives. You may be reaping the fruit of some poor choices right now. And God is still saying, “I love you.” But He has wise advice for us; He desires we have a good life. He says, “Guard you heart with all diligence.” This Hebrew word translated ‘diligence’ conveys the meanings of: prison and guard (ibid). A superintendant of a prison is very particular as to what goes in and out of his prison. A prison has very tight security. Just as a superintendant watches over his prison, so we should also supervise our heart (our lives). We should exercise meticulous security with regards to what enters into our heart. Actually, even what comes out of it, as the Scripture says, “ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” – James 1:19, as “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” –Matthew 12:34b.

If what goes into, and what comes out of, our heart determines the success of our lives, what is the first important principle to establish in our heart?  “In righteousness you shall be established;” – Isaiah 54:14

Righteousness is the key foundational truth we need to first establish in our heart. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33. Notice Jesus said, “His righteousness”, not our own righteousness. We have to seek and understand God’s righteousness. Isaiah 54:14 says, “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” God’s righteousness comes from God, not from within us. Humans cannot make themselves God’s righteousness, as all humans have sinned and are therefore inferior to God. God’s righteousness is a gift from God: “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Righteousness, or right standing with God, has been attained for us through the exchange Jesus made on our behalf. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. God’s righteousness is imparted to us when we are made a new creature in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17. This righteousness is a gift from God and undeserved by us: “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”- Romans 5:17

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Through our faith in Jesus’ blood, shed to remit our sins – Romans 3:25, God imparts righteousness to us by His grace. We actually become a new righteous creation, fully identifying in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension. This is the foundational miracle we need to understand and have established in our heart. All the other miraculous promises of God come the same way, by God’s grace through faith. Righteousness must be established in our heart for us to truly have faith to receive our rich inheritance in Christ. Jesus has been made unto us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are now “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”. – 2 Corinthians 1:20

Establishing our minds in righteousness

God expects that, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we will be radically changed. In Romans 12:2 He tells us, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

This transformation is to be a metamorphosis, of a magnitude at least comparable to that by which a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. He expects us to become totally different.

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Scripture uses many different images to express the change that should occur:  We become “a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.“ – 2 Cor 5:17. It is almost as if we become a new species. Scripture speaks of the “first Adam” who was earthly and fell into sin, and the “second Adam” (Jesus Christ) who was sinless and holy – Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:44-49.

We are “made new in the attitude of our minds” – Eph. 4:23.

We “put off our old self” and “put on the new self” – Eph. 4:22,24; Col 3:9-10.

We “live by the Spirit” and not by the flesh – Gal. 5:16; Rom 8:13.

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We become “instruments of righteousness” rather than “instruments of wickedness” – Rom. 6:13.

Each of these metaphors, in a different way, emphasizes the magnitude of the change that is expected. Each is dramatic and astonishing in itself; their cumulative effect is even more powerful. We are talking about a tremendous transformation. It should be visible to others, but its internal effect should be far greater than what others can perceive.

The goal of this transformation

What is the goal of this metamorphosis? Scripture states it in a number of different ways, which overlap and can be seen as different ways of expressing the same basic concept. Scripture often does this, because our minds are inadequate to comprehend, and our language inadequate to express, the full scope of God’s revelation to us.

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To be continued!

Stay blessed!

For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615

Email:  saltnlightministries@gmail.com

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Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org     

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