Alhaji Munkailar Aminu (2nd right) with Eric Kombat and Kofi Manu in Tamale
Kofi Manu, 27, a disabled person in Loloto, a farming community in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region who ventured into farming yam and groundnut as a means of survival has received support after Daily Guide Network’s (DGN) report.
Kofi Manu was bitten by a snake at the age of 4 which caused his left leg to be swollen and eventually developed into a sore, got rotten, and later amputated.
According to him, after his leg was amputated, life was difficult for him and since his mother was aged he decided to go into farming to cater for himself and his mother even though he is physically challenged.
“ Because I do not have anybody to support myself and my mother that is why I have decided to venture into farming so that we can survive.”
Kofi Manu rides an old bicycle with one leg for a journey of about 3km to his farm on daily basis.
He performs all the farming activities by crawling and sometimes used crutches to aid himself on the farm.
The disabled farmer expressed interest in tailoring to sew clothes after the farming season to enable him to earn money to cater for himself and his mother.
When DGN Online published Kofi Manu’s story, African Development Organization for Migration (AFCOM) supported him with a brand new sewing machine and an undisclosed amount of money.
According to the Executive Director of AFCOM Alhaji Munkailar Aminu, the support is to empower him to create some income for him.
“ With this, he will be able to provide himself and his family some basic needs and this will discourage him from traveling to the south of o so Kayaye or going onto the street to beg like we see others do.”
He assured that the organization will also provide other vocational training opportunities for him which will guarantee him some source of livelihood.
“ We have a lot of skill training opportunities at this center and so any skills he wishes to learn we are ready to register him to enable him to get that skill.
Alhaji Aminu encouraged the disabled farmer to believe in his abilities and that anything an able person can he can do it better.
The Henry Djaba Foundation owned by the former minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba also supported the disabled farmer with a wheelchair to aid his movement.
Madam Otiko Afisah Djaba, Executive Director of the Foundation, said the motivation of the Foundation to support the disabled farmer is grounded on their mission to transform the lives of vulnerable persons and advocate for equal opportunities.
“Across the country, we are building the capacity of vulnerable women, girls, and persons with disability to be visible, active, and involved in governance, contest elections at local and national levels. We are also involved in providing training in employable skills, communication, and economic empowerment.”
Kofi Manu expressed his gratitude to AFCOM and the Henry Djaba Foundation for supporting him and assured that he will use the items to transform his life for the betterment of his family and the entire community as a whole.
He also thanked the Northern Regional Correspondent for DGN, Eric Kombat, for reaching out to him and telling his story.
The living conditions of persons with disability in Ghana has been very challenging.
Despite government initiatives such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program, disabled persons such as Kofi Manu, continue to wallow in poverty while a majority of them are not even aware of the disability fund, let alone access it.
Sustainable Development Goal 10 aims at reducing inequality within and among countries. This SDG calls for reducing inequalities in income as well as those based on age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic, or another status within a country.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale