Visually Impaired Create Awareness

According to the members of the ministry, visual impairment could be avoided or cured.

To this end, the members of the ministry are embarking on vigorous campaigns nationwide to create awareness on what to do to avoid being visually impaired as well as the need to seek early treatment of any eye problem.

They indicated that over the last years, there had been significant progress in the prevention and curing of visual impairment in the country through the number of successful awareness programmes embarked upon by members of the ministry in churches and other social gatherings.

Charles Oppong, founder of Royal Sparrows Ministry, disclosed this to DAILY GUIDE in an interview after a Takoradi-based philanthropist and Assistant Manager of Hotel D’Ruco, Mrs. Erica Abban, had donated assorted items to members of the ministry on the occasion of her 35 th  birthday.

Mr. Oppong bemoaned the fact that many visually impaired are on the streets begging, and stressed that it is a demeaning act.

He, however, pointed out that most of his colleagues preferred begging to engaging in any kind of business because the jobs are non-existent.

‘It is important to note that disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or episodic. They can affect people from birth, or could be acquired later in life through injury or illness’, he asserted.

Mr. Charles Oppong told this paper that people should not lose sight of the fact that disability does not mean inability adding, ‘If disabled people are given the opportunity, most of them can contribute meaningfully to the society’.

He wasn’t happy that in some communities in Ghana, if a child is born with a deformity, its condition is attributed to the work of evil spirits, failure of the family to observe certain taboos, or witchcraft, adding that in some instances, the child is ostracized.

He lamented the fact that despite the seemingly desperate attempts by policy makers to include disabled people in nation building, people with disability remained marginalized, and not being accepted as integral and productive members of society.

‘No government can afford to turn its back on the 10 per cent of the country’s population made up of people with disability. Let me remind all district assemblies to release the two per cent of the common fund belonging to the PWDs, on time’.

Madam Erica Abban, in her remarks, said she was touched by the performances of the Sparrows Ministry’s band whenever they visited Takoradi and lodged at her hotel, and so she decided to encourage the band by donating the items to them on her birthday.

She disclosed that the assorted items included bags of rice, maize, beans, cooking oil and assorted soft drinks all costing GH¢2,500.00.

 From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi

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