Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) , has urged society to accommodate those who are physically disabled since social inclusion builds better communities.
On October 13, 2022, in Akropong, Eastern Region, he was speaking at the united football for inclusion program at the school for the blind.
As a part of the World Children’s Day commemoration, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) put together the program with the slogan “Unified Football for Inclusion.”
In attendance was Anne-Claire Dufay – Country Representative of UNICEF. Others included Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku – President of the Ghana Football Association, Francisca Atuluk, Deputy Director, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Gifty Bremansu, Director of Counselling Department of the Ghana Education Service, Nana Baffuor Awuah, Pre-Tertiary Director of Ministry of Education (Representative of the Education Minister).
The rest were Youth Advocate, Ghana Federation of Disabilities Organization, Nina Akosua Efedi Okoroafor, Head of Programmes Division, Department of Children, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Daniel Coffie and the Akuapem North Municipal Director of Education, Lawrence Dzah.
‘’I am very delighted to join hands with UNICEF and the Ghana Education Services to participate in today’s all-important event. Indeed, I am an advocate for youth in Sports, with a special bias to football and it gives me joy to see children engage in friendly competition with each other, whether on football pitches or wherever the dream fits to play’’ President Simeon-Okraku said.
‘’This applies to all children, regardless of their physical composition, abled or disabled. The students of the Akropong school of the blind are indeed no exception’’.
‘’I also believe vision is something we have in common and can be found in the heart, and it is through vision that all of us achieve greatness and strive for a brighter future’’.
‘’I recall a time when I envisaged being the President of our dear Football Association through determination and the guidance of the Almighty, I realised this dream’’.
‘’This is one of such examples of instances I have faced in my lifetime. It has been through having a clear vision of who I want to become and where I wanted to be in the future that I have the opportunity to address all of you today. All of us here can do same and even more’’.
‘’Ghana qualified for the World Cup after beating Nigeria in one of the most challenging World Cup qualifying matches this year. Today, I’m here to witness our own version of our special world cup. We should remind ourselves to give opportunities to precious students at this school and others in society at every chance we get’’.
‘’I am indeed encouraged by the activities that students have participated in and what we are going to witness here today. Social inclusion of all people in society make for a stronger community of people’’.
‘’I will urge each one of us to have a clear vision, believe in ourselves and have passion to pursue our dreams, because disability is all about ability and indeed, together we can arrive at our individual and collective destination in terms of aspirations and our dreams’’.
‘’Through the big effort of the very hard-working Anne-Claire, I am excited to be here. Today will not be the last time I will visit this school, at every given opportunity when I am invited by the leadership of this school, I will be here to join you’’.
‘’It is important for all of us to come together to create such platforms for every kid to realise his or her dream and I am committed towards this vision. I stand here representing football, today we are going to have our version of the world cup through the kind courtesy of UNICEF, the Ghana Education Service and all of us’’ he added.
The Akropong School for the Blind is a coed, physically challenged institution located in Akropong, Ghana’s Eastern Region’s Akuapem North District.
