Aid children with special needs

Parents and guardians of children with special needs have been advised to stop molesting and engaging in ‘mercy killing’ of these unfortunate children.

The Unit Headmistress of Ofori Panin Primary Special Needs School at Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region, Mrs Charity Yaa Otu, in an interview, hinted that some parents and guardians were abusing and allegedly killing these children who had disability in their intellectual abilities — such as those with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, autism, hydrocephalus among other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She revealed that as headmistress of the school, she had received reports from some parents about their in-laws, family and community members impressing on them (parents) to allegedly kill or abuse these children.

“In some of our cultural settings they describe these children as spirit children or children from the gods and some people feel they should not be made to live and kill them or treat them badly by abusing them,” she said.

She further alleged that some guardians and parents intentionally take them for shopping to win their trust and later mix poisonous concoctions for them to drink and die.

“Because these special needs children may be difficult to live with some parents abuse them in their homes at the slightest provocation,” she added.

She disclosed that some of the children received harsh treatment from some community members who again physically assaulted or raped them.

Mrs Yaa Otu revealed that recently one of her students, Yaw Manteh aged 20 years who had cerebral palsy was physically abused by some unknown persons in his area, recalling that the school management together with some teachers had to contribute about GH¢3,000 to take the boy to the Kukurantumi Community Hospital, where they were later referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for laboratory tests.

The headmistress noted that such domestic and societal abuse as well as alleged killing were unfortunate, adding that it was high time society changed their negative perception about special needs children and rather showed them the needed love and care they deserved.

“These children even though challenged, have capabilities which if positively harnessed can empower them to be self-reliant and will be able to contribute their quota to the development of their households, their communities and the nation as a whole.”

She advised parents of children with special needs to report to the police if anyone including family and community members pressured them to mistreat their children or kill them.

She hinted that the school was the only special school in the area catering for about 50 pupils and prayed that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Philanthropists, among others will come to our aid.”

She mentioned some key stakeholders such as the Municipal Education Director, Mrs Abena Gyamerah and MP for Abuakwa North, Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo who have been helpful but added that more help was needed to properly train the children.

Speaking to the Eastern Regional Secretary of the Ghana Federation for Persons with Disability, Ms Felicity Amponsem Kyere, on the issue, she confirmed that her attention had been drawn to issues of similar nature.

She said there was the need for a revision of cultural norms to change the negative perception towards such children.

She, therefore, called on government and stakeholders in the disability sector to come to the aid of these special children.

She called on the Municipal and District Assemblies to give the PWDS the needed three and half per cent of the common fund due them to organise disability days to educate the public on disability and their rights.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Kukurantumi