Mr. Abok Atik, Mental Disability, at Karateshie
“Before they gave me the garden and the sheep, I could hardly lay hands on my own money to cater for my own needs, but now I can. I get money regularly to take care of myself, my wife and kid. I am grateful to CBR. All I can say is that God help them to continue to help people like us”
Abok Atik, 37 years of age, is a native of the Karateshie community of the Tempane District. He was not born with the mental disability, but the problem developed as he grew into adulthood. He was identified, assessed and brought under the CBR programme seven years ago by Clement Abugri, a field staff of the CBR Garu.
Mr. Atik said in 2015, he received two sheep from CBR, a well fenced garden, with equipment such as pick-axe, shovel, hoe, watering cans, knapsack sprayer, donkey and cart; compost manure and a well-constructed well to provide a reliable water supply for the gardening activities. He says, he does all year-round farming in the garden. Apart from the immediate benefit of his family getting the opportunity to feed on fresh vegetables throughout the year, he also sells the vegetables to generate income for himself and the other family members who support him in the garden.
He cultivates onions of which he said he makes good money from the sale of the onions and the onion seeds. He estimated that, he and the other brothers whom he shares the garden with, make not less thirty (30) bottles of the seeds. A bottle is sold for between GH¢50.00 to GH¢60.00, which translates into at least GH¢1,500.00 worth of earnings every season.
Mr. Abok Atik is now married with one (1) child.
Abugbil Apusib
Abugbil Apusib benefitted from the programme to engage in all year round gardening
Monica Akamba
Monica Akamba working in her vegetable garden.