By Austin Ofori
Mr. Williams Kwaku a physically challenged but enterprising farmer who resides at Yawase, a farming community in the Yilo Krobo municipality of the eastern region has been sharing his successes and challenges in his profession on Rite FM.
Kwaku who is a physically challenged farmer and who against all odds beat off competition from able-bodied men to be adjudged the 2014 best district farmer in his municipality, told his story when he appeared as guest on Tuesday’s ‘Feed the Future Platform.’
Kwaku who is a multiple farmer cultivates three acres of garden eggs, two acres of maize, as well as acres of plantain farm, cassava, cabbage, yam, pepper, cocoyam, and palm plantation. That is not all as he is equally a successful palm wine tapper.
Perhaps to give credence to the widely held assertion and belief that disability is not inability, the physically challenged man fells the palm trees by himself for the preparation of the alcohol, locally called akpeteshie.
The farmer explained that he depends on the rains for his farming activities. Unfortunately, he, just as other farmers has been badly affected by the climate change which has resulted in poor rainfall over the past year. Therefore, palm-wine tapping, according to him is a good occupation in the absence of the rains.
Kwaku explains that though he is not yet married, he nevertheless has two lovely children aged seven and three years with the woman he is yet to marry. The 35-year-old Kwaku takes pride in his wife and their two little kids. That is not all; he also spoke about his five-bedroom house which is still under construction.
Meanwhile, Kwaku desperately appealed for funds to set up the corn mill he was given as part of his award when he scooped the prize for the best district farmer during the 2014 Farmers’ Day celebrations. To him, that was a further in his cap and the recognition of his hard work but no funds to make a living out of it. Kwaku did not end there as he also appealed for a wheelchair to facilitate and aid his movement.
In a show of magnanimity, however, Kwaku seemed to have bitten more than he can chew as right after the program, he was presented with a wheelchair by one passionate listener. But that is not all; another listener promised to get him another wheelchair as well as to support him set up his corn mill.
Source: ritefmonline.org
