Darkness has been a way of life for Gloria Amoah, 19 (right) who is a blind person. A beneficiary of the partnership between RYTHM Foundation and The ANOPA Project, Gloria attends the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind in Ghana.
ANOPA is an international sports project based in Cape Coast, Ghana, that uses sports as an instrument for individual development, promotion of gender equity, peace building and other important soft and social skills for kids in the central region of the country.
Gloria’s favourite activity in school are the recreational games.
“At first, I didn’t have the courage to be in public but now after being involved in the fun games, I’m able to talk and express myself and I can relate well with my new friends including those who are not blind,” she said.
Gloria, who is from Abandzi in Mfantsiman district, said the games also help her to engage in some exercise and maintain a healthy body.
Her friend Lucy Otoo, 21, who is also a beneficiary of this partnership, is thankful for the opportunity to study in the school.
“Since coming to this school, I have made many new friends and some of them are different than me. I always look forward to Tuesdays and Wednesdays when recreational games are organised by the ANOPA coordinators,” she said.
“Despite not being able to see, I feel included by the others during the games session,” Lucy, who hails from Takoradi in the western region, added.
Both girls stay at the school dormitory as their homes are too far for daily commute. At the school, they are taught sign language, braille reading and other basic lessons in subjects like English, Mathematics and Science.
The Cape Coast School for the Deaf and Blind is a government school with a population of about 800 students.
Although the school is free and open to the public, expenses for the Parent-Teacher Association, uniforms, and educational materials are a burden to children from underserved families.
According to ANOPA Project’s executive director Ernest Appiah, more than 90% of the students in the school are from deprived and vulnerable backgrounds.
With the funding from RYTHM, girls like Lucy and Gloria are able to take part in sports, particularly swimming, basketball, and other recreational games. They are also provided with educational materials, stationery, and food.
