Remar Ghana would next month play host to eight other West African countries in the 8th edition of the “Children of Joy” games in what is expected to be a festival of fun, friendship and commitment to the cause of Christ among the group. Participating countries include Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. The rest are Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and the games which will span three days (August 12 -14) will see the countries competing in football, sack race, tug of war and athletics, among others. Cote D’Ivoire had hosted the seven previous editions of the games but now cede the opportunity to Remar Ghana due to the political situation currently confronting her. “We are happy to have been chosen to host this year’s games because it reflects positively on the country as a whole; however we would require the support of corporate Ghana in whatever form possible to make it a resounding success,” says Pastor Valentin Koffi Tao, the country director of Remar Ghana. “REMAR is a non-governmental organization founded in 1982 in Vitoria, Alava (Northern Spain) and was born from a desire to help all kinds of people on the margins of society. It is a charitable Christian organization which has had the privilege of being the instrument through which several 100,000s of drug addicts have come off the streets, out of prisons, prostitution and delinquency, and have been helped in their spiritual, physical, psychical, professional and family restoration”, a statement by Remar Ghana observed. It said “Many of them have been rehabilitated and have returned to their employment and to their families, whilst others have stayed on in Remar to dedicate their lives to helping the needy, thus changing from being a negative element in society into being useful and beneficial.” According to the country director, team Remar Ghana has started training for the games which he believes would once again bring to the fore the prowess of Ghana in the field of sports. “We want to use the games to emphasize to our West African neighbours that Ghana sports is still second to none in the region”, adds Pastor Koffi Yao. REMAR currently operates in 70 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.