A Ghanaian mother who is frustrated by the difficulties in taking care of her four children with special needs has been rescued by a support group, Special Mothers Group from committing suicide in Accra.
Mrs Golda Nunoo who belongs to this support group that focuses on helping parents and their children with special needs was frustrated by people who continue to refer to her as “Mother of mad children”.
Golda out of pain decided to end her life and that of her children.
Members of the Special Mothers group who Golda has complained to visited her house in a town called Ashiaman not far from the capital Accra to provide counseling.
Golda, 36 years, told media in Accra that “No one talks to me, even if I am holding money to buy things people refuse to accept the money, they call me the curse one, saying I have given birth to mad children, I feel very isolated and want to move away from this neighbourhood.”
Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Initiator of the Special Mothers Project, an advocacy and awareness creation programme on cerebral palsy, told local media that the project was introduced to Golda about two years ago when she gave birth to her last son with severe club foot.
“We tried to no avail to get the children into schools, even with a letter from the Ghana Education Service Special Education Unit, the children were refused admission,” Mrs Awadzi said.
Two years ago Ghana launched the Inclusive Education Policy supposed to ensure that all children go to school regardless of their disabilities; however, many parents of children with special needs think that the policy is not inclusive enough.
Majority of children with special needs in Ghana are refused admission even in government schools
Golda spends the whole of her life attending to her four children, three of them non-verbal and is unable to work, her husband even though very supportive earns only 200 cedis a month as a security man.
Her first child has been adopted by her brother to lessen the burden on her
Mrs Awadzi called on the Department of Social Welfare, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists and corporate organizations to come to the aid of Golda
Source: Africafeeds.com / Hannah Awadzi
