As basic and second-cycle schools across the country reopen for the new academic term, prominent disability inclusion advocate and public health nurse Miss Gifty Akosua Adzigbey has reaffirmed her long-term educational sponsorship and welfare support for Bernard Entsie, a 16-year-old Deaf learner in the Gomoa West District.
The intervention is part of an ongoing commitment by Miss Adzigbey, a Mandela Washington Fellow, to ensure that adolescent persons with disabilities do not drop out of school due to a lack of basic learning materials, food and clothing.
Ahead of his resumption of classes, Bernard was presented with essential back-to-school items, including stationery, school uniforms and provisions, ensuring he enters his new class fully equipped, confident and on an equal footing with his peers.
Access to education for deaf children in Ghana remains heavily challenged by poverty, societal stigma and a lack of tailored resources, often resulting in high attrition rates among learners with hearing impairments.
Miss Adzigbey noted that ensuring educational inclusion requires addressing the complete ecosystem of a child’s welfare, rather than stopping at administrative school placement.
“As schools reopen, it is the joy of every learner to have their basic needs met — food, clothing and stationery — to keep them in school and thriving,” Miss Adzigbey stated. “As a Mandela Washington Fellow and disability inclusion advocate, I remain committed to my promise: ensuring that Bernard Entsie is not only enrolled in school but also has his basic needs met every term. The smile on his face says it all — he is ready for the new class and the new term.”
Bernard’s readiness for the classroom comes on the heels of a recent medical recovery at the Osedze Health Centre, where clinical staff closely monitored and treated him over a two-week period to ensure his full fitness before returning to school.
Celebrating Bernard’s academic transition into his new grade, Miss Adzigbey encouraged him to remain dedicated to his studies, expressing optimism that sustained mentorship and support will see him successfully complete his education.
“We are making steady progress, step by step,” she noted, citing the classic maxim that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. “I look forward to the day I will proudly attend your graduation.”
Miss Adzigbey expressed appreciation to the network of individual donors, community leaders and civil society partners whose consistent backing has made the regular provision of Bernard’s school needs possible.
She called on philanthropic individuals and corporate organisations to partner with grassroots advocates to identify and sponsor more children with disabilities across rural communities, emphasising that removing financial barriers to education is the most sustainable tool for disability empowerment and poverty alleviation.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
