For a lot of many years, a 60-year-old visually impaired farmer, Lawrence Demebu vowed never ever to beg to survive.
With the help of a white cane, he walks for about 30 minutes in Liati, a city in the Afadjato South District of the Volta Area, cautiously navigating his farm day-to-day to work long hours in purchase to place meals on his desk and quite a few other people.
“Nothing beats tricky perform,” he smiles, as he proceeds to expertly stake yams in his farm so that they crawl all around sticks to elevate and mature improved.
He clears some weeds on his farm and starts planting maize. To help him plant in a straight line, he sticks a rope to the ground and vegetation alongside.
Nonetheless, he does not always reap from his sweat as unscrupulous men and women steal from him. “During harvest seasons, men and women steal from me. They observe me and then acquire the yams I harvest. I under no circumstances find them.
They steal from me on the farm and at home”, he pressured. With no relative shut to him, Lawrence will get help from his neighborhood church to provide his create. He has been longing for a lover to support him to be successful, but that has been hard.
“My mates experimented with to locate me a spouse but sadly the women of all ages often stayed with me for a limited time. They sense ashamed of me. I am not lazy. I need companionship to be profitable. Individuals times I could provide for them but they left me,” he reported.
Lawrence’s inability to uncover a wife and get started a loved ones leaves him worried about his previous age. At 60 years, his most important anxiety is who will get care of him when he is outdated and frail. “I cook, wash, thoroughly clean and also fetch h2o for myself, but who will just take treatment of me when I am outdated.”
For in excess of 30 decades, all he has to clearly show for his tricky work is a weak mud residence. Though Lawrence has vowed hardly ever to beg, he is now attractive to form-hearted people today to aid him make a good compact retirement residence.
“I am not rich I do not have a respectable area to slumber. I don’t like begging but I plead with you to support me establish a superior residence. When it rains I actually suffer”, he said.
2017 was a fantastic year for him. The Afadjato South District awarded him the best disability farmer. His prize was a pair of wellington boots, two cutlasses, a knapsack sprayer, a fridge and a radio set. He also acquired GH¢800 to assist his farming.
But Lawrence mentioned though he appreciates the cash specified to him, it was not enough to extend his farm. “I definitely wanted to make at that time but I could not help save more than enough to construct. I am jogging out of time”, he reported.
Lawrence yearns for a modest respectable household the place he can safely and securely and easily retire but he uncertainties he can pull means to do that.
Inside his mud dwelling, is a small mattress built with sack stuffed with straw. The higher element of the room wall has formulated a crack which could collapse anytime.
To any philanthropist out there, Lawrence is pleading for a first rate retirement residence.
