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Living beyond autism …Young Phil inspires others
● Phil Benito
Africa’s only autistic cyclist, Young Phil Bertino continues to inspire other children with disabilities to reach out for their goals as the world marked Autism Day recently.
The 16-year-old who is gradually becoming a global icon despite being autistic was engaged in awareness campaigns as the month had been set aside for autism.
With a support from the Liztino Centre for Children with Special Needs, Young Phil since he was diagnosed with autism at age four, fought against all odds to live an independent life to become an example to others.
The young lad who plays the piano, rides bicycle, swims and plays tennis, managed to survive the childhood disorder and now living his best life as a normal kid, setting himself as an example to other children.
He had over the years, made donations to the needy in society, courtesy support from his parents Mr and Mrs Bertino as part of efforts to create awareness and inspire others to become better.
AUTISM DAY
This year’s autism month celebrations was no exception as the mother of Young Phil and the CEO of the Liztino Centre, Mrs Angel Acquah Bertino used her ward’s story to inspire parents and other kids to become better.
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared April 2 (every year) as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status.
The term Autism Spectrum refers to a range of characteristics. Appropriate support, accommodation and acceptance of this neurological variation allow those on the Spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, full and effective participation in society.
SEMINAR
During a seminar at the Aburi Girls’ Senior High School (SHS) on April 2 to mark the World Autism Day, Mrs Acquah Bertino encouraged schools and communities to accept autistic children and provide them with the platform to engage in social and sporting activities to enable them to discover their full potentials.
She emphasised that students needed to be enlightened to carry out the message to their homes and communities.
“We have been engaged in this awareness creation for the past four years and needed to extend the message to schools and communities to get everyone involved,” she stated.
She said, it was important to constantly remind Ghanaians on the need to support autism children to live a normal life by taking a cue from Young Phil’s development.
She urged the government and community leaders to take the canker seriously by providing resources in supporting children with autism and other forms of disabilities.
“It is important to make our schools, churches, work places, play grounds and other facilities autistic friendly so children with such disorders could live comfortably,” she stated.
She also urged corporate entities to come on board to support their awareness campaign as it would go a long way to bring change as far as support for autism in Ghana was concerned.
She said, they would hold this year’s Autism Awareness Creation with Cycling next weekend and urged all to come on board to support.
She said, Young Phil was living an independent life, courtesy support from family and urged communities to come together to support families to raise their children with special needs.
BACKGROUND
Phil Bertino, is the first child of Mr Phil Bertino and Mrs Elizabeth Acquah Bertino. He was born a healthy child and grew up with no sign of abnormality, but his development took a different turn at age six when he was diagnosed to be autistic.
The signs had started when he was about two years old. The one letter words he could easily pronounce had disappeared and he was only making unintelligible sound.
When the condition started to worsen at age three, his parents sought medical attention and were advised to enroll him in a speech therapy. He enrolled for six months but there was no remarkable progress.
Determined to ensure he grew up a ‘normal child,’ his parents tried other medical and spiritual remedies but eventually had to come to terms with the reality that Phil was, indeed, autistic.
The knowledge of the condition and the fact that it has no cure was unbearable for the couple, but this however did not crush Phil’s dream of becoming a professional cyclist.
In September 2021, he was part of over 70 professional riders at the 17th edition of the Teshie Homowo Cycling Challenge.
He put up a splendid performance to finish his 76km race in 2:45:33secs with an average speed of 27.56km/h. He received massive cheers for his efforts and was presented with a special trophy, medal and jersey for his achievement on the day.
By Michael D. Abayateye
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
