By Ibrahim Mohammed Saani
Tema, May 2, GNA – The Disability Community of Ghana has held a special thanksgiving service in Teshie, Greater Accra Region, to honour its patron, Bishop Dr. Charles Cofie Hackman.
Members of the Disability Community, the Albinism Alliance, traditional ruler representatives, the Here-For-Perfection Organisation (H4P), a faith-based non-governmental organisation, and some community members attended the ceremony, which was held at the Fire City Chapel.
Mr. Alexander Tetteh, Executive President of the Centre for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, presented Bishop Dr Charles Hackman with a citation to honour him for promoting the fundamental human rights and privileges of persons with disabilities through his Here-For-Perfection Organisation.
Mr. Tetteh disclosed that the thanksgiving event was held to honour Bishop Hackman for providing them with a dignified life of which over 10,000 Ghanaians living with various sorts of disability have been beneficiaries.
He said it was important to honour their patron while he was still alive because they profited individually and collectively from him in the form of school fees, rent, medical costs, and food.
He did, however, revealed that some dishonest individuals abused physically handicapped people by using them to obtain wealth and then abandoning them.
Madam Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah, President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations and Albinism Alliance, stated that the crippled community had been blessed with a shepherd in the person of Bishop Hackman and urged her colleagues to always pray to God for the Bishop.
Ms. Lillian Bruce-Lyle, the first recipient of the Christina Hackman Impact Leadership (CHIL) Awards, an award scheme established by the H4P organization, highlighted that many people ignore the disabled individuals because “they assumed they might get their condition if they came into contact with them.”
“However, when society looked down on us, Bishop Hackman embraced us and gave us hope,” she added.
Members of the Disability Community prayed to God to touch the hearts of people to provide their needs and urged charitable organizations to support them.
GNA