It's sunset here in Nkwanta, the Nkwanta South Municipal capital in the Oti Region.
A 44-year-old petty trader sits few meters away from her table shop preparing dinner, yam slice with fried fish stew.
The physically challenged trader and her household are bearing the brunt of the ravaging effects of the coronavirus on their livelihoods over the last year.
Mary Bediaku, paralysed in both legs, indicated that she lost her ¢6,000 capital of her clothing business due to the closure of Ghana’s land borders as part of restrictions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
Mary was born a healthy child with no disability.
However, she suffered a heavy fall and fractured her right leg at a tender age, which was the beginning of her disability.
She thus got paralysed at the lower body, hence became bedridden.
She was operated on at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital at 15 years, after which Plaster of Paris (PoP) was fitted to her leg.
“I was enrolled in training as a beautician by my parents when we returned to Nkwanta after the PoP was removed and callipers were fitted to aid my mobility together with clutches”, she said.
“However, I stop using the callipers and clutches a few years later, after a deliverance session at a prayer camp in Nkwanta. To my surprise, I got paralysed again after another fall some years later”, she added.
Mary then gave up and decided to cope with the situation and acquired a walking stick to aid her walk.
Nonetheless, her condition did not deter her from engaging in trading activities.
Mary ventured into selling clothing until the closure of the Ghana-Togo border due to the coronavirus pandemic.
She detailed that she “could buy clothing worth ¢6,000 in Lome-Togo, which I sell at various market centres in the enclave. However, the commodities then became expensive, and I was compelled to resort to another trade when the government decreed the closure of Ghana’s land borders.”
Unfortunately, the new trade could not sustain her, and her living condition kept worsening by the day.
She struggles to put food on the table of her seven-member family, including her husband, who got paralysed too, through a motor accident.
"I use returns from the petty trade to finance the upkeep of the family. But, unfortunately, I have run into debts, and my capital has gone down the drain. It has been not easy taking care of the family.
"My husband got paralysed about one and a half years ago. I have been responsible for the welfare of the family all this while,” Mary lamented.
The development has affected the education of her children.
Her eldest child, Joyce, cannot continue her education after completing senior high school two years ago.
"life has become hard for us due to the emergence of the coronavirus. I bought an application form to enrol in skill training, but my attempts to get help to raise money for the training yielded no result”, Mary Bediako narrated.
Due to Mary’s predicament, she and her household are unable to pay electricity bills.
Her household has since been disconnected for owing ¢630, which has accumulated over the last year.
She explained that “previously, we were able to pay the electricity bills, but we can't do that now because life has become challenging for us.
“What to feed on is even a problem. So we are pleading with the government to come to our aid,” she appealed.
Mary is, therefore, requesting all and sundry for support to enable her children to further their education or engage in skill training warrant a better future.
She is in dire need of a new calliper and crutches or a wheelchair to enable her to move around with ease.
She is also appealing for seed capital to continue her clothing retailing business when the Ghana-Togo border is finally opened.
This feature story was facilitated by VOICE Ghana, a disability rights, advocacy and capacity building NGO based in Ho, Volta Region, with funding from the Open Society Initiative for West African (OSIWA).
Latest Stories
-
British Columbia to back off drug decriminalisation project
59 seconds -
Veteran commentator Joe Lartey Sr dies at 97
2 mins -
Livestream: Newsfile discusses KPMG report on SML deal, ILO on SSNIT reserves and NDC’s running mate
35 mins -
Ghanaian activist hugs over 1,100 trees in an hour to set Guinness World Records
36 mins -
Mathew Anim Cudjoe’s Dundee United promoted to Scottish Premiership after Championship win
38 mins -
NSMQ star Jochebed Adwoa Sutherland sweeps 12 awards at UG Vice-Chancellor’s Ceremony
1 hour -
Ghana’s Education Quality ranked 125 out of 183 countries in latest Global Youth Development Index
2 hours -
Emma Stone wants people to use her real first name
2 hours -
FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Sundowns, Esperance join Al Ahly and Wydad as CAF representatives
6 hours -
CAFCL: Al Ahly set up historic final with ES Tunis
6 hours -
We didn’t sneak out 10 BVDs; they were auctioned as obsolete equipment – EC
10 hours -
King Charles to resume public duties after progress in cancer treatment
10 hours -
Arda Guler scores on first start in La Liga as Madrid beat Real Sociedad
11 hours -
Fatawu Issahaku’s Leicester City secures Premier League promotion after Leeds defeat
11 hours -
Anticipation builds as Junior Speller hosts nationwide auditions
11 hours