Nabdam: The sad story of a 9-year old disabled girl who crawls over 2km to school daily

Unlike some disabled children who would give up education and rather sit by road sides to beg for alms, nine-year-old Agnes Mba from Dasabligo in the Upper East Region believes she can be a great person in future through education despite her condition. Agnes crawls on her knees to school over 2 kilometers daily through a rough road and back.

Agnes Mba is a class one pupil at Dasabligo Primary School in the Nabdam District. She is unable to stand on her feet nor walk. She lost the effective use of his lower limbs at the age of 3 months. Because of her condition, she did not enroll in school early. Agnes therefore crawls on her knees to school on daily basis. She would sometimes have to support herself with both hands to crawl to school and back home. She crawls for a minimum of 2km daily in pursuit of education. Whenever it rains or there is hot sunshine, it becomes a double tragedy for Agnes.

Her mother would have to carry her on her back to school. Agnes’ father Abanberinga Mba explained that “When she was growing up, she had difficulty in looking straight at an object. Her neck was still not strong. After some years, there was improvement on her neck and eyes but she could not walk. We tried local treatments to no avail. We visited the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital but we were referred to a bones specialist at Bawku. But we couldn’t go because we knew we cannot even pay for any service. So that’s how come she is in this condition.”

Agnes, despite her condition still helps her mother in her house chores. She believes that looking unhappy would not change her situation and for that matter is always seen smiling while studying her books. Even in school she plays with her colleagues and would always set off to go home when there is no hope of a bicycle to carry her home.

Madam Christiana Azuyema is the class one teacher of the School and she tells us how active and participatory Agnes is in class.

“Agnes is good in class. She is always happy whenever her colleagues are writing something on the board. She always wants to also do so. She always plays with her colleagues in class. Her problem is how to come to school. So we would be happy if any assistance is given to her,” Madam Christiana Azuyema pleaded.

According to the family, the Nabdam District Assembly supported them with a tricycle a year ago but it is nonfunctional at the moment. For now, Agnes would have to continue to crawl to school until any assistance comes her way.