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Albert Sore’s Memoir: Where Hope Grows: How a Joy News Story changed the lives of Joseph and Samuel

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Last year, I told the stories of two disabled persons, Samuel Akowuyage, a disabled university graduate at Walewale who was nearly begging for alms to survive despite his university Education and Joseph Atanga, a 24 year old who suffered cerebral palsy at birth and stayed confined at home under very deplorable conditions and almost all his life.

Following the two stories, American Philanthropist, Michelle McGowan came to the aid of the two; helping Samuel to start a livestock farm and constantly helping Joseph with basic necessities to enable him live a more decent life.

Joseph’s condition made his limbs stiff, making it impossible for him to move about on his own. It is also difficult to make out what he says when he speaks. In his hometown of Sirigu, children born with his kind of condition were often labeled “spirit children” and therefore killed.

Photo: The very first meeting between Joseph and Albert

The practice stopped only a few years ago and so Joseph escaped death, only because his family were unwilling to have him killed. The community almost ostracized them because of this.

When Joy News visited Joseph for the first time in January 2015, he looked very dirty. His poor family could not properly take care of him.

After Joy News aired his story, it caught the attention of American philanthropist, Michelle McGowan who has some charities in Ghana.

Michelle with Joseph’s family

Michelle then visited Joseph at Sirigu on two occasions, bringing lots of food supplies, toiletries and clothes for his up-keep.

As time went on, I spoke to Michelle about Samuel Akowuyage at Walewale whose story I told on Joy News a month before Joseph’s story. I proceeded to share a YouTube link to Samuel’s story with Michelle because she had not seen it the first time it was aired.

Samuel’s story was not too different. He suffered polio at birth and is permanently confined to a wheelchair. He could not find employment despite having successfully graduated from the University of Education, Winneba and virtually had to beg for alms to survive.

Samuel on his farm

Michelle also took Samuel onboard and helped him with some capital to start rearing sheep and later, pigs. Eventually, Samuel used some of his proceeds from the farm to put up a store which he is yet to stock with goods.

This year, Michelle decided to put up a new home for Joseph and his family at Sirigu because their old home was in bad shape. She put Samuel in charge of Joseph’s building project because she was impressed by Samuel’s work ethic.

Samuel was happy to be helping a fellow physically challenged person. He told me; “It is an opportunity for me to help myself and a fellow person with disability and I am willing to sacrifice to make sure that this project is successful”.

Joseph’s old hosue was demolished to make way for the construction of the new house

Ten days later, work was over and a newly-built four-room home, painted yellow and brown replaced the old, dilapidated mud structure that was once a home for Joseph and his family.

The new house

In addition, Michelle McGowan put up a sty and purchased two pregnant pigs as a way of starting a means of income for Joseph’s family. She spent a total of three nights at Sirigu in Joseph’s poor home, supervising the project and getting acquainted to Joseph and his family as well as Samuel.

Samuel with his sheep

For Samuel Akowuyage, the opportunity given him to travel from Walewale in the Northern region to Sirigu in the Upper East Region to manage a building project for a fellow person with disability meant a lot to him.

Samuel who was almost in tears as he spoke to me said; “If everyone out there were to be like Michelle, persons with disabilities would not be struggling so much”.

Michelle spending some time with Joseph in the new house

Joseph could not hide his joy. His elder brother and caretaker, Atowine Atanga expressed gratitude to Michelle McGowan. He said; “I take my all…my heart, my soul, everything thank Madam Michelle for what she has done. Now this house brighten because of her”. Atowine also thanked Joy News for discovering and telling the story of Joseph’s plight which eventually caught Michelle’s attention.

Michelle McGowan has promised to continue to support Joseph and Samuel and their families. She is encouraging others who are touched by the story of these two physically challenged persons not to hesitate to come forward with help for them.

Source: Myjoyonline.com


 

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