Life
was normal for this family until events took a negative turn when the mother of
the home suddenly and painfully died during childbirth at the Asesewa
Government hospital leaving behind five children including the unfortunate baby
boy whose birth marked the start of the rather sad history of the Kwapong
family of Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo district.
When
on Tuesday December 14, 2010, late Mateko Kwapong was rushed from her home to
the Asesewa Government Hospital amidst painful labour, hopes were high in
anticipation of the arrival of a new born together with a healthy mother but
that was not to be. A new born joined the family but that was the end of the
life of Mateko who died out of complications which were beyond the expertise of
the medical team at post, leaving behind five children (3 males and 2 females) including
the unlucky child.
Little
Rebecca Kwapong, then aged 20, the eldest of the children and a final year
student of the St. Annes Vocational Training Institute had to quickly adjust
and assume the role of a mother, combining both academic work and home keeping while
nursing the baby boy.
With
this support, complemented by the efforts of a hard-working father- Daniel Kwapong - life moved on though a bit jerky until the
hardest of blows hit the family within an interval of two months after the
demise of the mother of the home.
Two
days to the start of the burial and funeral rite for his wife, slated for
February 4, 2011 and on one of his many trips in preparation, the Hyndai mini
bus in which Daniel was traveling from Asesewa to Manpong (Odumase-Krobo) was
brutally attacked around 8pm by armed robbers at Ayermersu on the main
Odumase-Asesewa road and shot dead in the right rib. All the other 11
passengers on board were spared but Daniel because he had in his possession-
which was the envy of the robbers- lots of money meant for the wife’s funeral
two days away.
What
was supposed to be the funeral rite for one (the wife) turned the funeral rite
for both husband and wife, leaving the five children- Rebecca, 21yrs; Samuel,
18yrs; Korkor, 13yrs; Emmanuel, 10yrs and ill-fated Teye Kwapong, less than a
year old- to their fate. On Saturday February 12, 2011- the worst of days in
the lives of these family- both parents who laid, hand in hand on same bed were
finally enveloped in the bellies of the earth side by side.
As
if that was not enough pain for this poor family, another Hyndai passenger bus
carrying sympathizers to the funeral that fateful Friday February 11, 2011 was
involved in a gory accident almost at the same spot of the robbery leading to
the lost of one more life while several other people were fatally injured.
Strange
as it was, the funeral expectedly attracted the highest number of mourners ever
witnessed in the town with lots of sympathy towards the children but which only
lasted for the period of the funeral.
Now
out of school but jobless, Rebecca is faced with working out magic on daily
basis to provide not only for herself but for the needs of Samuel, a first year
science student of the Pope Johns Senior High School; Korkor and Emmanuel,
primary 4 and 1 pupils of the Asesewa Roman Catholic School and occasionally
little Teye who is currently in the custody of a maternal aunt. She is also
confronted with the yearly renewal of the rent of their hired home where they
are currently putting up as well as many such commitments with or without
support from the extended family.
Now
branded and believed to be a “wizard” and the cause of the train of negative
events (Arising out of our African, for that matter Ghanaian mentality), all
but his immediate relations shy away from the innocent baby boy,Teye, who grows
up to face a world that has already taken a negative stance against him.
Come
to think of the fact that 21-year-old Rebecca who should have – under normal
circumstances- been under someone’s care by now, has had to not only fend for
herself but double as both mother and father to her orphaned siblings, we could
not help but nominate them for – at least- the smallest of supports from Airtel
in the ongoing Touching Lives TV programme to sooth their sorrow.
WHY THE NEED FOR THE SUPPORT
1. Losing
one’s parents in rapid succession as did these young once, particularly in the
manner they did could be such an unpleasant experience that could leave one
traumatized for good. Therefore, any intervention from Airtel both material and
financial would go a long way to lessen particularly the plight of Rebecca, now
the breadwinner and the visibly hopeless family.
2.
Though brilliant, these young and innocent children risk dropping out of school
with no sign of what the future holds for them thereafter.
3.
With the breakdown in our social support and extended family system, there is
little hope for any reliable helping hand for all 5 of them, if any at all
hence the need for Airtel’s intervention to enable these children to actualize
their dreams.
4. For
her determined effort and support for her siblings, Rebecca should be rewarded
to further motivate her to continue her good work.
Following this nomination,
Airtel came to the rescue of the family, moved them out of their crumbling mud
house and rented a two bedroom apartment for them for two years. They were also
given GHC 5000.00 education support to enable Samuel (the second born) who was
then reading Science in Pope John Secondary School to complete her secondary
education. Rebecca was also supported with catering equipment such as fridge,
oven, micro wave among several others to set her up in business as a caterer.
Here, Rebecca is seen receiving the prize from an Airtel staff.
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Watch full video via this link
