Although dozens of blind people have ended up begging on the streets of Accra and other major cities in Ghana for their daily bread, a household of four blind people, have defied the odds and have entered into agriculture to establish the “Disability is not Inability” mantra.
The nuclear family which currently includes four members, Kwabena Lartey, 70, father, Akua Yirenkyiwa, 65, mother, Kwaku Ofori, 32 and Kwadwo Antwi, 25, have been battling with total blindness for the past 15 years, at, Assin Lartteh in the Assin North District of the Central Region.
According to gncnews, Kwaku Lartey, who is the father of the family, handed over his cocoa farm, to a caretaker to work on it for a share. A few years later, Mr Lartey took the farm from the caretaker over what he described as mismanagement of the cocoa farm. The termination of the oral agreement on the cocoa farm brought serious confrontation between the two farmers.
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The caretaker who didn’t take delight in the turn of events, allegedly, threatened to render the entire family blind through magical powers, upon return from his hometown. Few weeks after the caretaker had travelled to his hometown, the family of four have been totally blind till date.
Akua Yirenkyi, the mother, explained the incident:
“We were not born with blindness, we have attempted on several occasions to look for the suspect to plead with him to reverse the curse only to be told that the man in question is dead. We were told nothing could be done for us to see since the man who invoked the curse is dead.”
We are still in farming, but, we have suffered enough with this blind condition for the past 15 years the woman added.
Kwaku Ofori, the eldest son is currently the breadwinner of the family since the parents can no longer do active farming. He has three acres of cocoa farm, and one acre of cassava, cocoyam and maize farm.
Kwaku Ofori manages to work on his mix cropping farm, without cutting away any of the crops.
Meanwhile, Kwadwo Antwi recounts the experience on the first day he got blind. “It’s a terrible experience,” he said.
Mr Lartey pleaded on philanthropists to support them with agrochemical inputs (Fertilizer and insecticide), to improve the yield of their farming activities. We can’t be begging on the streets for money and food from people on the streets, my children have the strength to work on the farm to feed the family.
He also pleads that any pastor, traditionalist or whoever willing to help them reverse the curse or heal them.
source: GNC News
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