People with disabilities in the Ghanaian society and elsewhere often give up in life and resort to begging.
This is the case of Kwadwo Atta and Kofi Arkoh aged 52 and 42 respectively from Agona Kwanyako in the Central Region of Ghana. The two visually impaired men depend on begging proceeds on the streets of Accra for a living.
The two men were not born blind but through life’s circumstances became partially blind which later worsened into total visual impairment. “I was a successful farmer so whiles engaging in my farming activities one day, a stick hit my eyes. After series of medical examination, doctors told me that nothing could be done about my eyes so I gradually became blind”. Atta tells crimecheckghana.
According to Arkoh, he became partially blind after his school colleague accidently pierced his eye with his finger at the age of 16. He said he was sent to one eye clinic in Cape Coast where he was responding to treatment but unfortunately after 4 years, the problem worsened and he eventually lost his sight.
Their wives, they said have abandoned them after their predicament and they are left with no option than to beg for money to cater for their children who are currently in school. “We come to Accra on Fridays and Saturdays of every week to beg for money. We mostly get 40 or 50 cedis so we use that money for the upkeep of the family for the whole week”. They said.
In an interview with Yaw, the nephew of Atta, he said they face a lot of discrimination from motorists whiles begging on the street. He added that most people scroll up their car glasses or hide their monies when they see them approaching.
As part of Crime Check Foundation CCF’s Street Charity Series, donors of the Foundation, Abena Serwaa in Germany and Ann Donkoh in the U.S have given the two visually impaired men five hundred Ghana cedis each to support them. Additionally, CCF gave them clothes.
They could not hide their joy as they received the money and clothes. “God bless them and expand their territories so they can be of help to the less privileged”.
