Member of the advocacy group, Special Mothers Project, Hannah Awadzi, has called on government to construct facilities for children with special needs in the country.

In an interview with Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, Mrs Awadzi explained that this will enable parents of children with special needs to earn a living to carter for the children and other necessities.

“We started advocating using social media to talk to the government to at least put in place some form of support systems and we’re not asking for much. An inclusive classroom where you can leave your child and go and work, earn an income and come back to pick your child,” she said.

This follows Joy Prime documentary of a single father, Martin Segbedzi-Asato who had to quit his teaching job to carter for his child with cerebral palsy after the mother of the child abandoned them.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/single-father-caters-for-son-with-cerebral-palsy-after-mother-abandoned-them/

Mr. Asato leaves his child alone at home to go and make money from his motorbike business which he and his child live on.

In May 2022, the Special Mothers project started a programme called, ‘Home Care Programme’ to train unemployed graduates to work and care for children with special disabilities, but parents could not afford the payment.

As a mother of a 7-year-old child with cerebral palsy, Mrs Awadzi stated that it is very difficult for parents to carter for their children without supporting systems.

Explaining to Roselyn Felli, she stated that Mr Asato can teach and take care of his child if facilities were available for the child’s safety.

“If he had a place to put his child where he knows that this is a safe place. I can go and be my teacher and come back, it would have helped him,” she said.

Mrs Awadzi revealed that the group has been supporting Mr Asato with some funds but is not enough to keep him and the child she said.

She also entreated parents of children with special needs to form groups to enable them to get emotional support from each other as some are more experienced.

“People can form small support groups within their communities and I tell you there are people within your community who you don’t know because they’re hiding. So if people could come out, it will be very good,” she said.