The theme of ‘paid work’ plays a central role at Clear Mind. That is why the residents call each other ‘workers’ and their counsellors ‘co-workers’. Many people with a disability wish to join the project, but not everyone can work in such a way that is profitable enough to feed everyone and keep up the counselling and continuation of the project. Therefore, we experience some turnover in workers because they are not suitable for the work or exhibit behavioural problems that put too much pressure on the group.
Sometimes, they are called back home to help at home.
Clear Mind started as a project focused on the care and treatment of people with an addiction, and we still occasionally accept a resident from this group. Sadly, many of these hopefuls have disappeared and gone their own way because their addiction was too strong.
The residents share accommodation, two to a room, in three cases as a married couple, but without children. The houses are located on the terrain commonly known as the ‘Clear Mind Car Wash’.
They do as much as possible by themselves and together as a family. Every night, they evaluate how the day went and who gets paid what. This payment takes place at the end of each month. The residents have their own bank account where possible (if they have a birth certificate or other proof of identity).
matters and what needs to be purchased for the communal meals. The workers donate money each month to a communal fund, and every Tuesday (market day), a team goes to the market to purchase food for the week. Many foods, such as manioc, yams, and vegetables, are also brought to the kitchen straight from the garden or farm. Meals are cooked in turns and eaten together at set times.
These are moments when the group comes together and proudly shares what they’ve achieved.
Every worker is entitled to one day off per week, which can be taken in consultation to visit family or attend events. This makes the group more vocal, social and independent, which is what the residents and Clear Mind set out to achieve.
Clear Mind currently (as of 2024) has 14 workers, of whom 12 live at the project site. Meet our workers!
Bridget Donkor
Bridget was born in 1989. She comes from Wenchi, where her mother fled after Bridget’s father refused to accept Bridget as a human being. She has cerebral palsy with decreased muscle performance but average intelligence. Both her parents have passed away. Bridget came to work at Clear Mind in 2024 as a weaver and salesperson, and she now lives by herself since 2018 in a self-built home close to the project site. She earns money with her trade in packaging materials and has a sponsor. In 2027, Bridget will be offered a room at Clear Mind because her physical health is declining. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to sell her wares at the market, but she can continue her work at Clear Mind.
Kwame Acquah Evans
Kwame was born in 1993 in Dorma Ahenkro. He has cerebral palsy with a mild learning disability. His father has passed away. His mother brought Kwame to the PCC/Hand in Hand workplace, where he learned to weave. In 2015, he became a part-time salesman at the Clear Mind Foundation shop. In 2020, he started work at the Clear Mind car wash. He is the leader of the Clear Mind resident workers’ union and a board member. He married Adjoa in 2021, and they now live together at Clear Mind.
Adjoa Serwaa
Adjoa was born on 15th June 1997 in Dumasua, Sunyani. She has cerebral palsy with paralysis in her legs, impeded speech and a moderate learning disability. Her mother has passed away. Adjoa was brought to the PCC/Hand in Hand work site by her father. When Kwame moved to the car wash, Kwame and Adjoa decided to get married in November 2020. Adjoa then followed Kwame straight to Clear Mind, where they live together happily. Adjoa works in the shop making soap and selling biscuits and omelettes.
Yaw Obeng Kintampo
Yaw was born in 1995 in Sunyani. He has a congenital learning disability. Yaw’s parents are still alive; his foster mother lives in Kintampo and takes care of him like a mother. Yaw had spent several years at the Shalom Special School when he single-handedly decided to switch to Clear Mind, with retrospective permission from the school principal, his parents and his foster mother. Yaw loves to work, does this exceptionally well, and he is well-respected at the car wash. In 2023, he married Victoria, who also had a disability, but because her parents couldn’t approve of the childless marriage, they sadly divorced again a year later.
Charles Bosie Otmar
Charles was born in 1994 in Techiman. He has a congenital learning disability. He is the son of supportive parents, but his father passed away recently. Charles went to the Shalom Special School and spent several years as a trainee at PCC. When he heard about a work opportunity at Clear Mind in 2021, he asked his parents whether he could work at Clear Mind instead. They agreed. He easily fits in and is a caring and responsible group member. He is the workers’ treasurer and is a board member like Kwame. In 2022, he married Amankowah, and they lead a simple and happy life together.
Kofi Baidoo
Kofi was born in 1990 in Akonti. He has a congenital learning disability. His mother is still alive. Kofi also spent many years at the special school and interned at PCC, after which he returned to his parents and his village. The principal at Shalom School informed Kofi of a work opportunity at Clear Mind and arranged with the family to have him transferred to Clear Mind in 2021. Kofi is much loved despite his trouble with discipline and frequent wanderings. But after a couple of hours, Kofi always returns with a smile because Clear Mind is his home.
Abena Amoakoah
Abena was born in 1989 in Tankor. She has a learning disability. Her father passed away, but her mother is very involved with her daughter and looks her up often. Abena also attended the Shalom Special School from 1996 to 2016. She interned at the PCC workplace and then went to live with her mother who, as a single mother, had to go to the market every day to earn her way, leaving Abena alone much of the time. In 2021, she came to Clear Mind, first to stay with Ineke, later with Bridget, and in 2022, she joined the Clear Mind living community. She married Charles and now works at the car wash.
Kojo Frimpong
Kojo was born in 2006 in Mampong. His mother has passed away. His father is old but is still involved with his youngest son. Kojo has Down Syndrome. In 2022, he was transferred from the Shalom Special School to Clear Mind, but he was still too young to participate with the other residents. He is now back at school but spends his weekends and holidays at Clear Mind. In 2025, we will evaluate whether he will remain a candidate to participate in the Clear Mind project or whether he is not mature enough, as is often the case with people with this condition.
Kwame Amoateng
Kwame was born in 1981 in Kintampo. His parents are still alive, but they are poor and unable to visit him. He has a learning disability. He was a student at the Shalom Special School and was taken in on a trial basis by Clear Mind upon request by the school principal. Kwame enjoys Clear Mind’s family spirit and has been accepted into the group because he is light-hearted and enthusiastically carries out his work, even when it’s sometimes beyond his skills, which is often met with good-natured laughter. He is an ideal worker in the garden, at the farm and for cleaning the floor mats at the car wash.
Kojo Richard Boateng
Kojo was born in 2002 in Ayarede. Both his parents are very young and are highly involved with Kojo. Kojo has autism and a mild learning disability. After going to a regular primary school in Ayered, his parents asked whether Kojo could get a job at Clear Mind after hearing about the project on a radio programme. Kojo can do math and write a little, so he was hired as the ‘paymaster’ for the car wash and shop. He does his work passionately and enthusiastically and is a highly valued group member.
Timothy Nkatia.
Timothy was born in …. in …. He joined Clear Mind in 2023. Since his birth, Timothy has had epilepsy, a condition that went untreated for many years, leading to brain damage and a learning disability. Timothy’s mother brought him to Clear Mind after hearing about the work project. Timothy is a sweet boy who fits in well with the group. He is good friends with Kofi Baidoo, with whom he now shares a room. Timothy happily does everything he is asked, except taking his daily anti-epilepsy medication; those tablets tend to disappear occasionally instead of him taking them. He often has epilepsy seizures as a result, and he is slowly starting to realise that the medication is there to prevent them.
Victoria
Victoria lived at Clear Mind from 2022 to 2024. She was born in Dotobaa in 1998. She has a severe learning disability. Her parents are not supportive. She was married to Kintampo but had to divorce him because her parents strongly wanted their daughter to have children, despite the agreement that having children is not an option within the Clear Mind community. Victoria is now back at home with her parents, who hope that Victoria will give them plenty of grandchildren.
Nicolas Owusu
Nicolas was born in 2005 in Ofinso. He has a mild learning disability. His parents are alive. His mother is very supportive but is currently working abroad as a nurse, so she visits Nicolas less often. Nicolas has a mild disability but thinks that he understands everything, which sometimes leads to disagreements within the group. However, with time, we are sure Nicolas will find his place in the group without drawing on his superior knowledge. He does his work at the car wash and the garden with much enthusiasm.
Regina.
Regina was born in 2001 in Nkoranza. Her mother is supportive. She lives with Down syndrome. Regina’s mother heard about Clear Mind through the radio and an outreach worker and applied for her to become a future resident. She is on probation since November 2024 helps around the house.